Frequently Asked Questions

1. What geographical region does Esther House cover?
   As far as we can reach, as long as a woman meets the requirements and there is room for her and her family, we will accept her into the Esther House regardless of where she lives.
   
   
2. How would women and children be selected?
   First, they must be referred through an abuse shelter or church, then they would have at least two interviews (one by phone, one in person) with someone from the Esther House.
   
   
3. How many families can Esther House accommodate at one time?
   We can accommodate up to 12 people.
   
   
4. What do you expect the cost to operate the Esther House to be?
   Our total estimated budget is $3,500.00 a month.
   
   
5. How long will a family stay at the Esther House?
   No less than 6 months and no more than 18 months. Much like going to the gym, if you start out with a lot of extra "baggage" it will take longer to "get into shape" than for someone with less baggage.
   
   
6. Will there be a limit of people per family?
   Yes, but that has not been determined at this time.
   
   
7. Will there be an age limit on children?
   Yes, age seventeen, subject to approval from the board.
   
   
8. How will visitation of family members and friends be handled?
   Anyone who visits the Esther House will be pre-screened and approved by the board of Esther House. After this process, they may visit on designated days and times.
   
   
9. Will the Esther House be a “secret” place?
   No, because it is not a shelter. There will be no need for it to be secretive.
   
   
10. Will there be screening for drugs?
    Yes, we will reserve the right to have random drug tests on anyone who lives at or works with the Esther House.
    
    
11. Will the Esther House have a staff doctor?
    No.
    
    
12. How many people will it take to man the Esther House in a 24 hour period?
    There will be at least one staff person at the house at all times.
    
    
13. What are your plans for security?
    All doors to Esther House will remain locked except for regular business hours. There will also be a safety plan in place and we will work closely with our local law enforcement.
    
    
14. Will the children be attending Cumberland County schools?
    Yes.
    
    
15. How will the security of the children attending school be provided?
    Cumberland County Schools have excellent guidelines in place for all children who attend school and we feel these guidelines will be sufficient for the children at Esther House.
    
    
16. Will the primary person in the family be expected to contribute to the cost of living?
    Yes. Everyone enrolled at Esther House will be required to work and contribute to the Esther House.
    
    
17. Will conjugal visits be permitted?
    No.
    
    
18. If a woman decides to leave the Esther House before completing the program can she re-enter at a later time?
    Yes, however, it would depend on the circumstances that she left the house under and she would have to again meet all the requirements.
    
    
19. What will the outline of the program be?
    The Esther House will be a Christian-based program that will strive to meet all aspects of a woman’s life – spiritual, emotional and physical. We will address things as basic as making a budget, housekeeping, and writing a resume. The most important thing that will be addressed will be their spiritual growth. The ladies’ relationship with Jesus Christ will be where most of our time and focus will be spent. We will do this through daily studies and guest speakers.
    
    
20. Will there be by-laws set up?
    Yes, we are currently writing our by-laws.
    
    
21. What would constitute a person being asked to leave?
    Breaking the rules and guidelines set forth and agreed upon prior to entering the Esther House.
    
    
22. How do you expect to maintain the cost of running the Esther House?
    The women will be required to work and contribute to the cost of running the Esther House. However we will also rely on donations and various fund raisers throughout the year. We also plan to offset some of the cost by asking organizations and churches to “adopt a room,” i.e. adopt the laundry room and supply laundry soap and bleach, or adopt a bathroom and supply toilet paper and soap, etc.
    
    
23. If you have a resident that does not abide by the house rules or is a threat to others at the house, are there steps in place to remove/evict her & her family?
    Yes, when a woman comes into the Esther House she will be required to have on her account enough funds to purchase a bus ticket to her home town or to her next destination.
    
    
24. If your referrals are to be from outside agencies, how will Esther House benefit our own community especially those women in need locally?
    We will work closely with abuse shelters for women who are in need of immediate help. There will also be Bible studies and support groups that will meet throughout the week that will encourage local women, who have been in these situations, to attend.
    
    
25. In the event that Esther House ceases to exist what will become of my donation?
    The law states that money designated for this cause may not be used for any other purpose. Therefore, all money would then go to another home for battered women.
    
    
26. What oversight will the Esther House have?
    The Esther House Board of Directors will have oversight, not a local church.
    
    
27. Who is responsible for overseeing the finances of the Esther House?
    Esther House treasurer in conjunction with the Board of Directors.
    
    
28. Will the women be required to work and contribute monies to the house for themselves and/or their families if financial aid is not available to them?
    Yes, the women will be required to work and contribute to the Esther House.
    
    
29. Will the Esther House provide job training?
    Yes.
    
    
30. Will there be an overseer of the house 24/7?
    Yes, there will be staff at the home at all times.
    
    
31. Will attending Church be a requirement?
    Yes, the women may choose which church they attend.
    
    
32. What if you have a referral to the house that considers themselves already a Christian that practices under a certain denomination and at some point disagrees with the Christian teaching that you plan on incorporating?
    The foundation of the Esther House is based on the fact that Jesus Christ came to Earth, was born from a virgin, died on a cross, shed His blood for our sins, and the only way to Heaven is by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior. The women who come to live at Esther House will know this is our belief before they come to live there.
    
    
33. Will state and federal law apply to the house if funds are accepted from either, and if so how will you allow it to affect the overall purpose of Esther House?
    No, we will only accept funds that will not interfere with our Christian beliefs.
    
    
34. Though you plan to have a board of directors and other committees in place, who will ultimately be responsible for the total workings for the house?
    The Executive Director in conjunction with the Board of Directors.
    
    
35. As community involvement is important to a ministry as large as you see Esther House becoming, how do you intend to unite the community in this cause?
    We are developing a project committee for the Esther House, this committee will be made up of individuals throughout the community and any churches who wish to be involved. This committee will play a huge role in developing fund raisers and community events. We have also begun to develop an advisory committee which will be made up of Pastors in and around our community. This committee will advise the Esther House on decisions that need to be made. This project is too big for one person or one church. This truly will require a community effort.
    
    
36. What goals need to be met in order to make this a reality?
    To secure funding for operating expenses and necessary renovation.