“Successful mothers are not the ones who have never struggled. They are the ones who never gave up despite the struggles.” ~ Sharon Jaynes
The mothers who come to Hope Supply Co. are survivors. They have weathered some of the harshest storms of life but have been able to stay afloat through their own tenacity and resourcefulness, and with the help of others.
When Maria, mother of three, found Hope Supply through a family member, she had hit a rough spot. “We were having trouble with bills and paying for everyday things,” she explains. “From the very first day, everybody was very kind and understanding.”
Like others who visit the Crystal Charity Ball Hope Diaper Pantry, Maria says that amid the struggles, she loves being a mom. “The thing I love most is experiencing my children’s ‘firsts’ — hearing their first words, watching their first steps, celebrating the first time they put on their shoes by themselves.”
As a mother of twins and one other child, Giovanna has faced more challenges than most, but when the twins were about 18 months, she discovered Hope Supply Co. “I think I found the program through a flyer someone gave me. I didn’t know if I was going to get approved, but I decided to try. And when I got approved, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe it,’ for me it was a miracle. For me it was like, ‘It’s too good to be true.’ I think God put angels in different parts of the world, and I think he put them here.”
In reflecting on motherhood, Giovanna shares, “It’s very difficult being a mom because every day you try to be better and better, and you go to sleep thinking ‘Maybe I did this mistake’ or ‘I’m doing this error’ or something like that. ‘I’m going to be better.’ But every day is a challenge. I try to be better every day for my kids, to be a better mom, better person, better everything.” She continues, “I want to be a good example so they can see, and they can learn to be better when they are growing up.” Giovanna loves to go to the park with her three children and to do art projects with them. “I fully enjoy being involved with school activities. I want my children to see I am always there.”
In addition to helping out with school events, Giovanna has become a regular volunteer at Hope Supply Co. She’s often there to assist other moms who come to the diaper pantry and is an especially friendly aide to Spanish-speaking clients.
Lucy, a mom of three, first came to Hope Supply a few years ago with her first child. “It’s helped a lot. I know that every time I make an appointment, I’m always asked, what can Hope Supply help you with?” She explains that she is able to buy more and healthier food for her family because she doesn’t have to pay for hygiene items or diapers. “Every time I come, you always provide something extra, like clothes or last time I got underwear for my daughter.”
Because of her experiences with Hope Supply Co., Lucy has this advice for other moms: “There is a village, but if you don’t reach out to it, nobody’s going to know. Don’t be embarrassed about it. At the end of the day, as long as your kids are good, you’re going to be fine. You don’t have to worry so much about, ‘Oh man, my kid doesn’t have a clean diaper. Oh man, my kid doesn’t have clean socks,’ or stuff like that.’”
Giovanna agrees, “It’s so hard when mothers think that they are alone, that they don’t have anything. But then you see that you are not alone. You can come to this organization and receive help. Then you find you don’t need to worry about how to buy diapers or clothes. When you have the support of this organization, you think, ‘I can make it.’”
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