BY MADELINE ZUCKERMAN
PHOTOS BY ASHLY DONLIN, THE VISION COLLECTIVE
When the third grade students at Sacred Heart School decided to give back for their Lenten Project by providing Easter baskets filled with toys and blankets for the babies and toddlers at Mama’s House, no one had any inkling of what this community service effort would turn into!
It all started when Miray Boghosian, a Sacred Heart mother of 9-year old twins and a 7-year old, reached out to Maurae Quigley, a Mama’s House Board Member, to propose providing Easter baskets for the moms and babies at Mama’s House. These students with the help of their moms, raised money for this project by setting up multiple lemonade stands, selling snacks at events, selling homemade scented laundry satchels, going door-to-door to ask for donations, and making flyers for social media to encourage donations from family and friends. The outpouring of support was truly amazing for this project.
“Starting in third grade, every student is in charge of putting together a Lenten project, and this can be any form of community service,” said Miray Boghosian. “As my kids and I brainstormed ideas, we decided to raise money to build Easter baskets for the children at Mama’s House. We chose Mama’s House because we believe in the mission of this organization, and wanted to make a direct impact. Our team of participants rapidly grew as kids and parents heard about our project. Before we knew it, this effort had grown to a team of 9 third graders and 8 moms. We initially thought we would be fortunate enough to raise enough money to donate Easter baskets, but as we fundraised and spread the word, we were amazed to see how eager and excited people were to help us. Ultimately, we raised enough money to host an Easter party complete with pizza and cupcakes for everyone, and organized an Easter Egg Hunt for the children, as well as, provided mommy care packages. We even had enough funds left over to purchase seven Chromebooks for the Mama’s House moms! During the event, our kids were excited to meet and play with the children at the new and expansive Anne Silverstein Campus for Mama’s House, and the Sacred Heart moms were equally excited because they got to hold the babies while the moms got to have a little break. Overall, it was an incredibly rewarding experience for the children, as well as, for the Sacred Heart moms. It turned out to be a truly special event for an organization that makes such a positive impact in our community.”
Mama’s House Ministries, now in its 12th year of its mission, provides a safe, supportive, loving, and nurturing home for women in crisis, whether pregnant or with an infant, who have no place to go and no means of support. The Anne Silverstein Campus for Mama’s House offers mothers and their children shelter and an extensive one-of-a-kind Program of Hope, helping mothers find the courage to carry their baby to term or parent when facing uncertainty and hurdles.
This organization’s highly successful faith-based Pathways To Success Program is a once in a lifetime “hands up” opportunity for these vulnerable women to find courage within themselves to face a brighter future with newfound hope. The Anne Silverstein Campus for Mama’s House has enabled the organization to more than quadruple the number of moms and infants it can serve. With nurturing support, these mothers are being equipped with necessary life skills for stability, recovery, and self-sufficiency.
“As a mother of two boys, ages 9 and 13, and as a member of the Mama’s House Board, I was able to witness the pure joy at this event, and see on all the children’s faces their excitement as they entered the room to see the magic of a full Easter celebration,” said Maurae Quigley. “This was truly a memory that will last a lifetime, not only for myself but for the Mama’s House moms, their babies, the staff, and the Sacred Heart moms and their third grade students.”
For additional information on Mama’s House Ministries please visit www.themamashouse.org or call 844–232–8622.
