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By MICHELLE LOVE | Staff Writer

PELHAM – The Shelby County Chamber hosted its annual Prayer Breakfast on Tuesday, Nov. 23 at the Pelham Civic Complex and Ice Arena.

This year’s program was presented by Birmingham Christian Family Publications, and co-hosted by Bryant Bank, Cahaba Valley Computer Services and Sawyer Solutions.

The Chamber has held the Prayer Breakfast every year since 1996, and it serves as an opportunity for business-people and community leaders to come together for a morning of fellowship and good food. Representatives of local businesses, organizations and nonprofits came together in the early hours of the morning to have breakfast catered by Happy Catering Company and to express what they’re grateful for in their lives. The breakfast also serves as a way for guests to reflect on ways they can make a difference throughout the community.

Dotti Bailey, the executive director of SafeHouse Shelby, was this year’s special guest speaker. Bailey spoke to the public about how she has learned to turn crises into opportunities, and how she discovered her calling as an advocate for those vulnerable in the community.

Bailey told the crowd how her relationship with God was not always easy, as she was raised in a religiously strict household where she was taught God was judging her more than loving her.

Bailey explained that through the various trials and obstacles she experienced throughout her life, she began to realize that the strength of her faith did not depend on what she was going through: it depended on her personal relationship with God. After hitting rock bottom, she found power in herself through her faith, and has used that strength ever since to help those in need.

The SafeHouse of Shelby County is a nonprofit dedicated to providing free and confidential services that help those impacted by domestic violence and sexual assault. For more information on SafeHouse, visit their website Safehouse.org.