Planting Stability Today So Families Can Thrive Tomorrow
Our Story
Too many families are working hard—and still falling behind.
Rising housing costs, income instability, and benefit cliffs leave families with no clear path forward.
The Jabez Initiative exists to change that.
Through Sara’s House on the Hill (SHOTH), we provide more than housing—we create a structured, supportive bridge from crisis to stability and long-term independence.
About The Jabez Initiative
The Heart Behind Sara’s House on the Hill (S.H.O.T.H.)
The Jabez Initiative was not built from an idea. It was built from a moment. A moment where need,
faith, and compassion met —and changed the course of my life.
The name itself comes from a prayer that shaped my understanding of purpose:
“Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain.” — 1 Chronicles 4:10 �
For years, I understood the importance of giving. But what I wrestled with was something deeper:
discernment. When does help truly help? When does it restore… instead of create dependency?
When does it lift… instead of unintentionally harm? Through life, prayer, and experience… I believe
God brought me to that understanding. And it began during one of the most difficult seasons of my life.
A Season of Transition:
In 2014, after a divorce that felt more like an escape than an exit, I found myself starting completely over. I was a single mother with very little. Very limited financial support. A brand-new entry-level job earning around $8–$9 an hour. And the full responsibility of rebuilding a life for my children. We needed everything: furniture, beds, dishes, appliances and a vehicle. At the same time, I was trying to navigate systems that, on paper, were meant to help —but in reality, didn’t fit our situation. Housing assistance had long waiting lists. And even when available, the structure still required more than I could realistically sustain while rebuilding. I was doing everything I could. But like so many people in life transitions…
it still wasn’t enough.
The Moment Everything Changed:
And then… I was given a gift. Through an unexpected reconnection, I met Sara. After hearing what I had been through, she offered me something that would become a turning point in our lives. A small, two-bedroom house. It sat in a quiet neighborhood behind McKenzie Park in Lubbock —on top of a small hill. It was purple. It needed a little work. But to me and my children… it was everything we had been praying for. Sara offered to rent it to us for $300 a month plus utilities. Not based on the market. Not based on profit. But based on what I could truly afford while rebuilding my life. And in that moment… something shifted. For the first time in a long time, we could breathe.
What Stability Made Possible:
That little purple house became the place where our lives began to come back together. Because what Sara gave me was not just housing. She gave me a margin. And margin created movement. With that breathing room: I was able to grow in my career, increase my income, purchase a reliable vehicle, provide a stable, loving home for my children, and begin healing — not just financially, but emotionally and spiritually as well. We slowly gathered what we needed. Piece by piece. Day by day. And when Sara eventually increased the rent, it wasn’t a burden. It felt like progress. Because she did it only when she knew I was ready to carry it.
What That Experience Taught Me:
That experience revealed something I will never forget: When stability comes first, independence can follow. People are not struggling because they lack effort. They are struggling because they are rebuilding without room to breathe. What Sara gave me was not charity. It was wisdom, timing, and care. And that changed everything.
The Meaning Behind What We Built:
That moment didn’t just change my life. It planted something in me. Something that grew into a calling… and eventually became The Jabez Initiative. And every part of what we’ve built carries the meaning of that moment.
The house sat on a hill — and that hill now represents the journey upward.
Because life has valleys. Life has transitions. But forward is still forward.
The house was purple — a quiet reminder of dignity, worth, and identity in a season where those things could have easily been lost.
The tree in our story represents what grew from that moment — provision, shelter, covering, and legacy. The seeds represent faith — the belief that one act of compassion can grow into something far greater than itself.
And the heart — rising gently like warmth from the home — represents what made it all possible: love
in action.
More Than a Program:
Sara’s House on the Hill is not just a program. It is a decision. A decision to recreate — on purpose — what I once received by grace. It exists for people in life transitions: single parents starting over, individuals rebuilding after loss, young adults stepping into independence. families doing everything right… but needing time, because these are not broken people. These are people in between chapters. And what they need is not pressure. They need space to rise.
From Gratitude to Purpose:
What was given to me and my children was sacred. And I carry that with me in everything we are building. We are honoring a gift that once held us — and turning it into shelter for others.
Turning gratitude into action. Memory into mercy. And compassion into structure. Because at its core, this work says: Someone saw me. Someone made room for me. And now… we are making room for others.
We are making housing affordable in a way that gives people space to stabilize, rebuild and rise with dignity, yes. But more than that…We are recreating the moment when someone looks at a family in transition and says: “You and your children can rest here.” That is not just a model. That is not just a program. That is ministry. And that is the heart of The Jabez Initiative
Under construction: Unfortunately, we cannot take any applications for housing at this time. We are still planning and applying for funding. But we will place a link on this website for applications as soon as we are able to fund housing subsidies. We thank you for your patience and support.
Margie
Be Part of the Solution: Your support provides more than housing—it provides stability, dignity, and a path forward for families navigating life’s most critical transitions.
Contact Us
The Jabez Initiative
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