Mary's Shelter September Newsletter

 Vol. 3, No. 5  





Greetings and Many Thanks!

  

 

  Thank you to everyone who came to our second Summer Soir�e and Fundraiser.  We are overwhelmed by your generosity.  

 

 

In one night, we raised close to $80,000! 

 

 

That is amazing.  We can hardly believe how fortunate we are to be a part of such a supportive and caring community.  Not only are you helping us to keep our doors open to pregnant women in crisis, but you are helping us to make our plans for the future a reality.

 

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you!  The residents at Mary's Shelter feel truly blessed that so many people care about their future and the future of their children.

 

 

God bless you!

 

Kathleen Wilson, Director



 

Like Jesus we belong to the world living not for ourselves but for others.  The joy of the Lord is our strength.

 

 - Mother Teresa




 

 

 

 

 





Highlights from the Soire

Setting the stage.

The V.I.P. reception.

The Bereits greet their friend, Abby Johnson.
Abby Johnson meets the latest addition to the Carney family.

Abby and sweet Bernadette.
The final touches before opening the doors.
The awesome band.

Lena Foster's opening remarks.

 

Fr. Rooney, pastor of St. Mary's in Fredericksburg, was in the house.
Master of Ceremonies, David Bereit.
Sr. Claire Hunter, from the Respect Life Office in Arlington, offers the opening prayer.
Attorney General of Virginia, Ken Cuccinelli.
Our Director of Homes, Kathleen Wilson.

Our co-Master of Ceremonies, Shawn Carney, introduces our guest speaker, Abby Johnson.

Our guest speaker, former Planned Parenthood director Abby Johnson.
It was a full house at St. Michael's High School - over 400 people! 
Thanks to our terrific team of teens for serving.
Abby's biggest fan!




The Best Donation Story Ever 

 

 There were so many great moments at the Soire it is hard to pick a favorite.  However, it is always inspiring to have so many teens volunteer their time to help set-up, serve, and clean-up after the event.  It is a tremendous amount of work.   

 

One of the most touching stories came when one of our teens, Jacob Ivory, received a "tip" from one of our guests for his service that evening.  Jacob walked up to Kathleen and said "I got this tip and I would like to donate it to the shelter."  Kathleen asked Jacob if his parents knew, thinking they may have told him it would be a nice gesture.  But Jacob said "No, they don't know." We were all so touched by his giving spirit which is such a simple and powerful witness.   

 

Thank you, Jacob, and may God continue to bless you! 

 

 





Thank You!

 

 The amazing success of our Second Summer Soire could not have happened without the gracious support of the following Underwriters:

 

Mr. and Mrs. David Bereit 

Mr. and Mrs. Mark Ivory

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Faleskie
 Mr. and Mrs. Brien Miller 

Mr. and Mrs. Julian Malcolm

Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Mueller

Dr. and Mrs. Matthew Storm

Mrs. Loura Turner 

Mr. and Mrs. Gerry Thielman

 Anonymous Donors


and Table Sponsors:  

 

Mr. and Mrs. Dan Fowlkes 

Mr. and Mrs. Eric Harkins

Mr. and Mrs. Allen Harrison 

Mr. and Mrs. Steve Heinlein 

Mr. and Mrs. John Janney 

Mr. and Mrs. Scott Merriman  

Anonymous Donors

 

 

We wish to extend many heartfelt thanks to our Vendors and Contributors:

  

AKA Printing

St. Michael the Archangel High School

Holy Cross Academy

Carrabba's Italian Grill

Chick-Fil-A at Celebrate Virginia

Fredericksburg Rentals

  

 

To our Photographers:

 

Michael O'Connor

Lori Elizabeth Photography

  

 

To our Audio/Video Specialists:

  

Dwain Currier

Michael Hichborn

  

 

And Musicians:


Jim Ankar
Charles Hibbler
 David O'Brien
Geoff O'Brien 

Holly O'Brien
  

 

Thanks to our Impressive Team of Teen Volunteers, led by Mr. Mark Turner 

 

As well as our Banquet Planning Team:

  

Mrs. Kristin Bullock

Mrs. Anne Carroll

Mrs. Lena Foster

Mrs. Lori Fowlkes 

Mrs. Marguerite Kane

Mrs. Terri McCormack 

Mrs. Eve Muggeridge

Mrs. Kathleen Wilson

  

 

Thank you to David Bereit and Shawn Carney, our Masters of Ceremonies, for the donation of their Banquet Success Planning Program, as well as their time and expertise.

 

And of course, a special thank you to our guest speaker, Mrs. Abby Johnson!

 

  

Thank you to everyone who helped to make this night so special.  We are blessed to have you as our supporters and friends.  

 

 

 




Mary's Shelter Arts and Craft Fair

 

 

How would you feel if you could shop for Fall and Christmas knowing that your money would go to saving the unborn and aiding women in crisis pregnancies?

 

Come downtown to Hurkamp Park's yearly
Market in the Park
and purchase from the
Mary's Shelter Arts and Crafts booth.

 

 100% of the proceeds from the hand-crafted items will be donated directly to Fredericksburg's Mary's Shelter ( www.marysshelterva.org) where women are nurtured, babies are born, and new beginnings become reality.

 

Date:  Saturday, September 24, 2011 (rain or shine)

Time: 9:00AM-3:00PM

Place:
Hurkamp Park in downtown Fredericksburg at the corner of William and Prince Edward Streets

Cost: 
Entrance to the Market is free but bring along your cash or checkbook to purchase hand-crafted items from our booth:

      jewelry
      rosaries
      scarves/cowls
      table linens
      greeting cards
      baby items
      Pampered Chef (50% proceeds to Mary's Shelter)
     And more!

 

Contact Adele for more info: [email protected] 

 

 

 




We Need Diapers!

Especially in the larger sizes - 3, 4, and 5.

   

If you would like to make a diaper donation, please email us at:

 

[email protected]

 

Please make arrangements to drop-off any donations.  We would appreciate it if you would not leave donations on the porch without contacting us first.

 

Thank you for your help and support!