Holly, a former NUMAS Haus resident told a touching story of how her life was positively transformed by the non-profit homeless shelter it its annual fundraiser Thursday at the Royal Oak Event Center. She was identified only by her first name to protect her privacy.

“I was absolutely destroyed, broken. I was sad and sick. I lost everything including my kids and lived in a van under a bridge before I came to NUMAS Haus and decided to start over,” she said. “People at NUMAS Haus told me could be someone. Three years ago, I felt God calling me and left New Ulm. He radically changed my life to having a purpose I didn’t know I could have. I went to Willmar to work at a recovery center. Now I supervise people who run it 24 hours a day. I don’t have an education but I have God. My son got sober a year after I did.”

Holly said she found solace in her favorite scripture–Matthew 25:40, which has been interpreted to mean, “Jesus says that serving the least of his brothers and sisters is serving him.”

She said she recently opened a sober home and has been sober for more than seven years.

Staff photo by Fritz Busch Musician, singer and songwriter Andrea Lyn performs her own NUMAS Haus song, “Never too lost to be found” at the NUMAS Haus Fundraiser Thursday.

“I’m on a board for a faith-based, 12-step program. Jesus Christ is ruling it. The seeds I plant in people have multiplied over, over, and over,” said Holly. “There’s something special at NUMAS Haus. They taught me to be strong, have faith in myself and that I could succeed. The spirit of God is special.”

Brian and Ronda Mathiowetz of Leavenworth recently donated $100,000 to NUMAS Haus in memory of their daughter Stacy and a painting by Ken Schilling depicting their daughter Stacy with Jesus Christ.

They spoke of pivotal moments in their lives including learning that their daughter Stacy had a rare developmental disability.

“Why are we here? Because we’re Christians and we must act to love our neighbors. Supporting NUMAS Haus is a great way to do that by supporting lives that need a fresh start,” said Brian Mathiowetz.

“Our pivotal moments included the need for a support system began in December 1986 when our daughter Stacy and passed away Christmas morning 2023 at age 37,” he said. “Born prematurely and tiny, she seemed to progress very slowly and was too good. She didn’t cry or fuss. So off to the doctor, we went. After many tests, we got the medical verdict–she had a deletion of her number 3 chromosome and would not be normal. No road map was laid out for us. We knew it would be one day at a time. We had to find our own expectations and dreams to get to a level of acceptance of a blind and developmentally delayed daughter.”

Ronda Mathiowetz said raising a special needs child was challenging and rewarding.

“Through Stacy, we learned patience, perseverance and how to appreciate and celebrate simple accomplishments. We also learned we need the help of others to accomplish goals,” she said. “The doctor said she may not be able to walk. We worked with a social worker and found an individual to work with her five days a week to help her gain strength and learn to walk. She went to Sleepy Eye Elementary School but when she didn’t interact with other students and learn, principal Arla Dokter said suggested she go to the Minnesota State Academy for the Blind (MSAB) in Faribault.”

Stacy Mathiowetz attended the MSAB from age 5-21, spending weekends and summers with the family at home.

“We got a beautiful poem from a MSAB house mother a few weeks after she left home, addressing our concerns and letting go so Stacy could reach her true potential,” said Ronda Mathiowetz.

Brian Mathiowetz said the MSAB house mother was an angel messenger from God that helped the Mathiowetzes “look to the blessing Stacy was rather than fixate on the problems and challenges.”

“After Stacy turned 21, we planned with Brown County Human Services and built the first and only group home in Sleepy Eye,” he said. “New Ulm is so fortunate to have so many group homes. At NUMAS Haus, you have a home. Similar mission, same great work. A place of hope.”

Tables of silent auction items drew lots of interest from fundraiser participants. Joe Maidl led a live auction.

Musician, singer and songwriter Andrea Lyn performed her own NUMAS Haus song, “Never too lost to be found” near the end of the event.

NUMAS Haus Board President and Pastor Phil Schenk said the fundraiser drew the largest-ever group Thursday.

“This tells us the word about NUMAS Haus is spreading and people want to see it grow. Many people are here for the first time,” he said. “God has done some incredible things. This could not happen without a great group of people that work tirelessly for this organization which I am proud to be a part of.”

Last year, NUMAS Haus acquired the former First United Methodist Church at Center and Broadway. The former church is being renovated into more emergency shelter space. The cost is estimated at $1.1 million.

For more information, visit numashaus.org/.