The Mary's Shelter Capital Campaign
Mary's Shelter needs your help. Our regular donations do not cover our expenses. Over the past year, it was only two unexpected bequests that kept us going. Although we trust in Providence, we don't want to jeopardize the continuity of this ministry. Many of our residents come to us from desperate, even dangerous situations and we can't send them back. Please consider becoming part of a strong and loyal base of individual donors who make a regular monthly contribution.
Along with the generous donations of four local churches, and the individual donations of people like you, we can build this work on solid foundations. We will know how the rent and heat are going to be paid! If you knew how lean an operation this ministry is, you would be shocked and amused. But we feel it is irresponsible to remain as we are today, with barely enough money to cover the next three months. Even if just 250 people start making regular contributions of $20 a month, that $5000 would allow us to breathe easier, concentrate on improving our program, and not depend on a bequest check to come in!
Mary's Shelter is the only crisis-pregnancy shelter in the Fredericksburg area, the next closest place being in Orange County. We receive phone calls from desperate women in need every single day. Please take some time to prayerfully consider what you are willing to give per month, whether it be $10 or $100. Then send us an e-mail.
One great thing about supporting Mary's Shelter mothers is that you can be so close to the beneficiaries of your $20 a month gift. You can meet them face-to-face at one of the shelters, take them shopping, help re-type their resumes, or follow their progress through the newsletter. They are mothers and children very, very close to home. They are family. Thank you, and God Bless you!
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Please visit Fiberfads! for beautiful hand-knit and felted items. All proceeds are donated to Mary's Shelter!
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For unique, hand-crafted rosaries, please visit:Beads for Mary
40-50% of your purchase will benefit Mary's Shelter
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Want more information about Mary's Shelter? Please visit our website:
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Mary's Shelter January Newsletter
Vol. 2, No. 1
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Happy New Year!
The Christmas Season
at Mary's Shelter was filled with blessings and joy. Although many of
the mothers in our homes work, providing gifts for their children at
Christmas is a hardship. For them, the greatest gift would be to
witness the excitement of their children opening presents and sharing in
the joy of the Christmas season. That wish was given to them through the
generosity of so many. The gifts provided to the children were
beautiful and thoughtful. It was a great delight to those of us who
work at Mary's Shelter to hand out these beautifully wrapped
packages to the moms and see how surprised, thankful and emotional they
were that so many would think of their children. For some of the women
in our shelters, this was the first time they had seen such
an outpouring of love. Imagine the changes such a simple gesture can bring
about. From all the mothers, children and new babies (born and not yet
born), thank you for these blessings. We simply could not continue this
ministry, giving shelter to those who choose life, without your love,
support and prayers. God Bless.
Kathleen Wilson, Director
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A Thank You From a Favorite Resident
Dear to whom it may concern:
I thank you for giving us presents for Christmas.
I hope you guys and girls have had a happy and fun Christmas. We all
give all the glory and honor to you all and God for doing a good
thing. I love you guys and you are worthy to be praised for being a
great Church and I would like to come visit you all on Sunday. May God
keep on blessing you.
From yours truly,
"T", age 9 |
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Big Important News!
Mary's
Shelter will be opening a new home in February! One of our
current homes is a small two-bedroom house. One of the
bedrooms is so tiny that we can barely fit a bassinette in the room! We will be swapping the two-bedroom for a roomy five-bedroom house, giving us the opportunity to provide housing for more women and their children at almost the same price. And, we will finally have an office! The owner of this
home has been very generous with our ministry. However, the cost of housing more
people will, of course, bring additional financial needs. We ask for
prayers that through the continued generosity of our Mary's Shelter
supporters, we will meet those needs.
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Resident Profiles
The following are profiles of some of our current residents. All names are fictitious.
ADOPTION UPDATE ON VERONICA -
"Veronica" gave Mary's Shelter the best Christmas present ever. On January 6th, Veronica gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, who weighed in at a healthy 8 lbs., 9 oz. The adoptive parents were there to witness the birth of their new son, a gift born on the Feast of the Epiphany. Veronica spent a couple of days in the hospital holding him, studying his face, and marveling over his chubby cheeks before saying goodbye.
Veronica gave her baby to his new parents with such selflessness and grace. We were all so impressed by the firmness of her resolve and by her amazing witness. However, she has now entered the sometimes dark and gloomy post-partum world without a baby as a ray of sunshine. She is truly in great need of love and understanding. Please pray for this young woman as she struggles to get back on her feet, as well as for the family to whom she has brought great joy.
Catherine -
"Catherine" appreciated the Christmas Season more than most. A month ago, while living in a domestic violence shelter,
she could not imagine where she would be at this tme. In addition to
having a home at Mary's Shelter, experiencing such an outpouring of
generosity was a complete and wonderful surprise.
It was a much needed, uplifting gift to her, especially since her five year-old
son has been experiencing difficulties since moving to the shelter. He has been uprooted so
many times in the last year that he is having a hard time feeling secure in his new home and his new school. We hope that the opportunity over Christmas break
to spend quality time with his mother has brought him a little more comfort and security. Please keep
this adorable little boy, Catherine, and her unborn baby in your prayers.
