Mary’s Home of Hope has become a safe haven for women struggling with various life situations such as single motherhood and homelessness. Through this ministry, Lynn Reid, along with many volunteers, has helped spread the kingdom of God. The ministry was mostly known by word of mouth and never had a website where people could find more information and contact them. That is until recently, when Ciara Marie Leal, a girl scout, decided to take on the project for her Gold Award.
Leal, who has been a girl scout since she was in kindergarten, has since helped serve her community. The young girl scout worked on various community service projects. When she was working on her Bronze Award, she met Reid, who was working for Gabriel House at the time. When it came time to choose a project for her Gold Award, she was not sure what to do. Leal, who has an older sister that is a single mother, had observed her struggles and wanted to help women that were also in similar situations.
“I have a sister…she has two younger girls,” Leal said. “I noticed that she was always struggling financially and trying to be stable throughout her life…So I realized that I want to be able to help other women like her who are single mothers or just women in general because I realize that a lot of women face these kinds of struggles.”
That is when she contacted Reid to ask how she could help Mary’s Homes of Hope. Like with many projects and events when COVID hit, there was no assurance when they could be resumed again. Leal began by educating her parish, St. Bernadette, and her community on the struggles of single mothers and about how Mary’s Homes of Hope helps. She held donation drives but it was not possible to hold such events when the lockdown restrictions were placed. So Reid suggested that a website be made.
For her Girl Scout Gold Award, Ciara Marie Leal built a website for Mary’s Homes of Hope, which helps single mothers in need to connect with the women’s home, see residential openings and allows donations to be made, which go directly to women and mothers in need.
“The website is a way for us to communicate with the community about Mary’s Homes of Hope and about single mothers and women and all the struggles that they face” said Leal. “This website also allows people to be able to get in contact with Mary’s Homes of Hope if they are the ones that are struggling. So I think that even though COVID was a big struggle and everything, I think it was also a good thing that happened so I could do this website for Mary’s Homes of Hope so I can educate the community about single mothers and women.”
The website brings a lot of exposure to the ministry to help women who are looking for a place to live and pick themselves up with the help of God and great people who are willing to help. On the website, people can see if there are any residential openings as well as donate to the ministry.
The way Leal sees it is that sometimes, people just need a little help to get back on their feet, just as she has experienced with her older sister. People need the necessities, a home, and a job to keep going in their life. That is what Mary’s Homes of Hope is doing by providing these women a home so that they have one less thing to worry about and they can focus on getting a job or being a mother and helping their family.
For this young girl scout and soon-to-be college student, it was important that the project be faith-based. Leal explains that as she has gotten older, she has drifted away from her faith; however, she saw the opportunity of her Gold Award as a chance to serve God and his children. She saw this as another chance to stay connected to God and her parish and to continue what the girl scouts have taught her about serving.
Leal is very happy with her project and the impact the website has had. Educating people about this issue and seeing the response is rewarding not only for her but for Lynn Reid. During a recent donation drive, parishioners of St. Bernadette donated about 200 different household and baby supplies. St. Mary’s Parish in Greeley had contacted Reid about how great the website was.
“It was great to see that the website was not only reaching people in Lakewood but also other communities,” Leal said.
This is a project that will continue to bear fruit even though Leal won’t continue to work on it. She leaves it to Reid and her staff who will take over her website and who will continue to update it and manage it. St. Bernadette Parish and Mary’s Homes of Hope will maintain a partnership so the website will continue to be a gift that keeps on giving.