The Sarah House

In 2020, we created a non-profit called The Sarah House.

Read our story of where the vision started, how it came to be and our experience over the last 4 years.

Mission  

Our mission is to provide a Christ-Centered safe drug free environment for women 18 years of  age and older needing a fresh start in local community and surrounding areas. 

Vision  

We carry out our mission by showing God’s love to house participants while providing basic life  readiness training to help our participants reach self-sufficiency as they prepare to re-enter  society with tools and knowledge learned in our house.  

Core Values 

C - Christ Centeredness 

H - Hope for Tomorrow 

R - Readiness for a Change 

I - Interactive Learning 

S - Servant Leadership 

T - Transformation to Mirror Jesus Christ 

Our Reason 

My name is Randi Hauff. I am a lifelong resident of small town in Oklahoma. The people of my community hold a very  special place in my heart. I was born and raised here, went to school here, and now I raise my  family here. 

Through the local Baptist Association program called Celebrate Recovery that we hold  once a week, I met a young lady whom I was immediately  drawn to. She was beautiful inside and out and had a spirit and longing for Christ. However, like  others we all know and love, this young woman struggled with drug addiction. She would get  clean and sober only to go home to an environment that was less than supportive of her sobriety.  She desperately wanted out of this cycle. But where does one go? As I thought about her and  other women I have known through my life who just needed a fresh start following their  sobriety, The Sarah House began to come alive.  

The name comes from so many places so I’ll give you the quick version. Sarah, God’s faithful  matriarch, married to Abraham. She is the shining example of the practice of faith. I pray that  when people see or think of The Sarah House, they see abundant faith. Faith in God, faith in  God’s healing power and faith in others. Another reason, I chose Sarah was because of its  meaning. In Hebrew, the meaning of the name Sarah is Princess. When a woman enters our home, I want them to have a constantly reminded that they are princesses because they are  daughters of the King as described in Galatian 4:7.  

Last but definitely not least, my very close friend and mentor lost a daughter after many years of  her struggling with addiction. During her life, I only met her once or twice, but she had more of  an impact on me than anyone would expect. You see this woman was the daughter of a man  whom I love very much, a man whom watched me grow, gave me excellent advice which I only  learned to follow as I got older, and helped my parents raise me (help was much needed, I was a  bit of a handful). I watched this man in anguish over his daughter’s addiction and in turn, it  grieved my heart deeply. I would consider this man my second dad. So, although I didn’t know  this woman personally, she was my sister because of the connection I had with her dad. This  young woman also gave birth to two beautiful children whom I was honored to love and watch  grow. At 13, I started my journey with this family and I spent many years loving on these  children and being loved on by this family. And with that I hope Sara, the woman whom I would  consider my sister and who blessed me with the opportunity to love two wonderful children, is  remembered through this home.  

The Sarah House is a Christ-centered safe drug free refuge for women 18 years of age and older  who desire a new beginning. By showing God’s love to house participants, we will provide basic  life readiness training to help our participants reach self-sufficiency as they prepare to re-enter  society with tools and knowledge learned in our house. Women accepted into The Sarah House  will be women who have successfully completed a sobriety program or women who are actively  in a sobriety program and come highly recommended by that program’s administrator.  

Our house participants will be held to house expectations and rules including regular attendance  to church service, Celebrate Recovery and other community service events. They will be subject  to random room searches and drug tests. All house participants will take part in life readiness  training. These trainings include basic cleaning techniques, basic cooking, basic sewing,  financial management, how to fill out an application, etc. We will assist in the development of  life goals and future planning for house participants. One thing we want to make clear is this is  not a sobriety house. This is a fresh start house and participants have to want to be here. We want  to provide a place for sober women to live, learn life skills, grow closer to God and prepare to re enter society on their own.  

This is a vision of mine. I want this to be a place of second chances and grace. I want God’s  name to be glorified and I want these women and our community to see God’s radiant glory  shining from The Sarah House.

What we've experienced -

Easy, it was NOT.

We have had women come to the program stay for a few hours to 6 months.

Some leave without progress, some leave so much better than when they came and some complete the program entirely.

Women whom I think will excel in the program, don't. Women I think won't make it, thrive.

Sometimes, we are a full house with people reaching out to be on a waiting list. Sometimes, we're completely empty. It seems to be a rollercoaster of uncertainties most days but the reward is priceless.

Currently, we rent the property. It has 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Our house mother, who lives at the house and guides the house participants, has her own bedroom and bathroom, leaving us able to house 3 house participants at a time.

We've become well known and respected in our community as life changes are apparent through the program. We receive house participant recommendations through our local department of human services, probation offices and court system.

I would say the greatness challenge has been understanding the personalities of each women in the home and how to adapt our interactions with them to yield the best results.

My greatest moment is when a home participant completed the program and entered into the house mom role seamlessly as she was committed to help others the way she had been helped.

Things I have personally learned through this experience:

1. When someone is ready (for recovery), nothing can stop them.

2. Recovery is NOT only drugs and alcohol.

   • Recovery can be from any sin, anything that separates us from God. It can be recovery from grief, co-dependency, anger, overeating, unforgiveness, jealousy, resentment, pride, greed, fear, and the list goes on.

3. I am NOT in control. Big shocker there, huh? NOT!

   • You can't force change. You can't force timing. You can't force recovery.

   • You CAN pray. You CAN provide opportunities. You CAN provide accountability.

4. I have personally seen Proverbs 16:3 come to life within myself and the house participants, while I know without God, The Sarah House would not have experienced the success we've seen today.

   • Commit your activities to the Lord and your plans will be achieved. - Proverbs 16:3

Final thought:

Wherever you are in life, whatever your circumstance, seek ways to show God's love to others daily.

If you would like to support the Sarah House financially, here's how:

As a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, your donations are tax exempt and guaranteed to touch a life within our house. We run mostly on personal donations and if you are able and willing to make a donation, we accept PayPal.