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Carey's Corner
An update from the Executive Director especially for you
"Not all of us can do great things. But we can all do small things with great love." - St. Teresa of Calcutta
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Dear Malta House Friend,
I hope you have been enjoying these first few weeks of summer.
At Malta House, we have been "humming along" and settling in since moving to our new home last November.
--We have celebrated new life, birthdays, graduations, baby showers, new jobs, and new apartments.
--We had a beautiful memorial for one of our former mothers, who sadly passed away in December.
--We celebrated the baptism of one of our newest little ones, baby Bodhi.
--A generous family built us a raised bed vegetable garden after a year of planning.
--A local business sponsored a volunteer day for their employees and spent the day planting annuals throughout our property.
--We circled a mom in our collective arms after she sadly experienced a miscarriage.
--Several babies took their first breath, some took their first steps, and others made their first friends...all surrounded by enough love to make your heart burst.
All the "stuff of life" happens in our home, and we are here for it all...all because you care.
What greater gift is there than that?
Wishing you a safe, relaxing, and happy summer, celebrating all that the season has to offer, and all the gifts and celebrations taking place in your special home.
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Carey Dougherty
Executive Director
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Because of donors like you, Rachel and Alicia will always have a home and family at Malta House.
Rachel discovered she was pregnant in January 2020. At the time, she had very little support, was alienated by her family because of the unhealthy and unsafe life she was leading, and faced losing her partner, who would soon be incarcerated for a long time.
It was at that time that Rachel decided her life needed to change.
She grew more connected to the child growing inside her and decided her daughter deserved a brighter future, one better than she was leading for herself. Rachel made the brave decision to call Malta House, where she was welcomed with open arms.
She also entered an intensive outpatient program, spending the first six months of her time with us focused on her recovery. She was thankful she was in a safe and stable environment, with a team supportive of her sobriety, and on September 1, 2020, Rachel gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, "Alicia."
After maternity, Rachel found a job at a local market and worked as a floor assistant. She maintained work during her stay, earned her driver’s license, and saved enough money to purchase her first car. Rachel was proud to see her life coming back together as the relationship with her family began to heal, and she relished witnessing her daughter’s joy, day in and day out, in our loving home.
About two and a half years after joining our program, Rachel recently signed a lease and received the keys to her first apartment! She and Alicia are living independently in Bridgeport but commute daily to Malta House so that Alicia may continue childcare in the nursery she has known since birth before Mom heads off to her job in Wilton.
The other day, I sat down with Rachel after she came to pick her daughter up from our nursery. She said, "I can't even begin to thank Malta House for all you did for me. I would not be here without you...you never gave up on me when so many others did. I will forever be grateful for the love, support, and hope you gave us."
Because of donors like you, Rachel knows that she and Alicia will always have a family and a home at Malta House.
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We are Grateful for Our Community Support |
Thank you for taking care of our moms and babies!
Malta House would like to thank the funders who have been so generous recently. These funders positively impact mothers and babies throughout Connecticut and beyond, and we are so grateful for your support!
A big heartfelt thank you goes out to:
- Young Women's League of New Canaan
- New Canaan Community Foundation
- First County Bank (pictured)
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You're Invited: Tour the House that Love Built |
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Come and see how your support is directly impacting our women and their babies.
Each month, we open our doors and welcome guests to our new home!
Please join us to tour our 15,000 sq. ft. building and learn about our programs and services helping mothers and babies.
Kindly RSVP to one of the following tours using the link below, and we look forward to seeing you soon!
Next tour dates:
Thursday, July 21 from 5:30 - 7 pm
Friday, August 5 from 1 - 2:30 pm
Thursday, August 18 from 5:30 - 7 pm
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Because of you, we happily celebrate some of our moms' and babies’ milestones.
Birthdays
Jordan
Brianna
Crystal
Births
Welcome, baby boy Bodhi!!!
Born on April 21 at 8:53 am, weighing 7lbs. 11oz.
We thank God for this beautiful blessing of new life!
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Baptisms
In June, Father Jeff Couture baptized baby boy Bodhi.
Baby Bodhi is featured here with his baptismal godparents, our own Spirituality Director and Chaplain, Pamela Shilling, and Board of Directors member and Treasurer, Dan Krenicki, Jr. — a beautiful blessing.
