The Brook Women’s Hope Center Providing Resources to Women in Need

When Patricia Pike, founder and President of The Brook Women’s Hope Center found herself an unexpected widow and mother to two young boys, she needed someone to listen and a sanctuary – a place where she could go and let her guard down, and just hurt for her loss. Such a place was not to be found for Patricia, but her personal needs during that time fueled a passion to establish a place of comfort for women during times of life’s stresses. “The Brook Women’s Hope Center opened in November 2011 with a mission to ignite and nurture hope in women through education, guidance, support and inspiration as they navigate the circumstances of their lives. They could be dealing with divorce, loss of a spouse, medical issues, or economic challenges and just need a place to go to have their thoughts and concerns heard and gain information on the resources in our community to help them through trying times,” said Patricia. Many Have Been Where You Are...

The Brook Women’s Hope Center is staffed by volunteers from the community who have experienced many bumps along life’s path and know what a woman needs to know, hear and do during those times. “We are an all-volunteer center that provides a comfortable and personable environment in a home setting for women seeking information and resources they need in order to deal with topics like business, education, health, personal finance, family situations and personal circumstances. I believe that without hope, situations can seem completely overwhelming, so to let women know that we are a place of hope during times of upheaval is very important. By taking each woman who comes to us as an individual, the center’s advisors will consider each situation and help the woman develop a plan to get them through their time of need,” Patricia commented. A Passion to Help and Heal From the moment you first talk to Patricia Pike, you can hear her passion for women and their hurts in her voice. She has considered everything, from the atmosphere of The Brook Women’s Hope Center, to the setting, to the meaning behind the name. A brook is a small stream denoting peace and tranquility so “to me the word ‘brook’ says so much about how this center will be seen by the women we help. Also, I felt it was important to have the word ‘hope’ in the name because of the need for all of us, no matter where we are in life, to have hope to hold on to during times where little hope is evident,” stated Patricia. It wasn’t too long ago, almost 3 years, when Patricia found herself dealing with the death of her husband after a battle with cancer and the prospect of raising two sons who would need their dad in their lives. “Those were, and continue to be, hard times. I miss my husband every day and need his input often in what I should or shouldn’t say to the boys, but with a supportive network, I know that I have a place to go for guidance and care. I want women of any age, race, creed and economic stage in life to have a place to build relationships with other women through private and group sessions. Women who have been where they are and know that this, too, shall pass – not without pain, but with love – will be available at The Brook Women’s Hope Center to help and engage the healing process,” Patricia commented.

As the center grows, so will the programs. Some programs are already established, including support groups, guest speakers on educational and health issues, job readiness training, including computer access for job applications, self esteem classes and faith-based studies. The Brook Women’s Hope Center is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 10am -2 pm and the second and fourth Saturday of each month from 10am - 2pm. The center is located at 2668 S. Stratford Rd., Winston-Salem, NC. For more information call 336-529-6271 or visit www.thebrookwhc.org. The center is solely funded through