The office door burst open. One of our moms came rushing in, her voice still ringing through the halls:

“Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father!”

Julia wasn’t singing softly. She was proclaiming it. After a week in the hospital with her newborn son, after days of worry and exhaustion, her baby had finally taken a bottle on his own. For the first time since birth, there was hope they could soon come home together.

And where did she run with her news? To the family she had found at Good Counsel.

Julia came to Good Counsel in the 6^th month of pregnancy, carrying not just her child but also the weight of poverty, abuse and homelessness. What she discovered in our home was not only safety but also encouragement and love.

Staff became her companions. They prayed with her, prepared with her, and helped her identify achievable goals that kept her grounded and motivated each day. Good Counsel was more than shelter—it was family.

When her son, Nicholas, arrived, joy was quickly tested. He could not drink from the milk bottle on his own. Doctors and nurses tried everything, and still the baby struggled. What should have been days of peace and bonding were instead long nights of worry in a hospital room.

Through it all, Julia held on to the truth she had learned at Good Counsel: trust in God’s plan, even in uncertainty. Staff checked in often, encouraging her and reminding her she was not alone.

Then, finally, the breakthrough came. Nicky drank from his bottle on his own! The relief was indescribable. That’s when she came bursting through our doors, singing with joy.

A few days later, mother and son were welcomed back into the Good Counsel house— their home.

We encourage all new moms to rest and recover, to bond with their newborns. But Julia wasted no time. Even in those early days, she began her job search with determination. She knew she wanted more than survival—she wanted to build a future.

Good Counsel homes are not handouts. They are a hand up to help mothers re-build their lives – fortified with a concrete plan, and the resolve to succeed. Julia’s story is more than one family’s triumph. It is the fruit of a community of supporters who believe in mothers and children.

Your generosity makes this possible. Every gift provides not just food, shelter, and baby supplies, but also counseling, job readiness, and life-skills training. It offers women the chance to heal, to grow, and to raise their children with security and hope.

With your help, more mothers will sing songs of relief and joy. More babies will truly come home and more families will begin anew. Because at Good Counsel, every time a mother sings of hope, every time a baby finds life and strength, every time a family begins again—you are there too.

Will you say “Yes” to that Call we share?

God Bless You.

Peace,

Christopher Bell

President and Co-Founder

**

‍