Love comes in small sizes: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish opens baby supply closet
Kathy Beech and coordinator Emma Bouillion sort baby items as volunteers organize a new baby closet at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton that will act as a supply depot for Catholic Charities Gabriel Project, which provides baby items and other help for women in crisis pregnancies. (NTC/Rodger Mallison)
KELLER — Oh baby, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish is ready to help.
On February 7, volunteers from the Keller parish and young adult ministry stocked and organized a supply closet for Gabriel Project mothers who live in the northeast quadrant of Tarrant County. Shelves are filled with diapers, clothing, bottles, blankets, and more.
According to Patricia Gonzalez, parish director of outreach, parishioners at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish have been generous with donations, including gift cards to help purchase storage bins and shelving units.
The supply closet, in addition to serving Gabriel Project mothers, will also be a resource for the “steady stream of mothers” who arrive at the parish in need, said Gonzalez.
For example, the day after the closet opened, a single mother of three, who was eight-months pregnant with a fourth child, stopped at the parish seeking help with a utility bill. She cried at the kindness of the volunteers who were also able to provide a case of diapers and refer her to Gabriel Project.
In the future, Gonzalez aspires to be able to provide a care bag to “nurture Mom through the process, to make her feel valued and taken care of,” with self-care items like nice toiletries or candles.
Ultimately, Gonzalez hopes that having the supply closet on site will help build up awareness of the Gabriel Project at the parish and expand the reach of the program.
Previously, material items for mothers in crisis pregnancies were kept in a storage unit. Having the supply depot at the parish increases convenience and provides a neutral place for a Gabriel Angel to meet with a mother in need.
Gonzalez explained that the Gabriel Project is “more than just baby items. We want to foster a relationship between the mother and her Angel.”
Gabriel Project, which is coordinated by Catholic Charities Fort Worth, provides material, spiritual, and emotional help to women in crisis pregnancies. A Gabriel Angel volunteer supports the woman’s choice of bringing life into the world through prayer, friendship, and encouragement.
Pregnant women needing immediate assistance in their crisis pregnancy can call the Gabriel Project hotline at 1.800.545.5935 or email .