Rustic Hope shares story with DCRW

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GREENVILLE – The Darke County Republican Women’s Club (DCRWC) ended its year with a heart-warming speaker, the giving spirit and lots of Christmas joy. Connie McEldowney, founder and director of Rustic Hope told her story of God’s guidance in establishing a haven for pregnant women. She stated that mostly, God gets her out of the way.

McEldowney became motivated to start helping pregnant women 18-years-ago, while praying at an abortion clinic in Dayton. She came to the conclusion that a viable option needed to be made available because too often women were made to believe abortion was the cheap and easy solution to an unplanned pregnancy. Since then, she has established Rustic Hope, The Shed and St. Paul’s Place.

Rustic Hope is a 501C3 non-profit organization that offers physical, emotional and spiritual support to mothers in need. It has housing for up to four teen mothers to be. It is located at 3350 Simon Road, outside of Russia. There are six additional families that also provide housing as needed.

Advice is provided for those moms who are considering private adoptions. The McEldowney’s are parents to five biological children and five adopted children. The most recent is the child of an autistic couple and is an open adoption where the biological parents are also a part of the child’s life.

“Connie had such an inspiring and motivating message for all women. The club members were proud to have been able to donate items that will help her as she helps area moms in need,” said Betty Hill, DCRWC president.

Over the years, Rustic Hope has added “The Shed”. It is a location where mothers in need of assistance can obtain free diapers, children’s clothing, household items, furniture, toys, food, etc. It is located at 3336 Simon Road, outside of Yorkshire. Each month, over 600 moms from Greenville, Troy, Piqua and Sidney are helped with supplies from The Shed. McEldowney said there are plans to enlarge The Shed next spring.

The most recent addition to Rustic Hope’s offerings is St. Paul’s Place. The previous Willowdale Church facility was donated to Rustic Hope. The downstairs of the building has been made into an education center and the upstairs has become an indoor playground for children to use while their mothers are attending classes. McEldowney said the playground takes away mom’s excuses for not taking advantage of the classes.

Classes provided to mothers include financial management, auto maintenance, cooking, Bible study, First Aid, C.P.R, and other life skills.

“Success is when moms get out on their own, get their family lives settled and come back to help,” said McEldowney.

“Who the Hell I’m Not” is the title of McEldowney’s upcoming book, detailing her life’s journey.

McEldowney may be reached at Rustic Hope by calling (937) 526-4336. The website is: http://rustichope.org. Rustic Hope may also be found on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/RusticHope/

DCRWC is a political group founded to provide political education and legislative information; provide a wider knowledge of the principles of the Republican Party; increase the number of registered Republicans; recruit, promote, and support qualified Republican women for political office; give exposure to and work actively for all Republican candidates; and lend support to the activities of other Republican organizations. The DCRWC is a multi-generational, multi-cultural organization providing the structure and support for political activists to learn, engage, and flourish. The Club is chartered by the National Federation of Republican Women and is a member of the Ohio Federation of Republican Women. For more information, visit: http://www.darkegop.org/womens-club.html or email President Betty Hill at: [email protected]

Director of Rustic Hope Connie McEldowney and the donations from Darke County Republican Women’s Club members.
https://www.dailyadvocate.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/web1_Rustic-Hope-Donations-w.jpgDirector of Rustic Hope Connie McEldowney and the donations from Darke County Republican Women’s Club members. Courtesy photo

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