Faith, Generosity and Purpose

Relying entirely on private funds and fueled by prayer, Under His Wings has helped more than 100 troubled young women heal and thrive.

by Kaija Wilkinson
images provided by Under His Wings

During Bible study in 2008, Fairhope OB/GYN Dr. Nena Hunt was deeply moved by a passage of Scripture in Philippians 2:21: “They all look out for their own interests; not the interests of Jesus Christ.” A devout Christian, Hunt had always looked out for the interests of Jesus Christ. She recognized signs of trauma in many young women who passed through her Fairhope office, and an underlying desire to help had always simmered just below the surface. After reading the Philippians passage, Hunt assembled a small group of women to pray faithfully for three years — from 2008 to 2011 — in an effort to reveal what God wanted her to do. The answer? Help troubled young women rebuild their lives and grow. Thus, in 2011 Under His Wings was born, officially becoming a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, based in the Spanish Fort, Daphne area. In 2013, it welcomed its first three young ladies into its program.

Although it is anchored in Christian principles, the nonprofit is essentially about love, with Courage Home — a 3,120-square-foot house in Baldwin County where young women come to live, heal and grow — an embodiment of Hunt’s purpose fulfilled. Since its inception, Courage Home has served 59 girls, standing as a “testament to what can happen when a community comes together in faith, generosity and purpose,” Under His Wings Executive Director Arcelia Miller says.

In 2020, Courage Home was followed by G.L.E.A.N., a community outreach program that supports young women ages 13-23 who need guidance but do not require residential care. G.L.E.A.N. stands for Grit, Leadership, Excellence, Anchored and Noble — “values we encourage every young lady to pursue,” Miller says. Since its beginnings, 41 girls have been impacted by G.L.E.A.N. through counseling, performance and character development using the John Maxwell DISC personality assessment to aid in self-awareness and develop a growth plan. “With a strong emphasis on mentorship and guidance, we want to give every young lady in our community the chance to become the person God created them to be,” Miller says, continuing:

“The impact has been significant. One young woman overwhelmed by family instability and struggling with thoughts of self-harm found strength, confidence and hope through G.L.E.A.N. and is now thriving in her junior year of high school. Another girl who was drifting into risky behaviors regained direction, rebuilt trust with her family and is now engaged in healthy friendships and activities.”

The program has gained momentum and paid itself forward, with the Under His Wings Student Leadership Board and Alumnae League emerging from G.L.E.A.N., giving young women opportunities
to lead, serve and grow. “In just a few years, G.L.E.A.N. has become a powerful extension of our mission
to strengthen young women early, equipping families and building future leaders across our community,” Miller observes.

The Power of Generosity

Courage Home sits on seven acres of land donated by well-known local developer and philanthropist
W. Allen Cox through the Cox Family Foundation, which supports education, human services and community needs in south Alabama. Years ago, Cox promised that, if Under His Wings received the Impact100 Baldwin County grant, which benefits nonprofits addressing specific focus areas such as health and wellness, he would donate the land and rally support to build a home for at-risk young women. After Under His Wings applied for and was awarded the $106,000 grant in 2016, construction began, and in 2017, the doors of Courage Home opened, built thanks to the combined generosity of Cox, the Cox Family Foundation, Truland Homes, the Snook Foundation, C’est La Vie Design, Kaloogian Furniture and “the skilled hands of countless craftsmen and tradespeople,” according to Miller. The generosity continues. Outside, a specially built pergola funded and constructed by a determined 16-year-old supporter stands as a “symbol of how deeply the community invests in these young women,” Miller says. “Every corner of the property reflects care, beauty and intention.”

Inside Courage Home are four bedrooms that enable each girl to have her own space. There are shared bathrooms, a private suite for on-site house parents and an additional bedroom set aside for relief house parents who step in as needed. The open-concept living, dining and kitchen areas form the heart of the
home, “creating a warm environment for shared meals, conversation and laughter,” Miller says.

Courage Home residents typically stay from nine to 12 months and, in a few cases, up to five years. “The
program remains intentionally intimate so that each young woman receives personalized, trauma informed care, counseling, education and life-skills development,” according to Miller.

