Angela and her daughter, Maite, beautifully exemplify the mission of Good Counsel! Angela has been a resident of Good Counsel for about a year and a half. It is a bit longer than the average stay of most of the mothers we serve, but Angela came to us under dire circumstances at just 19-years-old with her newborn baby girl, Maite.

Angela moved from the West Coast to New York City, hoping to find a place to stay with the help of some friends.  When she arrived at the NY Port Authority, her “friends” stopped answering her calls and texts.  Two women who saw Angela and Maite approached and asked if she needed help.  Once Angela told them what happened, they invited her and her baby to stay with them in their apartment in the Bronx.  These two lovely women started to connect her with services in the area and found Good Counsel after an online search.  The intake team interviewed her and offered Angela and Maite a safe place to stay at the Staten Island home.

With the odds against her – not having graduated from high school, and caring for a newborn baby, Angela had a long road in front of her indeed.  But, her desire to make a better life for herself and her daughter spurred her to take advantage of everything Good Counsel has to offer.

The staff and volunteers have been thrilled with Angela's accomplishments since she’s been at Good Counsel.  Her case manager, Omyra, got to work with Angela to map out a plan for success.  A high school diploma was Angela’s priority, and she needed encouragement, support, and someone to watch her precious baby girl, Maite, while she did what she needed to do.

She enrolled at Curtis High School and has succeeded beyond anyone’s expectations!  Consistently bringing home amazing report cards, she has juggled school, a weekend job at a restaurant, and being a mom to Maite, with grace and tenacity.  Just recently she passed an important exam with a perfect 100% that will lead to her graduation!

Discovering the need at her high school for a place where new students could go for help and support, Angela founded the “New Comers Club.”  The goal of the club would be to welcome newcomers to the school no matter where they came from. Angela hoped to support newcomers with the difficult acclimation to a new school, community, country, and language.  Angela served as the club’s Treasurer and is now President of the club for this, her senior year.

Excelling academically, in May of 2018, Angela was recognized for her outstanding achievement in Earth Science!  Awards and certificates aside, Angela is admired by her peers and teachers.   Angela is an inspiration to her fellow residents at home and is always available to listen, support, and even offer counsel to the other moms. House Manager Victoria remarked that she hoped to see determination like Angela’s in her daughter one day.

While Angela was working on their future, Maite was growing and growing!  She was a very busy little girl and was walking in no time.  She enjoyed the loving care of the staff and volunteers while her mom was out conquering the world and she loved every second of it from picnics and fireworks, to playing with friends, and celebrating her first birthday complete with a fancy dress and cake!

The goal of Good Counsel’s mission – to get homeless, pregnant mothers back on their feet and prepare them for life beyond its doors – can be bittersweet when it’s time for women to move on.  Angela is on track to graduate high school this year, and there is no limit to what she will do after that.

Angela is the epitome of the Good Counsel mother – open, grateful, driven, faithful, and loving.  The life she is building for herself and her daughter is nothing short of amazing.  Please keep Angela and Maite in your prayers.  Stay tuned to the blog for updates on how they are doing!

The next time someone tells you “pro-lifers” aren’t “pro-woman” – tell them the story of Angela & Maite, a story of pro-love.

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