Your Catholic Neighbor: Susie Stelzer

By Joyce Coronel, The Catholic Sun
May 3, 2007

Perched on a barstool at her kitchen counter and clicking away on a laptop computer, Susie Stelzer commands an impressive operation on behalf of some of the Valley’s most vulnerable residents. The St. Patrick parishioner and mother of three was inspired by a newspaper article several years ago that lauded the work of Maggie’s Place, a community for homeless pregnant women.

The women who dreamed up the ministry seemed to “embody the spirit of volunteerism,” according to Stelzer, and she approached her Paradise Valley Junior Women’s Club with an idea: why not dedicate one of their service projects to helping Maggie’s Place?

Stelzer offered the use of her home for what has become an annual, much anticipated “baby shower” benefiting the three local homes. The event is always held on the first Thursday after Mother’s Day and this year will take place May 17.

The first year Stelzer held the fundraiser, about 65 women, mostly neighbors and club members, attended the indoor shower and shared a small cake. Now in its seventh year, the evening has mushroomed to an outdoor gala affair, attracting more than 300 participants. The 2006 baby shower raised $60,000 for Maggie’s Place. Not bad for a stay-at-home mom who pulls off this extraordinary success from her kitchen and laundry room — in between stints volunteering at her sons’ schools and teaching religious education.

“The first year we did the shower we handed out fliers at the school and to neighbors,” she said. Last year they had elaborate invitations printed; a graphic artist donated her services and a local company picked up the printing tab. Stelzer stresses that almost everything, including the food and the prizes for the evening, is donated by local businesses.

The baby shower draws so many people that she has her sons, ages 13, 14 and 19, drive golf carts to ferry the guests from their cars, parked relatively far away, up to the house. The garage is converted into a kitchen where dinner is dished up by volunteers. Southwest Airlines donated one of the many prizes: two tickets to anywhere the carrier flies. A glass-bottomed kayak is being raffled off as well. “This is not a boring fundraiser!” she jokingly observes.

Stelzer’s amazing success at fundraising for Maggie’s Place is the culmination of year-long efforts on behalf of the ministry. She currently logs about 40 hours per week as one of five co-chairs of the organizing committee, but the event hinges on the talents and hard work of dozens of others, including members of her sons’ Boy Scout troop.

What do you most enjoy about your work?

The babies, my own and their babies, too. It brings back so many memories of my boys. It’s all about the babies. I can’t change the pain the mothers have been through to this point, but I can change what’s going to happen to the baby.

How does your faith affect your work?

I didn’t pick it — God chose me for this ministry. I had that one baby shower, but I couldn’t put it away. He knocks on the door and says, “It’s not enough.”

What’s the best thing about being Catholic?

Anywhere I go in the world I have a bond with the people who live there. Wherever I travel I always meet people and have a bond with them through our Catholic faith.

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