In the first post in this series you met Rose and Mary, two mothers who made a big difference in their small Iowa town. Their efforts began in the mid-1960s when they needed assistance caring for their special needs daughters, Brenda and Becky.

Small Beginnings

The solution to their puzzle came in three pieces. The first piece was in the shape of a house purchased at auction by Rose’s husband. The second piece was provided by the Area Education Association. (AEA) The third piece came in the person of Mary’s mother. Townspeople donated materials and volunteers remodeled the house. The AEA assisted with the legal proceedings. Finally, all the pieces of the puzzle came together, and On December 4, 1967 Faith, Hope & Charity of Storm Lake, Iowa, Inc. was created.

Faith, Hope & Charity

Rose’s husband explained the name he selected. “Faith in our hearts, hope in the future and chartiy, the provider.” When the house was ready, Mary’s mother moved in and Brenda became the first resident on July 6, 1968. Within a year Becky and three other children with special needs moved in.

Changes Through the Years

Though he died in a plane crash in 1972, his request has been honored. But many other things have changed. Faith, Hope & Charity grew from one house to two. Then, in 1992, a new, 32 bed facility was built. Since then, even more changes have come about which you can read about at FaithHopeandCharity.org.

In the final post in this series, we’ll consider ways to follow the examples of these families and effect lasting change for the special needs children we know.

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