Mother’s Day is a beautiful opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the women who nurture, guide, and hold our families and communities together. But for Catholic Charities of New York, it’s also a time to lift the often-unseen heroes: not just mothers, but grandmothers, aunts, godmothers, foster parents, older sisters, and other maternal figures who step into the role of caregiver with extraordinary courage.
These women, many of whom are facing poverty, housing insecurity, or trauma, embody resilience. They’re doing the hard work of raising children, holding down multiple jobs, and navigating complex systems to keep their families safe and together. And while we celebrate them on this special day, the truth is, they show up every single day for the people they love.
“Many of the women we serve are the backbone of their families,” said Beatriz Diaz Taveras, Executive Director of Catholic Charities Community Services. “They are working multiple jobs, taking care of children, and still struggling to afford rent. Through our programs, we help them access financial assistance, avoid eviction, and find stable housing solutions.”
That support isn’t just theoretical—it’s personal, practical, and life-changing. Across our network of affiliated agencies, Catholic Charities of New York works directly with several organizations in assisting them with what they need, providing a wide range of services designed to strengthen, support, and empower maternal figures in every form. Of our many agencies, we have Good Counsel Homes, where expectant mothers are offered not only shelter but stability, compassionate care, parenting classes, and the time and space to prepare for life with a newborn. At Covenant House, young women—many of them teenage mothers—find refuge from homelessness and access to education, job training, and mental health services. In upstate communities, Catholic Charities of Orange, Sullivan, and Ulster steps in with direct assistance for rent, food, and utilities to prevent family breakdown before it starts. The New York Foundling and Catholic Guardian Services provide specialized services for women caring for children with developmental delays or involved in the foster care system, offering wraparound support for some of the most vulnerable families in New York.
Catholic Guardian Services also offers Parenting Resource Center programs that equip parents and caregivers with the skills to raise healthy, thriving children in safe, nurturing homes. In addition, they help families secure diapers to in their new motherhood. LSA Family Health Services, a community-based organization based in upper Manhattan, supports families through its Parents and Young Children program, helping mothers and caregivers strengthen their bonds with young children through home visits and parenting guidance. Mercy Center’s Family Skills Program empowers women with the tools they need to manage family life, build resilience, and raise confident, capable children, often in the face of enormous personal challenges.
These organizations, which share the founding values of Catholic Charities, do more than provide services—they affirm dignity, restore hope, and ensure that no woman has to carry the burden of caregiving alone.
Mother’s Day can be complicated. For some, it’s joyful. For others, it may bring grief, longing, or unhealed memories. But what remains constant is the profound truth that love, sacrifice, and care are not limited to titles or biology. They are lived out in acts of service, quiet endurance, and unconditional presence.
This year, as we buy flowers or send cards, we invite you to think more broadly. Celebrate all who mother—those raising children, those who’ve lost children, and those who nurture and protect without recognition. And if you’re able, honor them by giving back.
We want to make sure that every mother, grandmother, aunt, and caregiver in our community has the chance not just to survive, but to thrive.