Maria -
"Maria" clearly sees the hand of God in her life. For the first time in many years, Maria feels secure, stable, and confident. She is employed full-time and in the position to start completely providing
for her two children. Maria will be staying at Mary's Shelter for an
approved, extended period of time to further allow her to save and get
ready for an independent lifestyle. For a woman like Maria, who has made such incredible changes in her life during the last year, we are only too happy to offer whatever help we can. We pray that Maria will continue on the road to success, and that she continues to prepare a smooth transition to independence.
Gianna -
As you may remember, "Gianna" had a difficult decision to make. At first she was sure about adoption for her baby, but as the months rolled on, she became torn. When she went home to visit her family in New York for Thanksgiving, Gianna's secret hope was realized - her family overwhelmingly supported her decision to keep the baby. She is due any day now and is hoping for a natural delivery. After she recovers, she will go home to be reunited with her family who has, in the end, become hugely supportive of her decision. Unhappily, she will likely return home to mourn the loss of so many loved ones in Haiti. Gianna has many close relatives and friends in Haiti who, as of this writing, they have not been able to reach. She is hoping for the best, but understands that the death toll there is very high. Please pray for Gianna and her family as they both rejoice in new life, and mourn the lives cut short from this horrific natural disaster.
Rose -
 "Rose"
continues to be a rock star at Mary's Shelter. She is doing an amazing
job raising her third child. We are happy and sad to report that
Rose will be leaving Mary's Shelter this month. The great news is that
Rose will now have her own home and will be reunited full time with her
other two sons. The family being together has been her most precious
dream. Rose knows that without the prayers, support and opportunities provided to her through Mary's Shelter, none of this would have been possible. While
we will miss Rose, we are so happy for these blessings in her life.
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Volunteer Corner
Hi, my name is Regina Hiney and I lead a book club with the ladies at
Mary's Shelter. We have been meeting since September and our
selections have ranged from Flannery O'Connor to William Shakespeare. This month the ladies at Mary's Shelter read and discussed "The Tempest"
by William Shakespeare. To celebrate the New Year, we had our book club
discussion over a spaghetti and meatball dinner. With different moms
cooking and serving we discussed the last play Shakespeare wrote. While some of the ladies found the Shakespearean language challenging, all agreed it was worth the effort. Topics included the poetic language of Caliban, and the symbolism of Ariel. After dinner all were treated to a delicious dessert of homemade brownies.
I was asked to write why I volunteer with the moms at Mary's Shelter. Often we donate baby items or canned goods to homeless shelters
and/or crisis pregnancy centers, but we never get to see or know the
people we help. Getting to know the ladies at Mary's Shelter has a been
a grace in my life. To see the face of a homeless person has afforded
me the opportunity to be reminded of the many blessings I enjoy and
ought not take for granted. Getting to see the faces of the babies
born; the chubby cheeks, the toothless grins--I am reminded that every
life is sacred and that we must always be open to life.
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The Christmas Soirée Story
My name is Eve Muggeridge, and I am one of the housemothers at Mary's Shelter, as well as one of the Christmas Soirée Planners. The first Christmas Soirée in support of Mary's Shelter, took place in December, 2008. The idea was to have a fundraiser that didn't feel like a fundraiser. It is based on the kind of Soirée my parents have been hosting for 15 years in their living room, an evening of music interspersed with courses of food. We've tinkered with the original model a bit but the cozy venue, elaborate, home-cooked multi-course meal, and high-quality live music remain the same. At the first Soirée, we raised over $3000 for Mary's Shelter, which, for a home-spun event on a shoe-string budget, more than exceeded out expectations!
The 2nd Soirée was planned for December 19th, 2009. As many of you may recall, that was the fateful day of the record-breaking snowstorm! We had not thought of a snow-date (this is Virginia after all!), and with so many participants, let alone guests, it at first seemed impossible to find a different day. However, after two postponements and much logistical anguish, the Soirée went on. One choir member was in a car accident en route to the event (he's okay though!), our children's choir (aka mini-rockstars) had to be bussed in from a conflicting engagement, the babysitting location was switched at the last minute, close to 20 guests couldn't come, and yet the Soirée went on, and again, raised more money for Mary's Shelter than we had anticipated, almost $10,000.
There are so many people to thank, not just for the months of planning and preparation, but for the salvaging of the event! I think you all know who you are, and I am deeply grateful for your flexibility, your graciousness, and your sense of humor! At some point during the Soirée rescheduling fiasco, the point when I
was about ready to lose my mind, I received an e-mail from someone who
really put things in perspective. She said, "Hang in there - all will go well. Look who benefits by it all -
those cute little baby faces."
And I realized that everyone involved - the very gracious hosts, the
super-flexible musicians (thanks Dad!), the dedicated teams of cooks
and babysitters, the esteemed speaker, and most especially, the guests!
- was rooting for the Mary's Shelter babies, and that no matter what, the Soirée would be a success because absolutely everyone wanted it to be.
Next year though, I'll make sure my kids are a little more careful about praying for a white Christmas. |
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A Final Thank You
We are very grateful to the wonderful volunteers, prayer warriors, and donors who have helped Mary's Shelter
have a remarkable year of growth, maturity, and prosperity. We have
truly come a long way in the last year. Through your ongoing
support, we pray that this ministry will continue to foster a culture
of life in our community for many years to come.
Thank you and may God Bless you this New Year!
Sincerely,
The Directors and Staff of Mary's Shelter
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