New Beginnings

As the flowers begin to bloom at Blessing House, I am excited by the signs of new life and filled with the promise of new beginnings. We recently celebrated our 7th anniversary and as I walked through our playroom, I looked at the 742 handprints on our wall and thought of the many children who had found safety in the care of our wonderful staff at Blessing House.

There was Jamie and her two brothers who came to stay when their mom had to go to the hospital for an extended stay. She really enjoyed herself at Blessing House because she had the chance to just be a child and have fun.

There was Manny who was so self-conscious because of his size. Manny had not been able to live in an environment that provided healthy meals and so he had acquired eating habits that contributed to his becoming overweight. While at Blessing House, he tried so many new things and discovered that fruits and vegetables weren’t so bad after all. He learned that exercise could be fun and that he really could do some things to help himself. He was quite proud of himself when he discovered he had lost 10 pounds during his stay at Blessing House.

There was Amy, a mom with three children who was homeless and who had dealt with several issues over the last few years. She had difficulty with her relationships, her responsibilities and her decision making and called us often to help her with her children. Then she found herself in a situation where she had time to reflect about all that had happened to her, and she realized how close she had come to losing everything that was most dear to her. Amy made the decision to change her life, to start over. She knew how lucky she was to get a second chance and she wasn’t going to continue down the path she had been going. Amy is now living with her three children in a home, supported by friends and family, blessed with the promise of a new beginning.

Blessing House has been a source of hope for our children and our families. It has given them an opportunity to see that things can be different and the possibilities of new beginnings.

This spring, Blessing House is experiencing another new beginning as we open Grace Center, our administrative and outreach center. Grace Center, located right next to Blessing House, is a home where we will be welcoming the families who need our help and where we will be providing support for them as they deal with the many issues they face.

Grace Center will be a quiet place, a place of comfort, a place of grace to greet those who come to us. It will be a haven that will be a gateway for the children to enter Blessing House and will give our staff the opportunity to give the compassionate care that is so needed by the families that arrive at our door.

When a mom came to visit her child at Blessing House recently and saw all of the activity going on getting Grace Center ready, she asked what was happening there. Sr. Mary explained what we would be doing at Grace Center and the mom became quiet. Then she said, “Do you think you could help me at Grace Center? Even if my daughter isn’t here anymore? I have no one else to help me.”

Hope.
New beginnings.
Second chances.
Someone to believe and to help them believe.
Someone to care.

I would like to say thanks to all of you who have been so faithful in your support. We could not care for so many without you. We are humbled by the graces we receive.

Peace and blessings to all this Easter season as we join together to celebrate new life. 

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