Our Lady of the Angels Maternity Shelter resident Amanda is admiring her six-day-old old son Jackson, whom will be among the first babies to use the new cribs.
Christmas came early this holiday season for United Way of Central Texas agency, Our Lady of the Angels Maternity Shelter. Harvest Technologies and Wilsonart International Inc. donated four new cribs to the in need agency.
Last month Our Lady of the Angels Maternity Shelter in Temple was informed by licensing that the shelter had until the end of December find cribs newer than September 2010, in order for the agency to follow regulations.
Our Lady of the Angels Maternity Shelter provides shelter for homeless pregnant women and their children with a stable family environment to support the mother and child.
“I did not know what we were going to do,” JaLeta Tidmore Our Lady of the Angels Maternity Shelter Administrator said. “We just do not have the money right now to buy the cribs, so we were asking for donated used ones. I never could have imagined that we would receive brand new cribs.”
Harvest Technologies and Wilsonart International were able to bring hope and cheer to the Our Lady of the Angels Maternity Shelter by providing it with four brand new cribs and mattresses.
“Once Harvest was informed of the need of Our Lady of the Angels, we presented it to the employees,” Director of Engineering and operations Greg Reynolds said. “God moved in their heart and within an hour we had collected a substantial amount to put towards the cribs.”
Harvest Technology decided to match its employee’s donation.
“The employees took the initiative,” David Leigh Harvest Technologies CEO said. “We want to support the charitable efforts of our employees.”
Project Manager Stephanie Covington said Harvest Technologies is thankful to work in an environment where community needs are communicated to them and they are given opportunities to give.
“God has truly blessed Harvest this year and we are glad to give back to our community,” Covington said. “We were very pleased that Harvest would match our giving to completely take care of the need. As most of us are parents, the need for cribs at Our Lady of the Angels definitely touched our hearts. We hope that the cribs provided will help the agency minister to those in need.”
Wilsonart International also generously donated two cribs to Our Lady of the Angels Maternity Shelter.
A source from Wilsonart International said, “When the United Way sent out the request on the need for cribs at Our Lady of the Angels we did what we always do, the right thing for the right reason.”
“This is a Christmas miracle,” Tidmore said. “God could not have sent a blessing to these Moms and babies at a more suitable time.”
Ann Thompson United Way of Central Texas Executive Director said it is a wonderful to see the community working together.
“That’s the entire reason why we exist,” she said. “To live united, helping one another.”
For more information about United Way of Central Texas 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.
