Huddled together, an 8-year-old girl sits with her mom and 6-year-old brother at the breakfast table. It’s a Tuesday morning in May. Plates filled with pancakes and boiled eggs lay in front of each one. Mom pours the kids each a cup of orange juice. The boy sets his Star Wars backpack on the floor next to the table, while his sister puts down her purple backpack covered with white dots. Both packs overflow with notebooks and pencils.
Mom urges them to hurry up. The bus is about to come. Her voice is starting to rise as the kids continue to dawdle a little too long. Finally they finish their last bites and head out the door, heavy backpacks in tow.
Sounds like a scene replayed in the suburbs on any school morning in America, right?
Only this story represents what happens at the Mission’s Naomi Family Residence every morning throughout the school year. Just like the moms in your neighborhood, the moms at Naomi ensure their children have everything they need to be happy and successful.
Naomi welcomes moms and single women of all ages. But it’s the kids who put the “family” in Naomi Family Residence. Every day, you’ll see the older ones rushing off to school in the morning, while the younger ones spend time with mom until the Mission’s Child Development Center opens for the day.
At the CDC, the kids learn vital basic academic skills that will prepare them to succeed in school. Meanwhile, their moms take part in spiritual and character formation classes and attend the LifeNet program to work on their education and job skills.
Both moms and kids benefit from the safe, nurturing environment NFR provides. But the kids are the highlight of our days. Their chubby-armed leg hugs and wide smiles give joy to everyone around them.
Here’s what two of our kids had to say about life at Naomi:
“Naomi Family Residence feels safe because there’s a lot of nice people here. The staff are very nice. The lunch ladies cook really nice food and I have nice friends here that are like really nice to me.”
–One student, age 10
“Being here makes me feel safe and good about myself. Naomi Residence feels like a home to me because we’ve got a safe place to sleep and hot meals. We get to chat with friends.”
–One student, age 10
Please pray for the students at the Naomi Family Residence, that they might find hope and healing from the difficulties they might have faced.