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July 3, 2006 • VOL. 44, NO. 13 • Oakland, CA
Mary’s House provides a haven for expectant moms
It is a warm
Tuesday morning, and Sister Rusty, as she is affectionately known to the
residents of Mary’s House, is busy cleaning a recently donated refrigerator
in the kitchen of the former convent on Church Lane in San Pablo. Since
August 15, 2002, Mary’s House has operated out of the convent building
across from St. Paul Church as a home for homeless and pregnant women
in crisis. The home is open to women 18 and over, regardless of their
religious affiliation.
Sister Rusty came to volunteer at Mary’s House after retiring from
her job as an executive secretary in 2003. The free time that retirement
provided allowed Sister Rusty to become involved in a cause that was very
near to her heart.
As a single mom herself, Sister Rusty is able to provide personal support
to the Mary’s House residents. “I know what they’re
going through,” she said, “and I feel like I can touch their
lives.”
Sister Rusty’s ability to relate to the residents becomes particularly
important in the case of young women like Shelby Carroll, a 19-year-old
who gave birth to her son Dylan on June 13.
“Basically I was having issues with my mom and sister,” Carroll
said of her reasons for coming to Mary’s House. “They didn’t
exactly put me out, but I knew I had to leave for my own well-being.”
Carroll began calling numerous shelters around the Bay Area only to hear
that they were too full to accommodate her or could not help her at all.
A call to an all male shelter in Oakland got her in touch with Mary’s
House, one of two Catholic affiliated shelters in the Bay Area. Casa Vincentia
in Oakland provides a similar program for pregnant women in crisis.
A Mary’s House resident since April, Carroll spent the days leading
up to her son’s birth running personal errands and taking care of
chores around the house. A stress disability from her pregnancy prevented
her from being employed.
At night, the residents and volunteers who staff Mary’s House gather
around a large table to share a meal and talk with one another. This interaction,
suggested by Sister Rusty, provides the residents with a safe space in
which they can feel supported by the women who surround them.
Lay volunteers like Sister Rusty are the driving force behind an organization
that, according to founder Thelma Orias, has had its share of financial
struggles. In spite of these challenges, Orias continues the mission
of Mary’s House, remembering that her line of work is “based
on faith and trusting in God.”
One such example of this faith came in the form of an anonymous $10,000
donation at a time when the house’s expenses were running high and
the bank account was at a perilous low.
The expenses for running Mary’s House can add up to nearly $10,000
a month, according to Orias. St. Paul Parish has decreased the rent of
the convent, but the ministry still has difficulties making ends meet.
Mary’s House grew out of the Divine Mercy Eucharistic Society that
has provided an Adoration Chapel in El Cerrito since 1998. Mary’s
House has its own Adoration Chapel in the front of the house and volunteers
sign up to pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament.
Orias’ primary inspiration came through prayer and the realization
that prayer is simply not enough. “You need hands to serve
God,” she said.
For Orias, the work of Mary’s House is a way of bringing the Corporal
Works of Mercy to life. “If you want to follow Christ,” she
said, “you have to follow what He did. It’s all written in
the Bible--feed the hungry, find home for the homeless and clothe them.”
With this in mind, Orias approached the Divine Mercy Foundation’s
board of directors. With their support and a $50,000 grant from the Wayne
and Gladys Valley Foundation, Orias began creating a sanctuary for women
in their greatest time of need.
While it started as a home for pregnant women alone, homeless women may
also benefit from the services at Mary’s House with the understanding
that they have a week to find other arrangements if an expectant mother
arrives for help.
“Many homeless women begged to be let in,” said Mary’s
House director Analyn Garcia. “They said that they shouldn’t
be turned away because they aren’t pregnant.”
The homeless women are required to assume the same responsibilities as
the expectant mothers. “The whole concept is to be self-sufficient
and break the cycle,” said Garcia.
Currently, only three of the twelve residents came to Mary’s House
homeless.
Anyone who thinks that Mary’s House is an easy way to escape the
infamous housing costs of the Bay Area is sorely mistaken. “Many
women come from dysfunctional families, broken homes, or domestic violence;
and they are a product of their environment,” Garcia said.
“When they come into Mary’s House it is a bit of a culture
shock because we have high disciplinary expectations.” The women
are expected to be productive at all times, simply lying around the house
all day is unacceptable.
The new mothers can reside at Mary’s House for up to six months
after childbirth, giving them time to search for transitional housing.
Residents spend their days at jobs or attending classes or training programs
that help them fulfill the requirements of the house. Other admission
requirements include an intake interview, complete sobriety, a valid driver’s
license, and medical tests.
According to Garcia, many of the women find they are interested in nurses’
training, culinary school, or programs that help develop computer proficiency.
Such training programs allow the women to remain productive during their
stay at Mary’s House. In addition, the women participate in parenting
skills workshops every six weeks and tend to the Treasure Chest Thrift
Shop located at the front of the home.
The thrift shop is one of the main fundraising efforts of Mary’s
House. “The store is always accepting donations, good items that
the ladies can use to get extra money,” said Sister Rusty.
All of the activities at Mary’s House are implemented for the residents’
well-being. “Being at Mary’s House has helped me focus on
what I need to do,” said Carroll. “It teaches me things for
when I am on my own.”
During the rest of her stay at Mary’s House, Carroll intends to
finish junior college and take care of her newborn son. “My main
goal when I leave is not to go to another shelter or stay with a family
member, I want my own place.” Living in a supportive environment
like Mary’s House, Carroll is well on her way to realizing her dream.
(Mary’s House is currently working to raise funds with a car
raffle. For a $30 donation, participants can enter for the chance to win
a 2006 Hyundai. Entries will be received until December 15, the day of
the drawing. Anyone interested in taking part in the raffle is welcome
to call Mary’s House at (510) 236-0383.)
Mary’s House resident Shelby Carroll holds her son Dillon Justin Brown, who was born on June 13.
Jagdeep Gill and her newborn daughter, Harnoor Mahal.
CHRIS DUFFEY PHOTOS
