Do you know A.W.E.?

Written on: November 25, 2014

It was a few days after Christmas 2010 when the gift arrived. The gift? A young Afghani woman, 8 months pregnant seeking asylum! After finding no room in a designated “safe home” in Baltimore, she was taken to the Benedictine Monastery in Baltimore where she was received with true Benedictine hospitality. Her expected stay of a few weeks turned into a multi-year blessing, for her, her baby boy, born six days after her arrival, and the Sisters. Life at the Monastery was never quite the same even after Mother and child moved out on their own three years later! Thus began the Asylee Women Enterprise.

In 2011, AWE’s first year, 12 women were assisted. In just three years that number has risen to 76. The support system needed to sustain this ministry is incredible. The nine religious communities, including the Grey Nuns are doing their best to keep it going. Each of us reaches out to our members, Associates and friends to join in this awesome ministry. Below is a wish list from AWE. If you live in the Baltimore area these items may be dropped off at the Benedictine Monastery, 2229 W. Joppa Rd. If you live in the Philadelphia area they may be dropped off to Sister Diane Bardol’s office in the Motherhouse and I will take them to Baltimore.Women’s Shoes

• Winter Coats
• Sweaters
• Women’s shoes
• Memory Sticks (1 MB or greater)
• 3-Subject Notebooks
• Bus Tokens for Baltimore transit
• Laptop computers/Ipads/tablets
• Target/Grocery Store gift cards

One more thing you might like to do for the Asylee Women is click here www.crowdrise.com/asyleewomenenterprise to read about “Giving Tuesday”.

Our Yardley and Newtown GN Associates are participating in “Giving Tuesday”. Each group did an “unselfie”. As background, #GivingTuesday is a movement to celebrate and provide incentives to give. It will culminate with a global day of giving (money, time, etc.) following Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday – on December 2, 2014. This effort harnesses the collective power of a unique blend of partners— charities, families, businesses and individuals—to transform how people think about, talk about and participate in the giving season. It is primarily a social media effort.

For those considering doing an “unselfie”, here are some step by step instructions on how to make and share and “unselfie”:

1. Have someone take your photo or your group photo with a sign saying,  #UNSELFIE  #AWE  #SurviveAndThrive
2. Email the photo to Maryellen (MGlackin@greynun.org)- BEFORE DECEMBER 2!
3. All in the photo with a facebook account please “like” Asylee Women Enterprise on facebook so you can see the results
4. The photo will be posted on the AWE facebook page.

This entry was posted in From our Sisters and tagged: #GivingTuesday, Asylee Women Enterprise, AWE, Baltimore, charity, December 2, Giving, ministry, Women