Transition home seeks help
Fields of Diamonds shelters women, children in need

For seven years, Fields of Diamonds House of Blessings, a Christian transition home, has helped women and children escape abusive situations.
The women who come to the house often have endured beatings, lost jobs, been disconnected from families and have lost hope.
The name Fields of Diamonds comes from a passage in the Bible about a man who finds treasure hidden in a field and sells all he has to buy that field.
“We have jewels hidden right in our backyards, but they’ve been forgotten,” said Stephy Nobles-Beans, founder and executive director. “That’s why I call my girls, diamonds.”
Since it opened, Fields of Diamonds has helped 27 women and 25 children who’ve been exposed to domestic violence and sexual assault.
And now, the nonprofit needs the community’s help to keep the house open: A $5,000 insurance bill for the home is looming. The organization also needs donations for the daily costs of keeping the lights and water on, food and providing transportation for residents. The nonprofit receives no government funding and depends on donations from individuals, businesses and churches.
Referred by CPS or word of mouth, the women come, looking for safety.
The three basic rules – no men, no drugs and no alcohol – aren’t insurmountable, but other ones like housework and church attendance can prove daunting to those unused to structure.
Women can stay up to two years, but the average stay is six months. Residents are connected with a host of resources, from job training to financial programs to basic lessons in cooking and self-care. Whether they complete the program or not, Nobles-Beans insists they are diamonds.
“When they leave they may not look like diamonds, but they are sparkling – there’s a sparkle there,” she said.
While her initial goal for the home was to provide a safe place for women and their children, lately she’s found another demographic in desperate need. “There’s no place for women over 40, who don’t have children, haven’t recently been released from prison, or don’t have drug or alcohol problems,” she said.
That was the situation for one current resident, a woman who was a Muslim and converted to Christianity. She had to flee from her husband and siblings, leaving her children and grandchildren behind. Her name is not being used to protect her safety.
“I have family members who, if they discovered where I am, would have no problem killing me,” she said. “It would be an honor killing.”
Someone gave her Nobles-Beans’ number and she called her from her hotel room – desperate. “I had limited funds. No job. I found there was nothing for women over 40 who don’t have a job or an education. Your hope is shattered. Discouragement sets in. You feel like you’re in a box and can’t get out.”
She smiled. “But Stephy came to my hotel room,” she said. “It let me know there are people in this world who care, who say, ‘I am my sister’s keeper – my brother’s keeper.’ ”
Having found a safe place to stay, she soared, completing her education and landing a job in a field dominated by men. “One of the challenges I’ve found since I’ve been here, is now I have a voice – I can speak my mind,” she said.
After a lifetime of being treated as someone’s property or even worse as invisible, it was difficult for her to use her voice, but once she started speaking up, there was no stopping her.
“I miss my children,” she admitted. “I lost my teeth and some of my self-worth, but I’m learning to be more confident. I want to reach out to other women coming out of abusive relationships. We should be told every day that we are precious.”
That’s a message Sherri Curiel, 43, didn’t get to hear. A lifetime of drug and alcohol abuse led to her involvement with partners who abused her. She sent her son and her daughter to live with family members and missed out on much of their formative years.
Almost three years ago, she found the help and strength she needed to break the cycle of addiction and abuse. When she graduated from the program in Seattle, she desperately wanted to move to Spokane to be near her daughter and new grandson.
Enter Fields of Diamonds. “I wanted to stay in a transitional home,” she said. “I’ve been clean and sober for 27 months and I wanted to maintain what I had.”
Though her daughter had given her a long list of possible housing options, Fields of Diamonds stood out.
“I was a scared little kitten when I came here,” she said. “I’d never lived anywhere on my own, sober. There was always a man or a drug to depend on. Starting over at 43 is scary.”
Nobles-Beans, whom the residents call “Mama Beans,” was there to ease her way. “She’s changed because she’s made up her mind,” said Nobles-Beans. “I’m just proud to be part of her journey.”
With the community’s help Nobles-Beans will be able to keep Fields of Diamonds open, ensuring more women will have a safe place for new beginnings.
Because of Curiel’s fresh start, she was able to be there when her daughter had to have an emergency C-section. “I got to take care of my daughter,” she said. “I got to be her mom.”