Local angels share their love

The door of the shelter welcomes all who enter.

            Our Lady of the Angels Maternity Shelter is a supported United Way of Central Texas agency. Their mission is to provide shelter for women in crisis pregnancy and postpartum by offering a loving and stable environment to support the mother and child in their efforts to create a hopeful future for themselves.

 The housing is located at 613 S. 9^th Street in Temple and is run by loving and supporting people who are working to better the lives of women in crisis. They open a friendly door for people who would otherwise have nowhere else to go.The shelter is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and is licensed by the State of Texas, to house up to 12 pregnant and/or newly delivered women or teens, including their children.

Residents can seek spiritual growth in the chapel room.

            The shelter is run by Staff Administrator JaLeta Tidmore, Social Service Assistant Stacey Mason and Administrative Assistant Lafon Eary. Guests at the shelter are cared for by two housing parents, nuns with the Sister of the Sacred Sciences, Sister Sini Paul and Sister Lincy Joseph.

The maternity ward is a safe haven

            Our Lady of the Angels Maternity Shelter provides services to help their guests grow in spiritual awareness, parenting and self-esteem. Safe emergency shelter, food, clothing, personal items are also provided on immediate arrival. The women and children in need are given referrals for spiritual growth, medical attention, legal help, law enforcement concerns, and other social service agencies within the area, to fulfill the individual’s personal needs.

Sister Lincy Jospeh ensures all the residents needs are met.

            The agency has a variety of life enriching programs to help educate the women staying with them about pregnancy, labor and delivery, child care, nutrition, parenting skills, relationships, decision making, budgeting of time and money, and recreational opportunities. The programs are set up to help brighten the future of the mother and her child with hope, by starting with these foundational building blocks for a healthy lifestyle. Documented success by the shelter shows that 95 percent of women who have stayed at the shelter, are now living independently or have reconciled with their families.

The dining room where hot meals are served.

The United Way of Central Texas helps to ensure that the Our Lady of the Angels Maternity Shelter has the funding that they need to stay in operation. For more information on UWCT agencies or to make an online donation, visit www.uwct.org . If you would like to give a cash or check gift, send to P.O. Box 1312, Temple, TX, 76503. You may also text “UWCT” to 85944 to make a one time $5 donation.