Main Street Moms on the Move ~ 6/30/12
We are thrilled to introduce you to three incredible moms who have made huge differences in the lives of so many right here in the Triad. Meet Patricia, Parker and Lorraine. If you know these ladies – or if they’ve inspired you today (which I’m sure they will!) – please give them a shout-out of support in the comments below.
Enjoy today’s feature! And if you know a mom who is doing amazing things like these women, send your nomination to Katie at Katie@triadmomsonmain.com. We’re always on the search for more inspiring Triad moms!
Patricia Pike
Patricia Pike is the Executive Director of The Brook Women’s Hope Center, a place that came to be because of Patricia’s personal circumstances. Her husband, David, was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer in 2007, and after bravely battling the disease for two years, he passed away leaving Patricia a widow at age 44, and two sons to raise: Kristopher (then 13) and Roman (then 9).
Patricia remembers feeling as if she was left in an unfamiliar territory. “David was the primary breadwinner and I had been a stay-at-home mom for 14 years. I was completely lost and devastated. Nothing can prepare a person for such a profound loss. The first year was a very slow year and the following year seemed to go a little faster. Around November of 2010, I sort of had an epiphany which I like to call a “God thing.”
That epiphany led her to turn her tragedy into a passion, and she created The Brook Women’s Hope Center to help other women overcome upheavals and transitions in their lives, such as divorce, empty-nest syndrome, widowhood, medical problems, financial problems, job loss or the transition to being single, retired and/or broke.
“Life is messy and it’s okay. We all go through the mud at some point in our lives and The Brook Women’s Hope Center is here to help with the journey through that. Sometimes, it’s the little things, not necessarily the mud. That’s okay too. What is important is that we take off the masks and deal with the problems together. We are women helping women.”
If you would like more information about the Brook Women’s Hope Center, visit the website at www.thebrookwhc.org, or call Patricia directly at 336.529.6271 to make an appointment. Patricia says no referrals are necessary, “just a hungry and hurting heart.”
Parker White
Next time you pack your child’s bag and send him off to school, think of Greensboro native Parker White. Not only is she busy as the wife to Robert and mom to Avery (age 4) and Perrin (age 2), but she also launched BackPack Beginnings two years ago which serves and meets the basic needs of over 2,000 underprivileged children in Guilford County – one backpack at a time.
BackPack Beginnings has grown into two programs: The Food BackPack Program and the Comfort BackPack Program. The Food BackPack Program is a weekly feeding program established to directly impact childhood hunger in Guilford County by sending school children home with backpacks full of nutritious, kid-friendly food over the weekends during the school year. In the fall, Parker and her organization will be serving over 600 children in 16 Guilford County Schools. The Comfort BackPack Program provides backpacks full of comfort items to abused/neglected, foster, homeless and refugee children. Parker anticipates handing out approximately 1,500 of these age/gender specific comfort backpacks to its 10 partner agencies in their first year. Parker’s organization also operates a free clothing pantry to the children they serve through their Food and Comfort BackPack Programs.
And BackPack Beginnings continues to grow. Parker says they are always in need of items such as kid-friendly, nutritious, shelf-stable food, children’s books, school supplies, hygiene products, stuffed animals, children’s clothing, backpacks and more. They accept new or gently used clothing items for children from birth to 17 including shoes, coats, hats, gloves, new underwear and more. One of the largest clothing needs among the children are SMOD (standard mode of dress) – typically a collared or polo-type shirt paired with khaki, black or navy pants, shorts or skirts. For a list of specific needs, please click here.
Lorraine Moore
Each year Harris Teeter honors just 10 teachers within a four-state area as Teachers of Excellence. These teachers inspire students, contribute to their community in meaningful ways, display exemplary educational accomplishments beyond the classroom, and are admired by peers, parents and students. Caldwell Academy’s First Grade Teacher Lorraine Moore was one of these teachers last year!
This fall Lorraine will be starting her seventh year at Caldwell, a classical Christian school that she says is full of compassion, unity, encouragement, and love. Both of her children (Kasey, age 22) and Stephanie (age 18) attended Caldwell, and recently Lorraine and her husband, Steven, celebrated two graduations, Kasey graduated from Gardner-Webb University as a RN BSN and will begin work at Moses Cone Hospital, and Stephanie graduated from Caldwell and will attend Appalachian State University this fall.
A resident of Summerfield, Lorraine is also very active in her church where she’s been a Sunday school teacher for 18 years, a pianist with the children’s church, and the curriculum developer each year for the church’s VBS program that reaches nearly 800 kids each year. Lorraine also enjoys playing the guitar and sharing songs and Bible lessons at school assemblies.
Congrats, ladies! We enjoyed getting to know you today!
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