The reTREAT Overview
SMORE for Women is a Spiritual Ministry Offering ReTREATs and Encouragement especially for single mothers. It is Gail’s personal mission that many others have contributed to. Our goal is to provide the materials necessary for you to host retreats for single mothers in your community. Our retreats are small and intimate. If the reTREAT is in a home all guests should be able to be seated together at the dining table. Each reTREAT offers a day of “treats” for each mom. The day begins after introductions with breakfast. After breakfast the single mom guests disperse to various stations such as a hot tub or pool, make-up and wardrobe consultation, prayer/music room, massage, patio or garden, meditation area and visiting with hostesses. The guests rotate to another station every twenty minutes. By noon each guest has experienced all the ‘treats.’ A nice lunch is provided. After lunch the guests regroup for a simple program on the theme. Community groups or organizations might send representatives for the program depending on which one of the themes is used.
The Treats
Throughout the day the guests receive gifts, which are usually donations. For example at our “Job Jump Starts” reTREAT gifts included a bright green plastic file crate, a resume kit donated by Manning’s, a local school and business supply store, a Jason’s Deli gift certificate, a monogrammed pillowcase, lotions, make-up samples, calendar book. And all the guests received a bag of groceries.
Throughout the day the guests receive gifts, which are usually donations. For example at our “Job Jump Starts” reTREAT gifts included a bright green plastic file crate, a resume kit donated by Manning’s, a local school and business supply store, a Jason’s Deli gift certificate, a monogrammed pillowcase, lotions, make-up samples, calendar book. And all the guests received a bag of groceries.
Guide Book
A guide book, Encouraging Single Mothers to Grow Their Strengths, provides detailed step-by-step guidance for planning and hosting a retreat. Three planning meetings and all of the roles and responsibilities are included.
A guide book, Encouraging Single Mothers to Grow Their Strengths, provides detailed step-by-step guidance for planning and hosting a retreat. Three planning meetings and all of the roles and responsibilities are included.
Seeds of Guidance Packet
Each mom receives a booklet we call a Seed Packet which is a specially created collection of stories and articles pertaining to the retreat theme.
Each mom receives a booklet we call a Seed Packet which is a specially created collection of stories and articles pertaining to the retreat theme.
Gail Showalter is available to facilitate your first reTREAT with no fee. Contact singlemoms@smoreforwomen.org for the details.
About Gail
Though I am happily remarried my empathy for single parents remains strong. I am a speaker, published author, parent to three, step-parent to three more and grandmother to ten. My life is full and blessed. Yet, I recall the heartache and disappointments of earlier years. As a result I’ve designed a program that encourages and inspires single mothers.
Faith Statement
We choose to demonstrate Christ rather than preach. We are moderate, relaxed, and open in how we deal with single moms, but we take the Christianity and Christian spirituality seriously. We rely on the Bible, but are not dogmatic. We are interested in interfaith dialog and will not pressure our neighbors. Our primary form of witness is by our lives, but we do not hide the fact that we are Christians.
Gail Cawley Showalter, Founder
SMORE for Women
http://www.smoreforwomen.org/
I have an interest in your program for single moms. I have 3 children and need to get my education. Where can I find out more information? I live in Nacogdoches and would like to go to school at Angelina College in Lufkin, Tex.
Amanda,
I admire your desire to get an education. I had three children when I went back to college and lived to tell about it.
You need to contact the Buckner Family Place in Lufkin. The phone number is 936/637-3300.
Let me know how it goes and if I can be of further assistance.
Gail