From Struggle to Leadership: How Our Executive Director’s Journey Inspires Hope for Homeless Mothers
Just as it is today for many young mothers, Mother’s Refuge was a big part of Executive Director Angel McDonald’s plan to build a better life for herself and her children 23 years ago.
“Before I had my kids, there were times where I really didn't have a stable place to live. And when I had my kids, I was like, okay, this is where the rubber meets the road, I’ve got to do something. I decided to go back to college, and I found this job posting in the paper.”
The single mom of two took the 10-hour a week, $7-an-hour entry-level position at the same time she started back to college and rented a new place to live, trusting with hard work she’d make it through.
Her personal experience mirrored many of the challenges teen mothers face and helps McDonald better serve the young women she sees. One recent example: a backpack drive that included a generic assortment of supplies for each student. Angel found out before distribution and went back to each mother to make sure every child got what was left on their list.
“When you’re a young mom, $25 in school supplies is a bill,” said Angel.
Angel’s ability to empathize with young mothers also comes full circle.
“It was just about five years ago when I realized – I’m their baby!”
Born to a teenage mother and reluctant father, Angel’s childhood had a lot of chaos.
“Some of them say, I bet you’ve never had anything bad happen to you, and I’d say ‘well, my mom’s in prison.’”
When she was 13, her mother was incarcerated for first-degree homicide. 36 years later she was released with a full pardon, and a story to tell. That story is now a book called “When the Light Finds Us.”
Just before flying to New York for the book’s release, Angel decided to read her mother’s work. She sat down with a notepad, ready to write down everything she disagreed with. Instead, she found herself moved to tears, and with new understanding.
“I was thinking about everything as the 13-year-old who experienced it. And my mom was a 31-year-old who lived it. It made her choices make sense. It made my choices make sense.”
She and her mom have always maintained a great relationship. At 76, her mother is making up for lost time and focused on building a better life for herself, one step at a time—with resilience, hard work and dedication.
It’s a lesson Angel hopes the young women who come through Mother’s Refuge take to heart.
“We all go through something,” Angel said, “When we’re in the middle of it, we don’t understand the importance of our decisions. But when we get down the road, we realize what a difference those decisions make.”
Angel has got to see the cycle run through many times. She’s seen mother’s come in, chafing against the things that young people often don’t realize are important, like going to school. She’s got to see those same mothers come thank her 15 or 20 years down the line, and says it’s the best part of her job.
“Life is always a struggle no matter where you are or who you are, how far you've gone. But to see that they have the confidence that, ‘hey, I I did it, I can do it, I can face whatever comes tomorrow’ and to just be a little part of their story is such a blessing!
