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by Ligia Ambriz, A/Captain –
Our mission statement in Caldwell is to serve the community by sharing God’s love, caring for the needy, and giving hope to the hopeless.
I praise God for the opportunity to minister to the women in Caldwell through the Baby Haven social services program. These beautiful women—whom I have grown to know and love over two years—first enrolled in the program because they couldn’t provide basic necessities for their babies. Through Baby Haven, they not only received these items and learned parenting skills, but also—most importantly—they learned about the love of God.
As a Salvation Army officer, my greatest satisfaction is sharing God’s love and seeing lives change for the better. That’s what Baby Haven is all about. It’s not about receiving Pampers, so to speak. It’s about giving women the chance to better themselves spiritually, physically and emotionally—providing the tools with which they can do for themselves and seek God’s direction in their lives for building healthy families and a better future.
Baby Haven is a two-year program, allowing women to move on and new women to enroll. Our hope is that those who finish will be more self-sufficient, better mothers, and spiritually strengthened. The graduating women receive certificates during a ceremony. Some of them have offered to volunteer even though they will no longer be in the program officially, nor able to receive goods for their babies. Their desire is to give back to the community.
Leading this program has involved hours of hard work and many challenges. It has also brought fulfillment when I see the changes some of these women experience in their lives. It is worth every minute!