Rose of Sharon

The Rose of Sharon Women’s Home, a refuge home for women in distress, is named in memory of the late Sharon Marie Benson-Lewis. Sharon is the loving sister of Pastor Aldridge, the founder of In His Hands Global Ministries, and the sponsor of the home. Sharon Benson-Lewis had a passion to help people, particularly those who were victimized by society’s ills and woes. Her passion to see the lives of people changed found her majoring in sociology with a focus in criminal justice/criminal behavior. She completed her Bachelors and Master level studies at Illinois State University where she wrote her thesis focusing on “ex-offender recidivism reduction”.

As a significant phase to her studies she completed internships at the Pontiac Correctional Facility for men and the Dwight Correctional facility for women. Sharon’s primary hope and vision was to identify society’s role and contribution to the process of creating criminals and finally to propose a strategy or plan that society should adopt which would foster behavior changes in the minds and lives of criminals.

Sharon Marie Benson Lewis spent a major part of the remainder of her life working as the executive director of a nonprofit organization that purposed to redevelop the economically disenfranchised Westside communities of Chicago.

Sharon dedicated her life to giving of herself and resources to help others to blossom to their own full and divine potential. All who knew Sharon, loved this rare, sweet, and gentle spirited woman of God. A rose, she truly exemplified, right after the image of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the Rose of Sharon.