Success Stories

Young women who have experienced many forms of hardship have found safety, healing and both
personal and professional growth with Under His Wings. After several months to a year or more, they have gone on to attend college, pursue careers and, in many cases, forgive and reconcile with a family member who hurt them, “something only God could orchestrate,” observes Miller.
The young ladies’ lives have become healthy and productive. Miller says:

“At the heart of our work is helping these young women discover their God-given worth. We intentionally guide them toward forgiveness and reconciliation, always within the context of safety, wisdom and healthy boundaries so they can experience healing without harm.”

In 2025, an alumna became the second Under His Wings graduate to receive the prestigious Horatio Alger Association Scholarship — a major needs-based program for high school students who have demonstrated grit and determination to overcome adversity — and will travel to Washington, D.C., for a special ceremony in April. Miller says this is “a testament to how far resilience, guidance and God’s grace can carry a young woman,” adding:

“Courage Home is far more than a building. It is a sanctuary where trauma gives way to transformation, where sorrow is met with compassion and where young women discover the
courage to step into the future that God has prepared for them.”

Aspirations for 2026 and Beyond

More than 100 young women have been helped by Under His Wings’ Courage House and G.L.E.A.N.
programs. The next step in the nonprofit’s mission — and at the heart of its current $2.5-million capital
initiative — is Impact2: Building Courage & Launching Perseverance. Under the plan, the current Courage
House will be transformed into Perseverance Place, a transitional living program for up to eight young women ages 19-23 who are stepping into adulthood but still need guidance, reliability and support. Meanwhile, a new Courage House for girls ages 13-18 will be constructed.

Miller and her team are already meeting with potential major donors for Impact2, and “God has already
allowed us to reach several major milestones”: Under His Wings received a $50,000 pre-construction gift from the Bill & Lana McNair Charitable Foundation, “a tremendous affirmation of the vision behind this project.” All mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection drawings have been completed, and Under His Wings has secured official site planning from the City of Loxley. Grace Construction Co. has come onboard as the official builder, with McCollough Architecture guiding design. At press time, Under
His Wings was awaiting the structural and landscape drawings required to finalize permitting.

A Unique Niche

As Under His Wings shares its vision for Perseverance Place, Miller is often asked how it compares to
McKemie Place, the emergency shelter for unaccompanied women that came about in 2007 when a homeless woman tragically froze to death alone on the streets of downtown Mobile. Miller says Under
His Wings, with Perseverance Place and Courage Home, joins McKemie Place in its mission to serve vulnerable women by expanding social services currently not available across coastal Alabama. She says:

“What makes Perseverance Place different is it will be a long-term, relational and deeply personalized
transitional home — not a homeless shelter. But please know that both are desperately needed. While the young women that Perseverance Place will serve are, or are on the verge of, experiencing homelessness, it will extend the same personalized, trauma-informed model Under His Wings has been using since 2013. The goal for this transitional home remains the same as our organizational mission: to provide therapeutic, faith-based personal and professional development that focuses on trauma recovery, emotional wellness, reconciliation and long-term transformation.”

Sustaining The Mission: Support Enables Under His Wings to Soar

“Under His Wings is sustained entirely through the generosity and faithfulness of our community. We are 100% privately funded, receiving support from individual donors, churches, foundations, corporations, small businesses and a growing base of monthly partners who believe in the long-term transformation of young women and their families. Our annual fundraising events — A Night To Sow, the Candy Cane Dash, Live2Lead and Tea & Testimony also play an important role in equipping us to
continue our mission. Because we do not accept federal or state funding, our financial stability is not affected by political shifts or governmental changes. This independence allows us to remain fully aligned with our faith, our values and the individualized, trauma-informed model that makes Under His
Wings unique. Community engagement is another critical part of our mission. We actively share trauma-informed tools with parents, teachers and caregivers through trust-based relational intervention training and community workshops. Our podcast, ‘Listen in Love,’ which was ranked the number two mental health podcast in Alabama in 2024, allows us to educate and encourage listeners across the region by blending Biblical truth with trauma-informed care. Through partnerships with local
schools, churches and civic organizations, we continue to broaden our reach and bring support to young women and families throughout the Gulf Coast community. Our youth leadership outreach and frequent speaking engagements ensure that the message of hope, healing and resilience extends far
beyond our walls and into the communities that need it most.”
— Under His Wing Executive Director Arcelia Miller