Rick Stiebel/News Staff
Three women involved with the Moms and Mentors Society will receive scholarships to help pursue their dreams and their goals, thanks to the generosity of residents at Cherish at Central Park Community Living and other community-minded organizations.
Cherish CEO Micky Fleming said members of the Cherish Residents Advisory Committee and other residents as well have forged quite a connection with the Moms and Mentors Society since the group started meeting at Cherish in January of this year. Cherish offered to provide much-needed meeting space at no charge at the end of 2018.
“Our residents have welcomed them with open arms,” Fleming said. “It’s lovely to have them in the building. We’re super happy to be able to help a group that’s doing amazing things, including helping young women continue their education. It’s community at its best.”
The Moms and Mentors Society is a volunteer organization that assists mothers and helps them face the challenges of motherhood by connecting them to resources in the community. Maureen Hobbs, a former public health nurse who teaches nursing at the University of Victoria, launched Moms and Mentors at Belmont Secondary School in 1995.
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The $500 donation from Cherish was combined with donations from the Rotary Club of West Shore, the Lion’s Club and the Philanthropic Educational Organization to provide three $1,000 scholarships, Hobbs said.
One of the recipients of a scholarship, Rebekah Anderson, said the scholarship will make a significant difference in enabling her to pursue a successful career in nursing. “I want to be able to give my children a childhood where, unlike my own, they won’t have to worry about their next meal or if the rent will be paid,” said Anderson, who works in a casual position in the laundry at Victoria General Hospital. “I want them to have parents who support them in every way, including their career goals and dreams once they are older.”
The scholarship means a lot to Rebekah, who attends Moms and Mentors Society meetings regularly at Cherish, Hobbs noted.
“The people at Cherish have been just great,” Hobbs said. “Some folks are interested in becoming mentors and spending time with moms and kids, and others are donating funds for scholarships. The connections we’re making are wonderful for everyone.”
For more information on the Moms and Mentors Society, visit momsandmentorssociety.ca or call Hobbs at 250-478-6658.