2025 Madison Fall Fundraiser: Designing Life’s Blueprint
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11
Last night, September 18th, we gathered to enjoy an evening of community and hear about the Life Blueprints that have been transformed at Begin Anew. We heard wonderful testimonies from Brandie (HSE Student), Martresse (2025 HSE Graduate), Ben (Volunteer), and from a panel of current students enrolled in various programs. We heard powerful stories of how students’ life blueprints have been forever changed. Brandie shared of her struggles with addiction and how through a local organization and the help of Begin Anew she will receive her High School Equivalency Diploma! Our panel of current students shared a little bit of their journey, where they currently are, and plans once they graduate. They are all getting closer to completing our program! Ben shared about the community that is felt at Begin Anew. Every week he loves coming to volunteer and see the students encourage each other through hardships and boost each other up!
Special Thank you to Madison Church of Christ for hosting our Fundraiser and for hosting our Madison Campus every week of the semester!
Thank you to the Fundraising Committee for organizing the event! Thank you to Flo Paris Oakes for the wonderful performances (you can read more about her below and on her website)! Thank you to each and every one of our speakers for sharing a piece of their story with us!
You can find photos from the event below.
Martresse
Martresse shared how she wanted to become a nurse and tried a couple different avenues before settling on the fact that she needed to complete her high school equivalency to achieve her dream. She explained she found Begin Anew by accident. She thought she was calling YWCA but then Andrea picked up. Andrea explained what Begin Anew was and Martresse took a chance and showed up that next Monday.
Martresse found a community at Begin Anew that supported her, not just with her studies but through life. She shared how they encouraged her each week and she kept coming back and this past Spring she completed her High School Equivalency!
“I didn’t know if I was going to complete it [high school equivalency program] but the compassion and love everybody showed me just made me want to come.”
-Martresse, 2025 Madison Spring HSE Graduate
Flo Paris Oakes
Thank you to FLo Paris Oakes for delivering a wonderful, heart-felt performance at our Madison Fundraiser. Flo is a Nashville-based musician, author, and ordained priest who moved here in 2008 with her husband and two children. Along with singer-songwriters Katy Bowser, Sandra McCracken, and Ellie Holcomb; Flo co-founded the kids’ folk-gospel band, “Rain for Roots”—they have released four studio albums. To find out more about Flo you can go to her website here.
Madison Fall Fundraising Committee
Special Thank You to the Madison Fall Fundraising Committee for all of their hard work to make this event happen. They spent countless hours planning and prepping to make this event the special evening that it was. Thank you, Sheila Allen, Patti Stewart, Andrea Waters, Pam Bryant, and Bonnie Matthews!
