Latest news with #DebbieHaynes
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Remarkable Women: Debbie Haynes
Late last year, Queen City News and its parent company, Nexstar, launched a campaign to feature remarkable women in our area throughout this month. We asked you to tell us about the remarkable women in your life, and you answered! CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — There are women in our community whose lives have taken unexpected turns and left them in difficult or dangerous situations — like feeling lost at sea with no direction. But Debbie Haynes came to the rescue for some of these women, founding an organization that would provide a safe harbor. 'I feel like… really and truly, this is a story about God, and what he's done through me.' These are the words of Debbie Haynes — soft-spoken but full of drive and determination to help people. While working as a church secretary in Hickory in the late 1990s, Debbie heard about a ministry that involved meeting with women in the Catawba County jail. She intended to talk with them about God and having a new life and hope. What ended up happening was what Debbie calls a 'paradigm shift'. MORE | She explains, 'Listening to them tell their stories of abuse and the dysfunction in their families, and then their addictions… I thought, Wow, where would you even begin to start over?' Debbie found one common denominator among the women—99% of them reported being sexually abused when they were young. One heartbreaking event gave her the impetus to find real help for these women. 'She would cry, she was a repeat offender,' Debbie recalls. 'She was back and forth in the jail. She would cry and ask for prayer and say, I really don't want to live like this anymore. Not long after I met her, she was found murdered here in town.' A woman at church helped Debbie gather the paperwork for starting a non-profit, and after establishing relationships with different organizations around town, Debbie started a support group for women and their children. She says it all happened so fast. Safe Harbor was founded in 2004. Its mission? To provide a Christ-centered community for women to rebuild, renew, and recover. Linda Gensheimer met Debbie during the early days of Safe Harbor. She remembers, 'I saw how much compassion she had for these girls in recovery. She had such a vision for what happens after recovery. Where do they go, what do they do?' The Safe Harbor community encompasses the many stages of recovery. There's a center for women and children experiencing homelessness, providing a hot meal, showers and internet access. Then there's the year-long Whole Woman residential program, as well as transitional housing. The Greenleaf apartments were donated to help women and their children move toward their independence. Safe Harbor also operates a local thrift store, providing job training and experience to participants in the program. Current Executive Director Gigi Williams states, 'This is all here because she was willing to step out and said, I have to do something to help somebody else. And that's Debbie Haynes, all the way through.' But most of all, Debbie is thankful to God. 'If you see what God has done, it really is miraculous. It shows what his power and community partners can really do. 'Cause this place wouldn't exist without donors, without volunteers, without people seeing that this is something I really wanna get behind.' If you'd like to get behind Safe Harbor's mission, just go to their website, They hold several fundraisers and events throughout the year, including Camping for a Cause in June—inviting people to sleep in tents for the night to raise awareness for homelessness. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Independent
05-02-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Baby elephant miraculously recovers after tragic train accident
A baby elephant hit by a speeding train in northern India has completed her one year of recovery, showing miraculous results. Named Bani, the nine-month-old elephant was hit by a speeding train in the north Indian state of Uttarakhand. The elephant was thrown off the tracks, and landed with grievous injuries in an adjacent field. The elephant was paralysed and brought in for treatment at India's first elephant hospital in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. After being provided with critical care by veterinarians, Bani has shown remarkable recovery and just celebrated her one-year anniversary since her rescue, according to her caregivers. Struck with spastic paraparesis or limited mobility in the back or hind limbs, Bani was unable to move for months. Her recovery journey was being closely followed by many in India as her caregivers continued sharing her videos. The veterinary team experimented with many treatment methods including ayurveda, hydrotherapy and even acupuncture, to help Bani recover. Following several weeks of oil massages and visits to the hydrotherapy pool, Bani was finally able to stand up in February 2024. When she started walking, her videos of playing with water and grabbing a snack were widely shared. She has now progressed to be able to walk short distances and explore the greenery around her. 'It is both heartwarming and emotional to witness Bani marking her first rescue anniversary with us,' said Debbie Haynes, Manager of UK Wildlife SOS, said. The organisation is engaged in Bani's recovery efforts. 'A year ago, she arrived as a severely injured calf, her condition critical. However, our team left no stone unturned and ensured that she received the care needed to regain her strength and take confident steps once again.' However, Bani has an abnormal gait that limits the distances she is able to walk. She is also currently wearing shoes on her hind legs to protect her feet. There are several caregivers attending to the 2-year-old pachyderm to keep the lively and spirited calf engaged, with sufficient nutrition, care and attention. The caregivers created a mud hole for Bani where she likes to play, as mud baths are one of her favourite activities. 'We have prepared several structural enrichments for Bani, so that her muscles are constantly engaged and there's no obstruction in her movement,' Dr Ilayaraja S, deputy director of veterinary services at Wildlife SOS said. 'We tried all sorts of attempts to accelerate her healing, including getting an acupuncture specialist and performing the first ever acupuncture treatment known in India, on an elephant.' 'Bani shares a special bond with her keeper and the Wildlife SOS staff, finding comfort in their care and companionship,' Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder and CEO, Wildlife SOS said. 'Her strength has become an inspiration to all our resident elephants. It's just the beginning of the celebration, and the entire centre is filled with joy as we honour her journey and spirit.' India is home to the largest number of Asiatic elephants, about 60 per cent of the total population. Official records suggest nearly 200 elephants were killed in train collisions between 2010 and 2020, an average of 20 a year. The Indian government is exploring ways to reduce such accidents, including introducing an AI-powered system in Tamil Nadu to detect and locate moving elephants up to five metres away.
