Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Melanie Webb. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Melanie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
Life has been a journey for me, but that’s the way it is for everyone, right?! To understand me, you must first understand the chaos that ensued from the beginning. Like most young ladies, I had dreams of being a wife and mom. Early on, it seemed those dreams had come true…it wasn’t the way I had pictured it being, but I was living out my deepest desires. I married young and by the age of 25, I was every type of mom possible raising: foster-mom, adoptive mom, step-mom, biological mom, and “just because” mom. Who does that?! It seemed so logical back then…the part about having 8 kids and only being 25. I can’t seem to wrap my mind around it now, but I know it was my faith that sustained me! As time went on and dreams fell apart, I found myself a divorced single mom to my final 6 kids. 5 adopted and 1 biological. At the time of my divorce, I was working 2 jobs, was a fulltime college student, and my total bring-home pay was not enough to make the mortgage payment. A few years before my divorce, I had a vision that I would one day have homes to house women and children who were escaping sex trafficking or family violence situations. At that point in my life, I had no interest in abuse ministry. I had no personal connection to it, had never experienced it on any significant level, and was busy doing other things, so I pushed that vision to the back of my mind and forgot about it. Ignored it, really. So the divorce happened, things were hard, and it took quite awhile to adjust to the new normal. After a year and half, I finally felt like we were settling into a groove. One morning during July of 2016, I sat on my back porch for some quiet time and was praying; asking God for what was next. I told Him I was ready for the next season. Immediately that long-forgotten vision came back to my mind and I answered, “God, I don’t know why You’ve given me this vision or what You want me to do with it, but if You’ll show me what to do, I’ll be the hands and feet. AND, in case You forgot, I am REALLY busy with these 6 kids You’ve given me, so I’m going to need You to do most of the work.” I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
Only a few hours later that same day, I had a knock at my door that would forever change my world. This now adult lady shared that she had been abused as a teenager by the man I was once married to. Over the next 3 days, in 3 separate incidences that could have only been aligned by God himself, I learned just how closely connected to abuse I was. There were many girls who had been abused by the same man, including one of my own children.
That’s how life often works, doesn’t it? God calls us to big things and wants us to step out in blind faith. It is only after we take that leap that He gives us every single thing we need to equip and qualify us for the job. This particular connection was one I wanted to give away for a long time. I have learned that it is the broken, most shattered pieces of life that God will piece together into a beautiful mosaic to become the launching pad that thrusts us into our greatest destiny.
As I navigated the justice system, tended to the emotions of my children, buried my own emotions, and fought off the humiliation that comes with “big news” in a small town, I found myself challenged. “Melanie, will this be your story or your shame?” I wasn’t sure of a lot of things during that time, but the one thing I did know was that under no circumstances did I want my children having to hang their head in shame for circumstances that were beyond our control. I felt like a lone shark in a giant ocean, but as I learned more about abuse statistics, I realized just how many are affected. I had an amazing support system, but I began to think about how many people traveling the same road have no familial support. There weren’t a lot of resources available or offered to me and I am not sure I would have made it through without my family.
It felt like a slow process, but eventually, I founded Mission Righteous Roots, a faithbased crisis resource center. We provide free services and resources to any individual dealing with the effects of past or present abuse of any type. What started out as me leading emotional support classes in a back office has grown into a full-blown nonprofit organization with paid staff. We serve Coryell, Bell, McLennan, Hamilton, Lampasas, and Bosque counties. Each year is a year of rapid growth, so we are always developing. Last year we were able to purchase our very own property that leaves room for our corporate offices to grow. We do not yet have the small homes to house women and children who are escaping abuse, but that is our long-term vision. Housing is no doubt our greatest client need. We continue to pray and know that when the time is right, God will provide us with the property, houses, and/or funding needed to achieve the original vision.
Melanie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Mission Righteous Roots is a faithbased crisis resource center located in Gatesville, TX. We provide free and confidential social services to individuals dealing with trauma as a result of past or present abuse (of any type) in Coryell, Bosque, Hamilton, Lampasas, Bell. and McLennan counties.
After spending many years as a foster parent, it had always bothered me that we didn’t have any local resources to increase the chances of family reunification. Then, I gained a whole new set of eyes after walking through my own family abuse-related crisis. Until I started studying it, I never knew just how many families are touched by sexual abuse alone, much less all the other types of abuse. I had faith and family to help me conquer what was meant to destroy. I am keenly aware that very few people have the same supports at home. Again, with little to no local resources, I knew had to do something to bring change and help.
Mission Righteous Roots believes that most destructive behaviors (IE: substance abuse, selfharm, suicidal ideations, eating disorders, etc) are symptoms of a deeper problem. With this in mind, we look to the roots causes; often being abandonment, rejection, or another trauma.
It is my personal passion to see people overcome the odds set against them. That vision has quickly expanded from women and children only to include all individuals impacted by past or present abuse. Every staff member and volunteer here is using their story to help others; we call them Roots Stories. We have a special heart for single parents, families navigating trauma associated with foster care or adoption, those struggling with the effects of abortion, abuse, or addictions, and any other type of life crisis that may be thrown in your path. Here at Righteous Roots, we step into the trenches with people during their most vulnerable moments and work to remove barriers, provide resources, and be an overall support system so that those individuals can experience complete healing and restoration.
We started as a small group of women seeking emotional healing due to past abuse. The rapid growth we’ve experienced is an oxymoron. I never dreamed we would be a full-fledged nonprofit with fulltime working hours, but the fact that we needed to be that brings a keen awareness and deep sadness of how far the effects of abuse stretch.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Building a business takes patience and perseverance. I was not in a position where I could jump “all-in” at one time. Righteous Roots started as a side-ministry. While developing it, I still worked a fulltime job, an additional parttime job, was a fulltime college student, and was single handedly raising 6 young children…all at the same time! It was a lot and I was eternally exhausted, but it was necessary. Always stay focused on the light at the end of the tunnel. It took 5 years, but I managed to maintain my jobs, complete 2 degrees, and meet my kids’ needs. All along, I was studying, building, and developing the nonprofit. After 5 years, I finally felt secure enough to make it my fulltime job.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
The biggest thing that I have had to learn in the nonprofit industry is that it is okay, in fact necessary, to ask for help! Nonprofits are almost always understaffed and underfunded. We rely on people like you to keep us going. Consider investing or donating; your charitable donation is tax deductible. Have a special skill, talent, or service? Volunteer! We are always looking for people to get involved from event planning to fundraising, and from custodial duties to facilitating classes. Invite us to come see you! The more people and groups we can get in front of, the more clients and funding we accumulate. We love to educate, preach, testify, or simply share our mission.
Our original vision was to provide some sort of housing/shelter. While we are not there yet, this remains our #1 need and longterm goal. We believe that when the time is right, God will open up the doors for a donated property, housing, or building. Maybe He’ll use you to make it happen!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.righteousroots.org
- Instagram: @missionrighteousroots
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/missionrighteousroots?mibextid=eQY6cl
- Other: You can find articles written by our staff in Our Hometowns magazine. Melanie Webb writes a column called “Fostering Hope” and Righteous Roots Program Director, Felicia Inman, writes a column called “Relevant Reflections”. https://issuu.com/ourhometownsmagazine/docs/ourhometownsvol5issue2issuu?fbclid=IwAR1xfqlOT83uI5UTjOkBh_02pD0fEuh2M-yHgb_bk_Ou8zAed1IQttnrjaU