The Future of Providence Heights
Since opening our doors in March of 2021, Providence Heights (PH) has been blessed with the opportunity to speak life and purpose into the lives of over forty women and children, all while navigating unprecedented times and numerous challenges.
In fact, the day we dedicated PH the world was spinning on its axis. We began operating at the height of the pandemic and God continued to show us that our mission was for “such a time as this.” (Esther 4:14)
As we entered twenty twenty-three, we prepared to move into a new residential location in Arlington, WA, but it became clear God had a different idea about how we could best equip and empower women to lead lives of independence and purpose.
While just about everything has changed in one way or another, the need for our mission has remained the same.
Today, there are more than 87 million women who feel hopeless.
At the epicenter of hopelessness lies a myriad of crises, making more and more women feel that a redemptive future is outside the realm of possibility:
- 5.4 million women lost their jobs during the pandemic (source)
- One in four women have experienced physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner (source)
- 41,000,000 suffer from a mental or substance use disorder (source)
Our vision has and always will be to change these statistics and reignite hope through personal development, career acceleration, and entrepreneurial training within a Christ-centered model.
While we are thankful for all the lessons the past few years have taught us, we look forward to stepping into a new chapter where we can leverage our learnings to scale and multiply.
Expanding for greater impact
Before we address what’s next, we want to take a moment to reflect on the past, especially the community we have been so fortunate to build and foster.
Over the past two years, our model has been a twelve-month, residential program where women live in community and work alongside coaches to develop personally, spiritually, and professionally, so they can lead lives of independence and purpose.
With the support from our incredible community, we have not only survived circumstances that would have capsized most organizations, we have seen transformation in the lives of twenty-six women and sixteen children. As we witnessed God do the miraculous, we continued to fine tune our model with the ultimate goal of reaching more women searching for hope while maintaining a spirit of excellence.
After months of deliberate research, prayer, council, and consideration we have decided to launch a virtual program in January 2024, while concurrently working towards an affiliate model that would allow us to partner with churches and nonprofits across the country in implementing our program.
These changes will not only make our program accessible to more women across the country, but allow us to expand at a fraction of the cost.
As we look towards the future of PH, it is our utmost priority to steward the experience of our current participants. Therefore, those currently enrolled in our program will continue residentially until they graduate in June 2024.
A warm welcome to our new President
As Providence Heights moves into this next phase of growth, we have recognized the need for additional executive leadership to help build these future programs. It is my greatest honor to announce that my beloved friend Pa’lee Showalter, who is the current Chief of Staff and a Founding Board Member, will assume the role as President.
I have no doubt that under Pa’lee’s operational leadership, Providence Heights will continue the work of reigniting hope and restoring a sense of purpose for women around the nation.
I am profoundly grateful to remain in my position as CEO and am eager to see what God has in store as we move into a season of harvest.
— Christine Soule
Meet Providence Heights’ New President
Pa’lee Showalter
Pa’lee was born in the middle of the Cambodian Genocide, with some of her earliest childhood memories being from her time in a refugee camp. She and her siblings, along with their mother, arrived in America when Pa’lee was six years old. Watching her mother raise four children on her own has given Pa’lee a unique respect and empathy for the resilient women at PH.
Before her time at PH, she was in Philanthropic Relations at Northwest University, the director of MBA admissions at the University of Washington Foster School of Business, and the director of entrepreneurship programs at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She also served as special assistant to His Excellency Roland Eng at the Royal Embassy of Cambodia working closely with him to re-establish Cambodian relations with the foreign diplomatic community.
She has served on several boards and has worked with the International Justice Mission to help start one of their first overseas offices in Cambodia.
Pa’lee received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. In 2006, she studied humanitarian law and refugee policy at the University of Oxford’s Refugee Study Centre in England. She’s currently working on a certificate in fundraising management—a joint program at Indiana and Purdue Universities.
When asked about where her passion to serve others comes from, she answers…
“In his book, The Call, Os Guinness states ‘I think the passion of our lives is to go further, higher, deeper, always closer to the One who called us – to Himself, and to all the joys that knowing Him can mean.’ For me personally, the joy to serve others stems from here.”
The Path to Purpose
Filmed from March, 2023 through February, 2024 this five-episode docuseries follows the journey of a program participant named Lindsey, as she navigates life within the walls of Providence Heights. These candid interviews gather real-time reactions that coalesce into a story of heartache turned into hope.
Watch the Series
Frequently asked questions
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