King's Daughter's Home
On 89 Ohio Street in Bangor is a home to college females who don't want to live on campus and do not want to find an apartment on their own. King's Daughter's Home is an all-girls Christian home which is currently home to the house parents Dave and Lauretta Kulp, as well as three college students, one of them being New England School of Communications student Taylor Pond Evans who heard about KDH through her financial aid advisor.
"I was in a situation where if I couldn't find a place to live off campus next school year then I wouldn't be going to college at all. Room and board was so ridiculously expensive that there was just no way I could afford it. Funny enough, my advisor heard about it from her kickboxing instructor and everything just fell into place," Evans said.
Evans and her mother did not like the idea of her living in an apartment by herself or with others.
"I'll be the first to admit that I am nowhere near ready to be independent and on my own. King's Daughter's is a place where you learn to be on your own without actually being on your own," Evans said.
KDH costs residents around $600 per month and includes home cooked meals from house mother Lauretta as well as access to television, internet, your own bedroom, access to washer and dryer and security. However, there are still some rules that need to be followed in order to be able to live in the home. Boys are not allowed upstairs (where the girl's bedrooms are), and clothing must always be appropriate.
"You can't have food upstairs, there is a curfew at 11, respect your house sisters, and the main rule is to sign in and sign out whenever you leave KDH," Evans said. "There's a book in the doorway of KDH where you have to write your name, the time and place of intent when leaving. It's not so much that they want to know where you are going to be, but in case something happens they can have an idea of where to look. At dinner time we say devotions after the meal, and then the girls will wash and dry the dishes."
In order to take residence at KDH there is an application and screening process through which the house parents will evaluate the individual and see if she would fit. One who is applying does not necessarily need to be a student in college.
"King's Daughter's Home has a history of taking girls from different parts of the world who want to go to high school and college in the area. It can also be a home for girls who have a hard home life and can no longer stay with their parents or guardians anymore," Evans said.
Evans really enjoys the amount of silliness that she has found with one of the other girls who lives there, Glison Lehto.
"Some of the best moments I've had at King's Daughter's are when I'm getting into shenanigans with Glison. She got me into watching ‘Star Trek’ and we are currently watching Season 3 of 'The Next Generation.' I refer to her as 'Doctor Lehto' and she calls me 'Number One.’ We'll talk to each other on the phone like 'Hello, this is Taylor from Starbase 89 Ohio Street. Come in, Doctor Lehto.' It may seem silly, but when you're up to your neck in studying for college and the recurring question of your future faces you every day, nights with popcorn, ‘Star Trek’ and silliness are exactly what's needed," Evans said.
Dave and Lauretta Kulp have been house parents at KDH since 2008.
"It was not our idea to serve God in this way, but as it happened God was giving us the desires of our heart. We have raised our own girls and still had a desire to raise more," Mr. Kulp said.
"The house was way too big to keep up with [cleaning], and the house is so old it is in constant need of repair,” said Mrs. Kulp. “The house is so big sometimes that it is hard to find the people in it. I'll have to get out the cell phone to find them. It's also fun though to take care of an old vintage Victorian house with its tall ceilings and its multiple fire places. Sometimes it's difficult to cook for all the girls who like different types of food. Some don't like vegetables, some don't like meat, but sometimes it's not too hard. I like being around the girls; it makes me feel young."
Glison Lehto has lived at KDH the longest and has seen many changes. She was there when the entire house was filled with girls from China who attended high school as well as when the house had only had a few girls.
"God led me to a loving supportive Christian home where we have a lot of fun and laughter and everybody feels welcome. I love it, it's my home and everyone there is my family," Lehto said. "It's a positive. It's a place you can grow closer to Christ and your supportive, fun-loving Christians. It's also affordable and it's quite a sanctuary away from college life."
Visit http://www.allsoulsbangor.com/kdh/ to read more about the home and fill out an application.
Originally Published for The Maine Edge
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