Christmas is a time of preparation and hope. For many faithful, giving is a great way to open our hearts to prepare for the joy of Christ’s birth. Hence, Marisol Health Clinic in Denver, along with a parishioner at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Littleton, have facilitated monthly baby drives for mothers who are struggling financially and emotionally, but still chose life.
In 2020, Silke Mathias, parishioner and volunteer at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, was inspired and decided to take action after she saw one of her friends on social media helping pregnant mothers in need.
“She was helping mothers in an unplanned pregnancy who had struggled with the option of abortion but chose life instead through a baby registry,” said Mathias. “God spoke to me and I thought ‘I can do that, too!’”
She immediately began looking for options and was led to Marisol Health Clinic by Catholic Charities. Together, they came up with a wonderful and easy way to sponsor these mothers. Every month, Mathias receives a list of items of a mother in need, anonymously chosen by Marisol Health, then she creates an Amazon wish list and shares it with her parish community.
“I was nervous to see if the monthly charity would lose appeal, but after over a year now we are still able to support these mom’s and their sweet babies!” she said.
One click is all it takes for someone to help these mothers in any way they can. Parishioners can choose to put money towards the wish list or purchase an item outright, and all funded items are delivered to Marisol Health. At the end of the month, Marisol Health throws a baby shower for the mom and gifts her the items.
“We unwrap the gifts and prepare a ‘baby shower’ for the recipient of these gifts. It is very important to our mission to celebrate the mother, baby, and entire family!” said Sara Lugo, Program Director at Catholic Charities and Marisol Health.
The Amazon wish list is prepared by the Marisol Health team and the mothers themselves, based on their actual needs. The list includes essential baby items such as car seats, strollers, bottles and more.
“If God is pulling at your heart strings to help a struggling family monthly, or a coat drive, or a diaper drive, etc., you can do the same thing with an anonymous registry,” Mathias said. “Chances are your charity of choosing will be happy to get started… monthly, twice a year, annually, [or] whichever you can commit to. Just picture a world where each church picks a cause to support. I’d love to behold that little piece of heaven.”
For Marisol Health, being able to make an impact on these women and their families is also an opportunity to encourage more pregnant women to choose life and stand for their family. Along with the community, various parishes such as Our Lady of Loreto, Sacred Heart of Mary, Nativity of Our Lord, Christ the King and many others have supported this mission by providing baby items or Marisol Health throughout the year.
“We are extremely grateful for the continued support of Silke Mathias, Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Littleton, and all our parish partners,” Lugo concluded. “We would not be able to support our moms in such a special way without you!”
If you are interested in being a part of this program, including parishes who may be interested in sponsoring moms in need by joining this mission, contact Jennifer (Greene) Hinnen at JGreene@marisolservices.com
