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Tender Beginnings & Joyful Returns

Octubre 29, 2024

This blog is part of a monthly reflection series from Sister Nancy Downing - CEO, St. Ann's Center. 
Find more of these reflections by visiting the archive: Sister Nancy's Note.


Can I tell you about two encounters that touched my heart this month?
 
1. One beautiful morning last week, a young woman and her baby moved in to St. Ann’s Center. As our Residential staff gathered to welcome mom and help her with her things, we realized that mom had not actually brought many belongings with her – just one small suitcase, in fact.
 
Once settled at St. Ann’s, of course, mom would receive everything she needed to clothe, feed, and materially care for herself and her child. And later that week, a family member did deliver additional personal effects, helping make St. Ann’s feel more like home.
 
Still, that first moment sticks with me: just mother, child, and one small suitcase – standing on the first open page of their life’s new chapter.
 
If you’ve ever moved to a brand-new place with brand-new people, then you know how much courage and faith moments like this require.

Mom’s “leap of faith” inspires me, and I am so hopeful for her future as she begins to build her confidence and grow as a woman and a parent.
 

 

2. Later that week, we got to catch up with a woman who had participated in our program years ago as a first-time mom. She had recently returned to enroll her two youngest children in our Child Care Center. Her oldest daughter, who she gave birth to while at St. Ann's, is now eight years old!

Mom is doing wonderfully - and she was excited to reconnect with St. Ann's longtime staff members and share about her life now. And her oldest daughter wowed us all - she is really going places!

As happy laughter echoed throughout our ground floor, you could hardly imagine that this same family was once brand-new at St. Ann’s themselves, uncertain about the future.

One beautiful thing about being part of St. Ann’s community is getting to see all the moments that make up families’ journeys – the tender beginnings, and the joyful returns.

Thank you for letting me share this, and thank you for powering this mission.

God Bless You,


Sister Nancy Downing, CND
CEO, St. Ann's Center for Children, Youth and Families


Our Mission

St. Ann’s Center helps mothers and children overcome crisis and achieve lasting independence and stability by providing a safe and supportive home, child care, education and employment assistance, and clinical social work services within a Catholic community that welcomes all.

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