Local News

Aug. 17, 2006

Volunteers prepare home for ‘Michael’ to join big sisters

By Ambria Hammel
The Catholic Sun

GLENDALE — A group of faithful volunteers spend each Saturday renovating a 3,800-square-foot house. Their purpose: to give expectant mothers they don’t even know a home in which to prepare for their baby’s arrival.

The volunteer-based project — dubbed Michael House — is the third in the Maggie’s Place family since 2000. Maggie’s Place operates houses of hospitality across the Valley including the Magdalene House in Phoenix and the Elizabeth House in Tempe.

Michael House is expected to join its big sisters in October, marking the first facility named after a boy. The house’s namesake honors the sons of two project donors who each died in childhood.

The organization still needs volunteers as it prepares for its West Valley arrival.

“You don’t have to have particular skills,” said Bart Schoeneman, who regularly volunteers at the house. The St. Thomas the Apostle parishioner feels it’s important to donate his time.

“We are social beings and if we don’t help each other, there wouldn’t be anything,” he said.

It’s through the help of donations that the Michael House project was conceived. Around the same time that a friend in the community was looking to sell a house in Glendale, Bob and Denise Messer, parishioners at St. Clare of Assisi in Surprise, offered financial support.

“God just let all of the pieces fall into place to let us have a property in that area,” said Mary Peterson, executive director of Maggie’s Place. On any given Saturday, up to 15 professional and community volunteers canvas the property to work on the house.

Dan Morison, a parishioner at St. Thomas the Apostle, spent six hours almost every weekend from February through May working on demolition and some plumbing tasks. A majority of the house was gutted and is now being remodeled to accommodate seven pregnant women plus four staff members.

James Diaz, a parishioner at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Tempe, donated his time and services as a professional electrician to install wiring, outlets and recessed lighting. Installing insulation, hanging drywall and painting are next.

Other volunteers are working off site to furnish and stock the house with goods and supplies. The Just Faith group at St. Paul Parish sponsored one of the bedrooms and the Neighborhood Sunday Rosary group sponsored the kitchen. They will make it “warm and welcoming” for both mom and baby.

“Right now they’re in their own communities gathering things because remember, [the items] don’t need to be something new,” Peggy Adams said. Adams will serve as the director general for the Michael House whose live-in staff uses Catholic social teaching to promote the dignity of the mother and child.

“We’re blessed to have the presence of the Eucharist on site,” Peterson said. Its adoration chapel will be next to the entrance hall. She identified the Maggie’s Place communities as being rooted in prayer and called their evangelization efforts “gentle.”

Michael House staff has already partnered with the faith and business communities and is looking to build additional relationships with churches, moms groups, volunteer organizations and civic clubs.

“Even people of simple means can make a big difference,” Denise Messer said.

Once the house is completed, the entire staff and volunteers will be invited to attend a grand opening celebration, a pre-emptive jubilee honoring the women who will choose to begin life with their child in a dignified atmosphere.

Ambria Hammel/CATHOLIC SUN
Bart Schoeneman holds a recessed lighting fixture steady so James Diaz can prepare it for installation at Michael House, the newest Maggie’s Place facility ministering to expectant mothers who are alone.

Help Michael House

Current needs:

-- Cleaning supplies;

-- Gift cards to home improvement stores;

-- Roofing materials;

-- Shower faucets;

-- Ceiling fans;

-- Twin (single) bed frames;

-- Dressers;

-- Lunch for the volunteers;

-- A storage system to efficiently track donations.

For information or to be placed on the weekly e-mail list, call (602) 327-4282.