Today we’d like to introduce you to Desneige VanCleve.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am a wife to a wonderful man and mother to a beautiful 14-year-old girl, 12-year-old boy, and 9-year-old boy. I also have 3 awesome dogs. All of them are the greatest adventures of my life.
My story, as it relates to the Jesus-given calling on my life, began as a young child growing up in a broken home and family and having to endure the numerous ways that impacted my life from food and housing instability to exposure to substance abuse and violence, etc. Fast forward 30 years and I founded Grace Place Ministry Inc. as a way to serve the overwhelming need in Sumner County for single mothers and children experiencing homelessness. I was exposed to the struggle and devastating impact of poverty and homelessness as a child, but I was exposed to the need to open Grace Place through a position as the Benevolence Ministry Coordinator at Long Hollow Baptist Church. From the moment I became aware of the need, it was obvious that the Lord and I were going to be doing this together. After a few very important conversations with several key people of influence, recruiting a Board of Directors, getting our 501c3 status, and gathering enough support for the vision God gave me, Grace Place accepted our first family in the program in July of 2015. We’ve now been serving Sumner County mothers and children in need for 6 adventurous years.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The process of founding a nonprofit and developing a program with a proven success rate probably isn’t best described as “smooth.” First, you have the responsibility of sustaining the organization financially, but then, at the same time, you also have the responsibility of making sure you develop and implement programming following best practices with measurable outcomes. Our program has been developed through a lot of trial and error as well as experience with our families — learning their needs along with their obstacles so that we could truly come alongside of them and help them reach their goals. We’ve made mistakes and we’ve had to make several changes and tweaks along the way. We’ve also leaned on the expertise of other successful programs throughout the nation doing similar work. As a startup, we were also understaffed for the first several years as we raised awareness in the community and built credibility as an organization. It was necessary, but it was definitely a struggle.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am the Founder & Executive Director of Grace Place Ministry Inc., a non-profit in Sumner County, TN that serves single mothers and children experiencing homelessness. Our mission is to empower single mothers in need and their children toward developing healthy, safe, and independent lives in the local community. We do this through a trauma-informed holistic approach that provides shelter, transportation, time, resources, education, and family advocacy to empower mothers and children to eliminate the barriers in their lives that put them at risk for homelessness while also equipping them for future sustainable independence.
I’m very proud of our families we serve. They inspire me daily. What sets us apart is our families and their success. Because of our families’ perseverance through our program, Grace Place has a 77% program completion rate and an 85% success rate for graduates not encountering homelessness again.
Another distinction is that we are faith-based, and we take the necessary time needed with each family to make sure they are set up for success. Some families only need to be with us for 6 months before moving into housing. Others may need to be with us for 18 months. Grace Place welcomes and works with each of them.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
I have learned that the only time we as a society truly win is when we all do our part together. Sometimes we have to do what it right for the greater good of humanity and not ourselves as individuals. Unity and compassion accomplish great things.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.graceplaceministryinc.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/graceplaceministry/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/graceplaceministry
Image Credits
Stan Dunlap Photography
