Fresh Start Ministries Hosts First Angel Ride Family Gathering

SAN ANGELO, TEXAS – This Saturday, the Fresh Start Ministries (FSM) is hosting its first ever Angel Ride: Family Fun Gathering event to help raise money for their transitional housing ministry for woman and children .

Those participating in the bike ride will pay a $20 registration fee. Registration starts at 7 a.m. at the Family Powersports located on 4160 W Houston Harte Expy. The first bike will leave at 8 a.m.

For those not riding, there will be an open gathering following the bike ride with a handful of activities, including a bounce house, face painting, and jump rope contest, to name a few. There will also be live music and pulled pork sandwiches with a drink for $6. T-shirts can also be purchased at the event. 

The open gathering begins at 11 a.m. at the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 1815, located at 125 S Browning St.   

All proceeds from the Angelo Ride event will go to FSM, a women’s transitional housing ministry in San Angelo that offers woman a chance they need to pick themselves back-up from poverty or substance abuse.  

“When the girls come into the ministry, they generally come with [no possessions],” Cecily Miller, with FSM, said. “We help them with anything that we can, from clothing to getting them work.”

Miller added that some come to the ministry with probation fees and title loans.

FSM's goal as a ministry is to help woman be self-sufficient and get back on their feet from a troubling past. The proceeds from the Angel Ride will help with the operating expenses of the program.

“Our long term goal is to build a home that we can own to cut a lot of our overhead off,” Miller said. 

The ministry is currently leasing their location. Miller added that they have limited spacing despite the constant requests they receive every day.

The founding values of the Fresh Start Ministries are Biblically-based, and they use a mentoring and discipleship program to assist the woman living there.

“We are not for everybody, and that’s okay,” Miller explained. “There are other ministries that accept anybody, and everybody. We are Biblically-based and we are really strong in that denomination.”

Last year, the ministry began accepting children into the program as well. The reason for having a long-term program compared to a 30 or 60 day program limit, helps with building the foundation with the ministries members.

The substance abuse recovery program offered within FSM is an important part of the healing process to help the visiting woman get back on their feet.  

“We are here for the long haul, and a majority [of the members] take a year commitment,” Miller said. “We have daily meetings that they have to attend, and we hold regular bible studies”.

Helping out with other ministries is an important part of their model to help develop a strong stewardship from with-in the community.  

“We want to be good stewards and servants in our community, [and help] as much as we can,” Miller added.

She hopes the Angel Ride will help inform the community of their initiative, while also having families come out to have a fun time at the gathering.

“We just wanted to [host] a fun event,” Miller explained. “The biker community are huge supporters of us, and we wanted to make the gathering a family fun event.”