By Caleigh Stier, University of Saint Francis Student Intern

Gail came to A Mother’s Hope after living in several shelters that weren’t a good fit for her. Her first child, a son, was already in foster care and she was due any day with her second child. Gail gave birth to her daughter just a few days after arriving at A Mother’s Hope, but she struggled to feed and connect with her baby. Parenting was difficult because she felt inadequate and lacked confidence.

Still, Gail was motivated to complete the program as best as she could and began attending the assigned counseling sessions. As she continued with the counseling, Gail began to make more positive changes in her life; soon she was taking better care of herself and smiling more. The staff continued to support her and encouraged her to keep working hard to be better for herself and her children.

With the shelter staff helping her, Gail was able to demonstrate to the Department of Child Services that she was growing and capable of graduating from A Mother’s Hope. Gail was then given more visitation time with her son, and this was a turning point in her life; she realized she was capable of providing a stable and loving environment for her two children.

The St. Joe Foundation supports the women at A Mother’s Hope by helping to underwrite counseling services. The organizations share the same goals of supporting new and pregnant mothers so they can focus on raising healthy and happy children.