River of Refuge newsletter, August 2025

Husband and Wife Team Draw on Personal History in Leading ROR Parenting Class

Assisted by his wife, Sebrina, Michael Jones is the lead pastor of Grace Connection Church in Independence, Missouri, and runs Render’s Hope Community Development Corp, a nonprofit based at the church that helps at-risk youth.

The blended couple has eight children and nine grandchildren. He is 47, and she is 48.

But life has not always been settled for either one of them.

Following a divorce in his early 20s, Michael found himself homeless with three young sons. Sebrina, too, grappled with housing instability following a failed marriage.

It’s those life experiences, along with a research-based curriculum, that help make the couple such valuable facilitators of the Wednesday evening parenting classes for the heads of the households living at River of Refuge.

“We are very transparent in our own lives, and letting them understand that we’re not here to judge,” Michael said. “We’re really focused on building a relationship of trust and then letting them lead, in most cases, how they want to discuss, what they want to disclose, and then providing that safe place for them to do so.”

River of Refuge Executive Director Pam Seymour said Michael and Sebrina create an excellent environment for the parents to discuss issues they are having with their children.

Render’s Hope focuses largely on young adults and teens who are homeless or aging out of foster care. The nonprofit also has educational services serving younger children.

Michael initiated the relationship between River of Refuge and Render’s Hope about four years ago. He inquired about collaborating because of the overlap of the populations each organization serves.

Along with his own life experiences, Render’s Hope also reflects the influence of Michael’s mother. She was the “unofficial neighborhood foster mother,” he said.

Michael and Sebrina do more than lead parenting classes through Render’s Hope.

They have participated in events like back-to-school functions, health fairs, and family nights. Michael and Sebrina even recently hosted a Saturday morning breakfast for our families.

At this point, the couple is a “really important part of our team,” Seymour said. “We really appreciate their dedication and their help with our families.”

Michael, too, enjoys the relationship he and Sebrina have built with River of Refuge.

“We’re like family,” he said.”We share not only our professional lives, but we also share our personal experiences. So it’s woven together.”

 

Missouri Affordable Housing Tax Credits Available from River of Refuge

If you are looking to reduce your Missouri tax bill while also supporting a good cause, then River of Refuge has the perfect solution for you.
We have once again been selected to participate in Missouri’s Affordable Housing Assistance Program (AHAP) tax credit program. River of Refuge can generate approximately $182,000 in revenue — about 30% of its operating budget — by selling its entire $100,000 allotment.
The difference in the two amounts results from the fact that the tax credit covers 55% of the contribution to River of Refuge. Thus if someone donates $100,000 to River of Refuge, the tax credit holder can apply $55,000 to reducing their Missouri tax liability.
River of Refuge still has $34,000 in tax credits available for purchase. River of Refuge has until the spring to sell its full allotment.
The taxpayer has 10 years to use the credits.
According to the Missouri Housing Development Commission, eligible donors must be classified as one of the following:

• A corporation filing Missouri Form 1120;
• A sole proprietorship filing Federal Form 1040 Schedule C and Missouri Form 1040;
• A farm operation filing Federal Form 1040 Schedule F and Missouri Form 1040;
• An individual reporting income from rental property or royalties on Federal Form 1040 Schedule E and filing Missouri Form 1040;
• A small business corporation (S-Corporation) filing Missouri Form 1120S;
• A partnership filing Missouri Form 1065;
• A bank, credit institution, savings and loan association, credit union, farmer’s cooperative credit association, or building and loan association filing a Missouri financial institution tax return;
• An insurance company filing a Missouri Insurance Tax Return with the Division of Insurance;
• An individual partner in a partnership or shareholder in an S-Corporation; or
• A public or private foundation subject to Missouri tax. The foundation must certify that it is subject to the state income tax imposed by the provisions of chapter 143 RSMo because the unrelated business income of the foundation is subject to Missouri income tax.

You can learn more about the AHAP program here.

Interested participants can also contact River of Refuge Executive Director Pam Seymour for more information.

 

FROM THE DIRECTOR

It is always a time to celebrate when our families complete the program and move out to begin a new life on their own.

At the same time, exits mean talking with new applicants, and as we have conducted several interviews lately, one situation prompted me to reflect on a big part of our mission at River of Refuge.

The applicant was a single mom with three children who was homeless because her boyfriend kicked them out of the motel room they were sharing. Mom’s job at a convenience store did not pay well enough to support her and the kids.

It’s never fun to reject a family in need — my heart aches for the children — but this mom’s reluctance to work the number of hours required to support the family made it clear she was not ready for the program.

It seemed to us she had tied her survival — and perhaps her self-worth — to having the support of a man.

That’s a dangerous mindset that can breed vulnerability to domestic abuse, and it’s a way of thinking that we eliminate by teaching our families how to budget and live within their means — even if it’s a single mom with several mouths to feed.

It’s not wrong for a woman to want a man in her life. But I’m old-fashioned enough to think that a relationship should be based on love and mutual respect.

Far too often, we see young women here who have forgotten or disregarded what they learned in sexual education classes. The result is single mothers who have multiple children from several relationships.

By adhering to our budgeting principles, which focus a lot on distinguishing between wants and needs, even financially strapped single mothers can learn how to stand on their own two feet. Sometimes that means pushing them to find new jobs with higher wages.

It’s through that financial independence that River of Refuge helps families gain confidence and stability. We also hope that in establishing moms as good role models, we can break a generational cycle of single motherhood.

We assist plenty of two-parent families; people fall on hard times for any number of reasons. Single moms just have a lot tougher time digging themselves out of their financial hole.

When it comes to motherhood, River of Refuge teaches moms that disposable diapers, baby wipes, and formula are not necessities.

The younger women in my office laugh when I bring this up, but there’s no reason that today’s budget-conscious mom can’t use reusable cloth diapers and washable rags to keep their babies clean — just as I did decades ago with my son.

I also breastfed my son. It was not easy as a working mom, but I sacrificed because I believed it was the healthiest option for my son, and it allowed me to avoid the cost of formula.

Times have changed a lot since I was a young mom.

But as we teach here at River of Refuge, frugality and diligence never go out of style.

Until Next Time,
Pamela Seymour, Executive Director