Transitional Home

CHAYAH is not-for-profit unincorporated benevolent association, which received its IRS Determination Letter of 501c3 status on May 8, 2019. Generous givers will receive verification that their donations to CHAYAH (for support of The Greenhouse and the prison ministry) are tax deductible! Four people signed the Articles of Association as Founding Members in early May, 2018. The first meeting was held May 16. The next was held July 8 in Thurber, Texas. The third was August 19 in Waxahachie, Texas. The fourth November 4 by teleconference. The fifth January 27, 2019, also by teleconference. Minutes from each meeting are posted at the bottom of this page. The next meeting is slated for June 23, 2019, at the offices of James Bell, insurance agent and owner of Texas Business Incentive Services. 

CHAYAH's officers are:

          President - Melissa Rawlins 

          Vice President - James Bell 

          Secretary - Carrie Windham 

          Treasurer - Benyehuda Adidala 

Please consider joining CHAYAH and supporting our mission, which is: 

The primary purposes of The Association are to provide a charitable service to the people of Texas by alleviating poverty, disease, pain and suffering through provision of decent housing that is affordable to low and moderate income people, food, worship and work opportunities as well as spiritual, financial, health, emotional and mental counseling directly to indigent people, veterans and ex offenders seeking to reenter society successfully and become contributing members of Texas communities. 

The members of The Association believe Yahweh is using us to build an assembly of and for people desiring to contribute to their community. People coming out of prison, or back from war, or out of indigency, will successfully reintegrate into society when they participate in CHAYAH, an assembly of people with a love for the Way of Yahweh who will provide them immediate housing, worship and work on premises. People already skilled at living in society will volunteer on premises, working alongside the ex-offenders, formerly homeless and veterans and mentoring them in a living discipleship. Residents of the transitional housing on premises will access counseling and other resources from qualified providers both on- and off-premises, and will also volunteer off-premises alongside people already skilled at living in society, so that mentoring can take place in the community at large and the reentry population can mature in the grace and knowledge of Yahshua haMashiyach. 

To join CHAYAH, simply fill out the form below completely. We will contact you to ask how you would like to support CHAYAH’s efforts. Will you show your love for your neighbor through energetic time and effort in areas such as ministry, fundraising or marketing — or through monetary donations — or through donations of land, materials, furnishings, consulting, legal services, vehicles, utensils, tools, fuel, food, bibles, clothing, construction design, engineering and architectural services? Thank you for thinking about that when you join CHAYAH, and we’ll talk about your level of participation soon!

Minutes from First Meeting 

Minutes from Second Meeting 

Minutes from Third Meeting 

Minutes from Fourth Meeting 

Minutes from Fifth Meeting 

In order to be better prepared for applying for grants from private and public sources, and for receiving donations of land and operating capital from individuals and businesses, CHAYAH values its own 501c3 status. Almost a year since the founders signed the formation documents, the President of CHAYAH filed form 1023ez with the Internal Revenue Service. A determination letter followed. Thank you to member Ace Rawlins for the Seed Funds necessary to plow into the future of the men who will reside at CHAYAH's Greenhouse, while working and receiving support services from the community who believes they can be self sufficient, happy contributors to the prosperity of Texas.