Today we’d like to introduce you to Angel.
Hi Angel, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I often say that Mother’s Refuge has been part of my life far longer than I ever expected. Over 23 years ago, I was a single mom of two, trying to build a stable life for my children. Before they were born, I didn’t always have a consistent place to live, and when I held my babies for the first time, I knew something had to change. I decided to go back to college, found a little job posting in the newspaper, and took a 10-hour-a-week, $7-an-hour role at Mother’s Refuge. It wasn’t glamorous, and I was juggling school, parenting, and building a new home for us, but I trusted that with hard work, we would make it.
What I didn’t expect was how deeply my personal experience would shape the way I served the young moms who came through our doors. I knew what it felt like to stretch every dollar, to worry about school supplies or rent, and to make decisions that felt overwhelming. Over the years, I grew through different positions at the organization, and eventually became Executive Director. In a way, I also grew up here.
My story even comes full circle. I’m the daughter of a teenage mom myself. Some of the moms at our shelter say, “I bet you’ve never had anything bad happen to you”, and I’d say “well, my mom’s in prison.” My mom was incarcerated for first-degree homicide when I was 13. She was recently released after 36 years with a pardon and a story to tell which my mom shares in her new book, When the Light Finds Us. Just before flying to New York for the book’s release this year, I decided to read my mother’s work. I sat down with a notepad, ready to write down everything I disagreed with. Instead, I was constantly moved to tears, and with new understanding. I was thinking about everything as the 13-year-old I was, and of my mom, then 31, who lived it. It made her choices make sense. It made my choices make sense.
Today we have a beautiful relationship, and I think that experience continues to shape how I lead and how I love the moms we serve. Mother’s Refuge has watched me grow as much as I’ve watched it grow. It has been one of the greatest blessings of my life to help young mothers find stability and confidence, just as I once needed myself.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. I started my journey already carrying a lot—raising two kids alone, going back to college, trying to build stability when I didn’t grow up seeing it. Financially, every decision mattered. I know what it’s like when $25 in school supplies feels like another bill you can’t afford. I know what it’s like to worry about housing, childcare, and simply making it to the next day. We are currently in the hustle of the holidays and our moms and babies are being sponsored for Christmas presents so their kids can experience the simple joy of being celebrated and cared for …. I know what it is like to want to buy your kids a present they really want, but you can’t because you are already behind on bills.
On a deeper level, I have spent years working through the pain of my past. When your mother goes to prison when you’re 13, it shapes you in ways you don’t always understand until much later. For a long time, I thought I had to hold everything together on my own. It wasn’t until years later—reading her story, seeing her humanity—that I realized healing is an ongoing process, and that our experiences don’t have to define our future.
Leadership hasn’t been without challenges either. When you’re serving young moms in crisis, you carry their stories, their struggles, and sometimes their heartbreaks. But you also get to witness their victories. And that’s what keeps me going.
My journey has had many twists, but every challenge has made me stronger and more compassionate. It’s the same message I try to give the moms we serve: you may not see the importance of the decisions you’re making right now, but one day you’ll look back and realize how far they’ve taken you.
As you know, we’re big fans of Mother’s Refuge. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
At just 15, Emma was trapped in an unsafe situation with no parental support. In a terrifying moment, as the father of her baby was choking her, her phone auto-answered a call from Mother’s Refuge. He let go—and that call, telling her she’d been accepted into our program, gave Emma the chance to escape. She knows it saved her life.
Today, Emma is safe at Mother’s Refuge maternity home. She’s back in high school, has health insurance, and is a devoted mom to her sweet baby. She has the stability and support every young mom deserves.
The mission of Mother’s Refuge is to shelter and educate homeless, pregnant, and parenting young women by providing comprehensive services that empower them to make successful life decisions for themselves and their babies. Since 1987, Mother’s Refuge has provided safety, stability, and hope to pregnant and parenting young mothers like Emma, experiencing homelessness in the Greater Kansas City region. We serve some of the most vulnerable youth in our community—young mothers who are facing homelessness, trauma, poverty, unstable family systems, and significant barriers to education and employment.. We offer a full continuum of services including a Maternity Home Program for moms 12-21 years old, a Transitional Living Program (TLP) for moms 18-34, and an Aftercare Program for all prior residents. Moms can stay in our maternity home from any point in their pregnancy up to their child’s third birthday. Families in our TLP can stay up to an additional three years and we offer space to families in the community if we have vacancy. While many organizations provide broad, general services, our approach is intentionally focused on long-term, individualized care. By working deeply with each family over time, we’re able to address root challenges, support lasting change, and truly meet each parent’s unique needs—something broader programs often can’t achieve.
While numerous programs in our area serve individuals experiencing homelessness, and others provide pregnancy resources, very few serve both populations—especially minors, which requires special licensing. Only 4% of programs in the area specialize in supporting pregnant and parenting youth. Mother’s Refuge fills this critical gap, offering licensed, trauma-informed housing and comprehensive services for young mothers and their babies.
Brand-wise, I am most proud that Mother’s Refuge has become synonymous with hope. When people hear our name, they think of the babies whose lives begin in safety, the moms who graduate high school or college when they once thought it was impossible, and the generations of families whose stories have been rewritten because someone stepped in and said, “You matter. You can do this.”
What I want readers to know is that Mother’s Refuge is not just a shelter—it’s a launching pad. When a young mom comes through our doors, we see her potential even if she can’t yet. And we walk alongside her until she sees it too. Our mission is simple: to give every young mother the opportunity to build the future she and her baby deserve.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
First I have to plug my mom’s new book, When the Light Finds Us. Her story has shaped my understanding of resilience, hope, and our own relationship, and it continually reminds me why the work I do matters.
As a Christian, I’m drawn to tools that help me stay centered and aligned with my purpose. Jamie Winship’s Identity Exchange training and his book Living Fearless have been especially transformative. They’ve helped me understand my identity in Christ and lead from a place of peace rather than fear—something that deeply influences how I support our staff and show up for the young moms we serve.
I also rely on a few podcasts that feed both my leadership and nonprofit mindset. The Successful Nonprofits Podcast keeps me learning and growing in practical ways, while the Christian Women Leadership Podcast encourages me to lead with integrity, authenticity, and faith.
Together, these resources keep me grounded, inspired, and equipped to lead with clarity, compassion, and purpose.
Pricing:
- $25 a month could provide prenatal vitamins for a mom
- $100 a month could provide diapers for a baby
- $250 a month could provide groceries for a mom and baby
- $500 a month could provide childcare
- $1,000 a month covers apartment rent in our Transitional Living Program
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.MothersRefuge.org
- Instagram: @mothersrefuge
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MothersRefuge/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mothers-refuge
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mothers.refuge
