Widow’s Home on schedule to open this spring Judy Moore named Administrator

The Iris B. Vest Memorial Widows Home and Ministry Center construction is on schedule to open this spring and will hold their grand opening this fall, said the center’s new administrator, Judy Moore. Moore’s background includes 25 years of experience as a registered nurse, and recently served as administration manager for Baptist Hospital in Knoxville. “My work first began in obstetrics and I especially love women’s health issues,” Moore said. “My preparation for this position has been perfect, now that I look back and consider it.” Moore also spent 12 years at U.T. Hospital, with seven of those years in the emergency room/trauma department, so she knows how to deal with situations that require insight and instinct as well as training and experience. “I am so excited about this opportunity to help widows in need from all over the United States,” Moore said. Also being welcomed on board this week is Betty Rogers from Oglethorpe, GA, who will serve as chaplain for the widow’s home. Rogers, who is a widow herself, said that her own experience has taught her to be more understanding of the unique needs of widows from all walks of life. In 1998, Rogers published the first issue of her own newsletter, “Plead For The Widow,” a ministry to widows that gets its name from a verse of the Bible in Isaiah. Her newsletter, with 900 subscribers, only touched the surface in terms of reaching widows in need, she said. “The 2000 U.S. Census shows that there are 11 million widows currently living in the United States,” Rogers said. “I am excited about my new position because it will give me an opportunity to help women through the grief process and go on to living a full life.” Rogers said that even in her new position, she will continue to publish her newsletter, and has been approached with the idea of turning it into an international magazine. That’s an idea for the future, since her new position will keep her very busy, Rogers said. The widow’s center will provide 40 apartments with full accommodations, Moore said. Each widow will have private living quarters with a kitchenette, living area, bedroom, and bath. The Scriptural mandate of James 1:27 to care for the fatherless person as well as the widow is the heart and spirit behind the center’s vision for merging relationships between the widows at the new center with the children at the Smoky Mountain Children’s Home. Widows needing a way to overcome grief may quickly find comfort by reaching out to a child who needs a mother/grandmother figure, Moore said. The widow’s home is a separate entity, and is funded apart from the budget of the children’s home, said Smoky Mountain Children’s Home superintendent, Paul Duncan. Recent challenges being faced by the children’s home due to the Brian A. Settlement will have no effect on the widow’s home. “A generous benefactor contributed a large portion of the funding (for the widow’s home) and the rest came from Churches of God across the United States,” Moore said. The widow’s home will also provide a program of activities including support groups, involvement in the children’s home, community action, group travel, and lifetime learning experiences. “There will be plenty of volunteer opportunities here, and I’ll be talking about that more as we draw nearer to our opening,” Moore said. “We are very fortunate to have these two talented women,” said Duncan. “They have the background, experience, vision, and the energy that’s needed to do a great job.” The center will be under the direction of the Church of God Division of Care with accountability to the international executive committee and executive council, Moore said, but any widow (regardless of church affiliation) in the United States, age 55 or older, may apply for residence.