Women's History Month: Honoring Our Founders

We're thrilled to kick off Women's History Month by honoring our founders - Theresa A. Costello, Lucy Gwynn, and Margaret Bowden. In 1860, these three Daughters of Charity (a Catholic community dedicated to helping the poor), embarked on a mission to Washington, D.C. to establish a foundling home for children in need. They also established an education and job-training program to help single mothers become breadwinners.

Just three years later in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed an Act of Congress to incorporate St. Ann's Infant Asylum, as it was then called, charging Costello, Gwynn, and Bowden with caring for D.C.'s growing number of vulnerable women and children in a time of national turmoil. 

Now, 160 years after they set out on their mission, the Daughters of Charity and St. Ann's Center continue the work these pioneering women started. We are so proud of their legacy - and we look forward to celebrating their impact during our virtual Hope Blossoms gala this May. Our theme is “Our Roots Run Deep.” More details coming soon!

Watch out for information about Hope Blossoms here: https://www.stanns.org/events