Wednesday, September 7, 2022
www.thepapersonline.com
Serving Kosciusko County and parts of Elkhart, Marshall & Noble Counties
Vol. 52, No. 11
Milford (574) 658-4111 • Warsaw (574) 269-2932 • Syracuse (574) 457-3666
114 W. Market, Warsaw, Indiana 46580
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7H[W DQG SKRWRV %\ .(,7+ .1(33 6WDII :ULWHU Tucked alongside a lightly traveled county road a few miles west of Warsaw is a rustic property that is home to myriad furry and feathered residents. It’s also the home to Isaiah 11 Ministry, a faith-based organization committed to helping people and animals through a variety of connective ways. Most of the animals on the property have been abused or neglected, including domestic and farm animals, according to Linda Ozier, executive director of Isaiah 11. “We try to find them homes, but if we can’t, they can live out their lives here,” said Ozier. “But the other component is that we run groups for kids and adults, do counseling, tutoring, we let home school groups come here for field trips, organizations like Cardinal Services bring people out here to visit the animals, and we use the animals for counseling with kids in our groups.” Ozier added “oftentimes the focus seems to be on the animal rescue part, which is important, but the people part of the services is equally as important. “When I first started, it was about the people part and the animals just came alongside,” she said. “We get calls all the time about the animals. While we like to focus on getting them adopted, we also want to highlight what we do for people.” For example, on Tuesday nights, they host “Farm Group,” which is open all ages, during which people come help take care of the animals. “We have a time of prayer, then we serve them a meal,” Ozier said. “Then we have a lesson of some sort, social skills or life skills. Then on Saturday, we have a group for children whose parents or caregivers are addicts or recovering addicts. These kids have grown up with various beliefs about themselves or their lives that stem from their caregiver’s addiction.
“Even if their parents aren’t using anymore, at some point the kids were neglected or came second to the substance. The format is the same as the Tuesday group, but the focus is on what they’ve believed and how to change their self-perception.” She noted Domino’s Pizza donates food twice monthly for both the Tuesday and Saturday groups. A Warsaw family provides the meal once a month. Ozier added she also offers individual sessions and tutoring to children and adults. Although the ministry is faith-based, they accept people from any walk of life or belief. Although she has the requisite education and qualifications, Ozier emphasized she is not a licensed therapist, by her own choice for a variety of reasons. She says it allows her a wider role with the people she serves, allowing her to not only be a counselor, but also a mentor, tutor and friend. “I think the people and animals work in tandem,” added Sally Scott, vice president of the Isaiah 11 board of directors. “Focusing on how the animals really heal people, these animals have been through a lot as well, so having that connection between two different types of beings is wonderful.” Ozier told a story of an abused horse who once lived at the ministry. A little girl was introduced to the horse and they formed a connection. “‘That’s just like me,’” Ozier recalled the girl saying to her. “‘I don’t have any friends either, and I’m always alone and getting hurt.’ She connected immediately to that horse’s story. As we tell the animals’ stories, then the people heal, too. People help the animals heal and the animals help the people heal. That’s what’s very unique about us. We don’t have any fancy facility, but it works.” Isaiah 11 does not get any public funding, but runs completely by donations and volunteers. For further information about Isaiah 11 Ministry, call (574) 549-8071, email isaiah11.linda@gmail. com or visit isaiah11.business.site or facebook. com/isaiah11ministry.