What A Day…Have you ever said to yourself what a day with a
sigh?
Stock image to protect privacy of the family.
“What a day” she said with a sigh, as one mother explained her
situation to our Crisis Nursery staff.
She and her child woke up on her sister’s couch. Her sister is tired of them staying with her
and tells her to find somewhere else to live.
The child is hungry, and there is no food in the cabinets. She just started a new job and needs to be at
work by 9:00 am. At 7:30 am she calls Crisis
Nursery to see if we have any openings for her child today. She is not sure if there will be a space, but
she knows she has to find somewhere for her child to go today because she can’t
miss another day of work or she will lose her job. This mother has no reliable source of child
care until her child care application for assistance has been approved and
it could be another three weeks before approval.
She is thankful her child can be cared for in the Nursery today. She doesn’t own a car; therefore, she needs
to be on the bus by 7:45 am. She gets on
the bus; drops her child off at Crisis Nursery; waits for another bus to pick
her up; transfers buses; and punches into work 3 minutes late. Her boss is not happy. She works until 5:00 pm, and then gets back on
the bus to pick up her child at Crisis Nursery. The Crisis Nursery coordinator
meets with her to help her find a way out of this crisis. First the Crisis Nursery staff provides referrals
to shelters then introduces the mother to our Child Development Center
(Daycare) coordinator to help her with finding reliable child care, and finally
gives her some food for her child.
Upon leaving, she misses the bus and has to entertain the
child for a half hour before another bus arrives. She finally gets on the bus and returns to
her sister’s at 7:30 pm. Her sister
begins yelling at her that she needs to find somewhere else to live. In the meantime, she knows she has to feed her
child, give him a bath, and get him to sleep in order to do this all over again
tomorrow. This mother loves her child and wants the best for him like all
mothers. If she can keep this up for
another four weeks, hopefully the child care assistance will be approved which
will provide safe and reliable childcare for her son. We work hard every day to help people during
their crisis and to provide a path out of their crisis. Hope is a powerful
motivator to keep going in a time of crisis. Luckily, mothers have the support
of Crisis Nursery. They have someone to
talk to and help them move their family to a better place. Everyone needs someone who truly cares.
You don’t know the difference your donation makes for a
family but we see it every day. Thank you for supporting children and families.
We experience each day the gratitude for your care in the life of a
family. We take it one day, one hour at a
time and work to make a difference in the community and fulfill our mission of
protecting and nurturing children and families.
Some days, we know that by giving a parent a little time to
themselves we may have prevented them from shaking a baby, it may have prevented
them from hurting a toddler, or it may have given them some hope. Next time you think “What a Day!” think of the
blessings you have that others may not.
One of mine is the blessing to be involved with such an outstanding
organization that is making our community a better place…one family at a
time.
Donna Ashley
Program Services Director
