The mission of the Gardens of St. Francis, a CHI Living Community located at 930 S. Wynn Road in Oregon, Ohio, is to “make the healing presence of God known in our world by improving the health of the people we serve, especially those who are vulnerable, while we advance social justice for all.”
This mission is reflected not only in all the daily efforts of the staff members as they serve and interact with Gardens residents and their loved ones, but also in the way the community partners with organizations beyond campus boundaries to provide assistance and support to others in need.
The community’s recent effort in support of Mom’s House Toledo—a 5-star childcare center that helps low-income, single moms achieve educational goals and self-sufficiency—exemplifies this commitment to mission.
According to Rosanne Kalinowski, Director of Activities for The Gardens of St. Francis, “We were looking for something positive to do as a community in honor of Baby Safety Month, so we chose to hold a drive to gather wish-list items for Mom’s House and hosted a fundraising lunch to offer monetary support for their vital efforts, which have a profound impact on two generations.”
Baby Safety Month is an annual monthlong event initiated by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association and held each September to educate parents and caregivers on the importance of the safe use and selection of baby products.
Mom’s House Toledo, located at 2505 Franklin Avenue, is dedicated to helping low-income single moms break the cycle of poverty and transcend at-risk behaviors, cycles of abuse, and chaos in their lives. To participate in the program, mothers are required to be enrolled in school—which could mean they’re pursuing a GED, twoyear associates degree, trade school, four-year college degree, or even an advanced college degree—and they must have a child between the ages of birth and five years.
“There are two main components to the work we do here,” explains Christina Rodriguez, Executive Director of Mom’s House Toledo. “One is family wellness, which is geared toward mothers. The core tenets are focused on financial independence, healthy relationships, healthy parenting, and mental health. If needed, we can refer participants to local counselors as well as legal services, to help with issues such as paternity, child-support, and custody. We also offer a somewhat less formal co-parenting program called Dads Matter for fathers who want to be involved in their kids’ lives.”
The other primary component is early childhood education. Rodriguez notes that kids born into poverty tend to lag behind their peers in terms of development, which can affect their behavior and social skills well into adulthood. Many of the children they serve have also been raised in unstable environments, and oftentimes they’ve been exposed to trauma as well. The programming at Mom’s House has a proven track record for helping kids overcome these deficits and excel despite them. “In fact, 96 percent of our kids are kindergarten-ready when
n In terms of baby safety, Mom’s House Toledo addresses several aspects, including car seat safety, safety in the home environment, and safe sleeping. They also strive to promote a sense of safety and trust in kids’ hearts so their internal rhythm is calm and tranquil rather than continually racing due to exposure to various stressors.
Rodriguez is grateful to The Gardens of St. Francis for helping to fulfill her organization’s rather extensive supply wish list. “When it comes to our need for items such as diapers, toilet paper, paper towels, and other supplies, we’re like a household on steroids. For example, we go through about a hundred diapers a day and 16 to 20 rolls of paper towels a week. We depend on the community to help us with that. By collecting those items for us, The Gardens of St. Francis is saving us a considerable amount of money that we can apply directly to our programming. We love that they chose to help us and are investing in our kids at an early age when that investment will have the greatest possible impact on their lives,” she says.
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