On South Water Street this historic brick home in West Newton holds so much more than what meets the eye. It's a resale store in the front with secondhand items like glasses and plates or even nautical and farm decorations, but it's also got a temporary home for women who are otherwise homeless.

Mantle House Mission's executive director, Marcie Elsbury started this nonprofit. It started with housing men who need shelter, then it changed to men and women, but now it's exclusively for women who are 18 and older. Elsbury said, "You know what, it's really a blessing because the older women, they like to mother the younger ones."

It provides shelter, food, and even more support from Elsbury. She goes above and beyond helping them with almost anything you can name for more than 60 people for over the last decade. Elsbury said, "I've taken them to job interviews, I've taken them to the courthouse for different things."

Maria Giel lives at the shelter now and volunteers at the store. She said, "If she needs me, I volunteer, I help out, whatever I can."

"I ended up needing a place to stay and I don't have a long time to look. I gave her [Elsbury] a buzz, she said come on down, we'll see what we can do and boom. Here I am."

The nonprofit is here, in a time of need. Giel said, "It makes me choked up because we grow, we go through hardships, we go through great triumphs, we do wonderful things here. It's very therapeutic."

The youngest woman being helped by the nonprofit, Destiny Major, is now graduating from high school. Major said the Mantle House Mission, "Gave me a place to stay when I was homeless."

It's a temporary space that's supporting a transitional stage in life. Major said, "Marcie's been kind of like a mother."

The nonprofit is also now expanding in the neighborhood. 

"The community's been wonderful for us, so the resale store has donated items only. So, all of the things you see in the store are donated and it's absolutely wonderful," said Elsbury. The garage, which was remodeled by Elsbury's husband, is expanding the resale store, while bringing in more donations and overall support for Mantle House Mission's true mission of helping women in a time of need.

"Oh my goodness there's been a lot of laughter and a lot of tears and a lot of joy. Just joy in watching, you know when you see a young woman blooming right in front of your eyes," said Elsbury.

It's more than a building, it's more than a resale store, it's an example of what you can accomplish when you put your mind to it. Elsbury said, "It's not me, it's she, she has to make it work. And she does make it work and God is just using all of us to make it work."

The resale store's "re-opening" with this new expansion will happen on March 20 through the 22nd from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

The organization is actively taking donations and looking for volunteers, for more information on Mantle House Mission stop by its website.