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Prom Night
This past May, a Malta House mom enjoyed a once-in-a-life experience as she attended her senior prom. She was so excited and thankful to SALON dada, who gifted her with a complete makeover! What a fantastic night! (And we just love the little photo-bomber in this picture, the "Mayor of Malta House," little Justin!) :)
Our wonderful mom graduated from high school with honors this past June, and recently moved to her own home. Stay tuned for more news about her in the Resident Spotlight of our next newsletter!
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Because you care, we are “Growing for Good!”
Middle School students from Our Lady of Fatima planted vegetable seeds (tomatoes and cucumbers) as part of the " Growing for Good at Malta House " project.
They used a Garden Journal to monitor the germination and growth of the seeds in the Science Lab. The students then transplanted the seedlings to the Malta House garden, which a dedicated group of volunteers set up after almost a year of planning. We couldn't be more grateful to the Rooney Family: Kathy, Brian and Brendan, for all their work to make our raised bed vegetable garden come to life!
Volunteers and residents of Malta House will care for the garden, providing fresh veggies for our moms and babies!
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Let’s welcome our newest staff members!
Malta House would like to welcome several new staff members.
Kimberly Huchko, who joined the Malta House team in June 2022 as the Nursery Supervisor. She has over 20 years of experience in Early Childhood Education.
Laurie Stiles, who joins the Malta House team after volunteering with the Malta House Outreach program for the past 18 months. Her previous engagement in local non-profits has given her a broad skill set that enables her to work in concert with the many facets of the Malta House organization.
Jude Ogbogu, who joins the Malta House team as our new Case Manager. Jude started his career in residential group homes as a counselor and worked his way up to mental health case manager.
Kathleen Nash, who joins our Malta House team from Fairfield University and will be working closely with our residents as the Mental Health Specialist. She will be providing therapeutic counseling support for our families.
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Please visit our Malta House staff page HERE to read more about our new staff members.
WE ARE HIRING!
We are looking for a few good Malta House Team Members!
Our home has expanded, and so is our team!
We have vacancies in several key program positions, including Development Director, Residential Advisor Overnight, and Residential Advisory Evening and Weekends.
Please let us know if you or someone you know may be interested in joining our growing and dynamic team!
And please share these positions within your networks and help us spread the word!
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We are pleased to welcome back our wonderful volunteers!
If you are interested in lending your skills and sharing your heart with our moms and babies, don't hesitate to contact Susan Zelman at szelman@maltahouse.org
There are many ways to serve!
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...with the Malta House “Hope for Life” Raffle
These are not your ordinary raffle tickets; they are “Hope for Life” raffle tickets where the proceeds will benefit both the moms and babies at Malta House. And you can win one of three drawings of cash prizes of $5,000, $3,000, or $2,000!
Through purchasing raffle tickets, your generosity will provide a nurturing home environment, support services, and independent living skills to mothers of all faiths and their babies, who have nowhere else to turn.
Three lucky winners will win cash prizes of $5,000, $3,000, and $2,000 courtesy of our supportive sponsors, including First County Bank, Edward J. Laux, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Smith, Inc., Bankwell, Darien Rowayton Bank, and the M & T Bank.
Malta House is extremely grateful for the kindness of Sharon Feighery and Joanne Salvatore, who organized this raffle for our benefit.
The raffle drawing will be held on October 7 at 9 pm at Malta House at 139 West Rocks Road, Norwalk, CT 06851.
If you want to purchase tickets to the raffle, please call Joanne at (203) 322-7664 or Sharon (203) 329-9763.
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Thanks for supporting our gala dinner!
Gala Dinner
This year’s Malta House Gala event occurred on Friday, May 6th at Woodway Country Club in Darien, CT.
We were extremely blessed to have almost 200 guests in attendance.
Between sponsors, table and ticket sales, and donations, the event grossed over $230,000 that will directly support the moms and babies living at Malta House.
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Thank YOU for your help in providing Hope for Life as our Malta House family continues to grow.
– the Board of Malta House
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Our Mission: Malta House promotes the dignity of God-given life by providing a nurturing home environment, support services, and independent living skills to pregnant and parenting mothers of all faiths and their children.
Providing 'Hope for Life' for pregnant and parenting mothers and their children
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Don't forget to follow us on social media! |
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