Janelle Hall, left, poses for a candid photo with one of the women in Detroit, Michelle Williams. Williams was blessed by Hall’s outreach program, and even offered a helping hand in distributing blankets to others. (Photo provided)

WARSAW — Unlike those around her, Warsaw resident Janelle Hall is unafraid of the demons in her past. When she spoke about her bad decisions, she was candid and honest.

When speaking with her, those around her may never guess her young life, just starting at age 26, has contained drugs, alcohol, homelessness and jail. “I’ve carried around a lot of shame for a long time,” said Hall.

Hall said she started at a young age with alcohol and drugs, and found a toxic relationship to complete the mixture. “We were great addicts together,” she laughed. “God kind of worked it out and I went to jail.” After being arrested and spending time in jail, Hall found her saving grace to be a relationship with God. She came out with a newfound love and understanding thanks to the clarity of getting sober and finding spirituality. “I got sober and I got away,” said Hall.

Hall joined an outreach church, New Life Christian Church and Outreach, in Warsaw. It wasn’t long before she was changing her life in a very positive way.

On a weekend visit to Detroit, Mich., with a friend, Hall said she felt the Lord working on her in a new way. Detroit was filled with homeless men, women and children on every street. The town has experienced the shutdown of large automotive plants, leading to homelessness, abuse and violence. “These are the lepers of society, treated badly because of their situation,” said Hall. Her heart called her to do something to help. That’s when God said to Hall, “Well, do something about it.”

Returning home, Hall brought with her a small idea. She decided to reach out to her friends, family and church to provide blankets to those she saw on the streets of Detroit. Her dream started small, as she was hoping to fund possibly a dozen blankets, but the outcome was larger than she could have ever expected. Her church got behind her in a big way, and Dec. 19 of last year, she and a team delivered hundreds of blankets to shivering souls on benches and sidewalks. The group also delivered socks and emergency blankets.

“We’re letting them know there is hope for the hopeless,” said Hall. She draws on her past experiences as a light to lead her, understanding she, too, was in a bad spot. “I know what it’s like to be homeless.” She said since she has truly listened and been obedient to God, her blessings have began to multiply. Her family has been surprised and thrilled at all her hard work and her life changes. Hall hopes to inspire others to make positive choices as she shares her testimony.

She encourages those around her to take action to better the world around them. “Be bold. Take initiative,” said Hall. “It changes your life.”