|
|
Casa de Esperanza de los Niños—the House of Hope for Children—is a safe place for children in crisis due to abuse, neglect or HIV/AIDS. Casa de Esperanza provides residential, medical and psychological care to meet the individual needs of each child and offers counseling to the family. |
|
|
      
Casa de Esperanza |
|
Fall/Winter 2004 Newsletter
Casa Loses a Mainstay as When Kathy Foster and Bill Jones started Casa it was only possible because Mary McDonnell agreed to come and take care of the children so Kathy and Bill could continue working their regular jobs to pay for the Casa program. Mary, a nurse, had had to give up her hospital practice because of an injury that left her with a disability. That was the hospital’s loss. Her accomplishments at Casa are legendary. Mary brought stability and knowledge and over the years educated the Casa staff on children’s health problems. Mary worked closely with the mothers who had left their children in Casa’s care. She was known for being straightforward, and that is perhaps why the mothers trusted her. She was always supportive, but clear, and when necessary could assume a tone that made any mother take heed. “Keep your cool and try to be flexible.” These were words of wisdom from Mary. Mary also stressed the need for a sense of humor and attributed hers to her 100 per cent Irish heritage. Probably the only ones at Casa who will not miss Mary are the smaller children who only associated her with those mean shots!
|
