Virtual Advent Tree
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We will help the following charities this year. Thank you so much for your donations!
ROSE HAVEN was founded in 1998 by Sister Cathie Boerboom, RGS in response to a survey of women in downtown Portland. Since then, Rose Haven has worked with women and children in crisis, giving them the tools to turn their lives around, and serving upwards of 3500 women last year alone. St. Mary’s has long supported Rose Haven, which is just up the street from the cathedral.
KENTON WOMEN’S VILLAGE, founded in 2016, is a partnership of Catholic Charities, the City of Portland, and other local groups. Each woman in the village has one of 20 sleeping pods for the duration of her stay. The village provides a community garden, a kitchen, counseling, and water/trash service. By the time a woman leave the village, she has a personalized plan to transition to permanent housing along with access to legal services.
NORTHWEST CATHOLIC COUNSELING CENTER supports the community by providing professional mental health services, regardless of faith or finances. St. Mary’s parishioners have supported the center for many years, making it possible for people to transition from trauma and distress to healthier lives.
PORTLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS TEEN PARENT PROGRAM supports young parents through pregnancy and into parenting. Both young women and young men receive services to keep them in school, and to support them in their lives as parents. Counseling, parenting classes, onsite childcare in the schools, and career related learning support are all part of the drive to keep young parents on track towards fulfilling lives as contributing members of the community. Msgr. Pat’s sister, Maureen Brennan, is a social worker in this program.
