“Esther’s” Story

“Esther” first came to the center four years ago. It was a cold March afternoon when we answered the phone and there was a nervous, almost desperate young woman on the other end of the line. She was calling from her car in our parking lot, and she briefly explained her circumstances and asked if we could see her today. Once in the counseling room, she began to share the entirety of her situation.  Now 21 weeks pregnant, she was struggling to find housing, she’d spent much of her early weeks of pregnancy living in her car and using the services of the Grassroots Day Center.  The father of her baby was struggling with addiction, and their relationship was on the rocks.  The only consistent thing that she had in her life at the time was her dog.  She couldn’t give him up because he was the one thing in her life bringing her comfort and love. But he was also making it hard for her to find a place to live on her own. She had temporary housing with a relative, but the living conditions were very emotionally challenging.

 We spent two hours in the counseling room that day.  She was not abortion vulnerable because she wanted to keep her child, but nonetheless her challenges were very real, and they were many. She was gainfully employed but wasn’t earning enough to fully support herself and a child. So, we encouraged her to meet with our Licensed Therapist and to take advantage of the five free sessions she offers. We also encouraged her to join our Mom-to-Mom group and participate in our EWYL program. She eagerly did it all. She was determined to find a way to reach motherhood fully prepared, and she was willing to take advantage of every service and referral that we offered her. She made strong connections in our Mom-to-Mom group. She reached out to all the local services we referred her to, and she watched nearly all of our educational videos. So, by the time the baby was born she was fully prepared and had earned all the supplies she needed from our boutique, and was able to manage her current living situation much better emotionally.  I still remember the day Esther brought her newborn in to meet all of us.  She told us that giving birth to her baby girl and becoming a mom was the greatest achievement of her life. She was so proud of herself, and we were proud of her, too.

 Fast forward now to this past fall. We were stuffing a mountain of envelopes for our Giving Tuesday campaign when suddenly we saw Esther’s name on an envelope, and were shocked. How had her name ended up on the list of donors? So, we immediately checked the computer, and were amazed to learn that she had become a financial donor to the center, and our hearts were overwhelmed. She had certainly come a long way from being that lonely woman in the car on the edge of homelessness. She was always an encourager to the other moms. She always brought in donations and material goods when her daughter outgrew them so other moms and children could be blessed by them too. But this was a step further. She had become a financial supporter of the center.

 Her little girl is now 3 1/2 years old and thriving in a great daycare. Esther is still working at the same place, she is living on her own now, and she is going to school for nursing at HCC. This is what transformation looks like. In just 19 weeks with us, she fully transformed from a timid caterpillar unsure of what the future held for her on the other side of pregnancy, into a strong, independent, and beautiful momma butterfly, soaring with her daughter right beside her. We’re not surprised at all that she chose the profession of helping others because that’s how generous and compassionate Esther is. She’s one of the most giving, brave, and courageous and giving women we know.