Women's group helping Elkhart community

Life can be hard sometimes and overcoming the hard times can be just as difficult. That is why G.L.O.W. Ministries in Elkhart was created.

“We’re just there to encourage women, build them up, strengthen them, and teach them to go in the right direction,” said Founder Kristina Harris.

G.L.O.W. stands for Growing, Loving, Overcoming Women. Harris said the group started as a vision and an idea she had to help women.

“I really want to touch base around this neighborhood because it’s really a rough neighborhood. It’s brand new and I’m very excited about it, I am expecting a lot of women to come,” she said.

The group started back in September and they meet every Tuesday at 7 p.m. inside of Grace Lutheran Church in Elkhart.

The group focuses on being a community outreach type of group to help teens and women deal with issues of low self-esteem and confidence.

"I was once just lost in a very dark part of my life and I really needed help. My passion is to just help women like me and young women like me that really struggle with a lot of things,” Harris added.

They also hope to help women battling more serious issues of prostitution, drug addiction, abuse, or even homelessness.

“We want to have buildings to house them, we want to be able to take care of abused women, we want to be able to take care of homeless women," said Leaysha Dudley who is a leader of the group.

In the future the group hopes to expand to have their own building to shelter homeless women and those who have fallen victim to abuse.

A Go Fund Me account has been started to raise funds for a future building.