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Linda Vaughan
Associate Director of the Union Mission Ministries
Linda Bashford Vaughan was born in Portsmouth, Virginia one of five daughters of Ted and Marion Bashford. At the age of 3, her mother led her to the Lord, in a small three room house in Kentucky, where her family had moved while her father attended Bible College. She reflects, “God had a plan and a purpose. He was preparing me, even at that young age, for my work at Hope Haven.”

In 1956, her father, Reverend Ted Bashford, accepted the position as Executive Director of the Union Mission in Norfolk, Virginia. She says, “God began to work in my heart. I remember loving to go with Daddy to the Mission.” After High School, at the age of sixteen, Linda went to work for the C & P Phone Company. In l965, she married her high school sweetheart, Leroy Vaughan. Leroy worked for the Coca-Cola Company.

In 1971, their first child Lee Anne was born and Linda and Leroy became part-time "Houseparents" at Hope Haven Children's Home (founded by her parents in 1965). In February 1972, one of the Houseparents became ill, and Linda and Leroy stepped in to become the proud parents of 17 children. It wasn't easy being mother to 17 children with her own child only 4 months old, but Linda says, “The Lord blessed us through that time and taught us how to run a children's home.”

In June of l972, Leroy accepted the position as Associate Director of the Union Mission Ministries. As the Ministry grew so did their responsibilities. Together they assisted her parents with the day to day operations of the growing ministry. In June,1991 Leroy was taken home suddenly to be with the Lord and the Board of Directors approved Linda to step into his position as Associate Director.

In her over 30 years of service, Linda has served as Houseparent, Administrator of Hope Haven Children's Home and Hope Haven Adult Home. She appears weekly on the ministry's "Good Samaritan" Telecast and represents the Ministry at various speaking engagements. As Associate Director Linda assists her father in the day to day operations of the Ministry.

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