Holy Angels Celebrates 65 Years

LOVING, LIVING AND LEARNING INTO THE FUTURE

A desperate mother and her infant needed help. It was as simple as that. They turned toward their faith and the Sisters of Mercy in Belmont, NC, seeking a compassionate heart and helping hand. And in that moment, Holy Angels began. The year was 1955. Maria Morrow was mere weeks old when her overwhelmed mother left her in the care of the Sisters of Mercy. Baby Maria wasn’t expected to live beyond three months old following diagnoses of spina bifida and hydrocephalus among other paralyzing physical disabilities. But she did - and she didn’t just live beyond three months of age, or a year, or a few dozen years. Maria thrived until age 54! And in doing so, she shined a light on a need greater than herself. A need for loving, living and learning for the differently able. A need for Holy Angels. Holy Angels celebrates 65 years of compassionate care for children, women and men like Maria. We serve an immensely vulnerable population of children and adults with intellectual disabilities and delicate medical conditions, offering physical, educational and emotional support. We provide specialized, round-the-clock service to the differently able in a setting focused on faith, love and kindness. Throughout these 65 years, our nonprofit organization has grown and changed in the most positive of ways. It began with one child and her unique care. Today, Holy Angels is a robust campus in Belmont, NC, that serves approximately 100 individuals at a time. We have group homes and relationships throughout the community, regional retail businesses that employ adults with special needs and numerous programs that support residents in addition to a dedicated, extensive network of staff, volunteers, families, advocates and donors. Holy Angels has a strong foundation, 65 years in the making. Now, as we look toward the end of 2021 following a tumultuous pandemic year, we prepare for another 65 years of serving the differently able. Our most crucial task is, as it always has been, meeting the changing needs of our children and adults, including our aging adults. This focus has long remained central to our mission and Holy Angels will continue to rise to the occasion, putting these delicate needs first and foremost. This means amplifying our services, updating and expanding our facilities, increasing our community outreach, strengthening our role as a business and nonprofit and growing as an employer of choice in the region. We’ll continue to seek ongoing financial support, especially in light of healthcare funding changes that will significantly impact our organization. One of our biggest challenges will be maintaining pace with the changes in our healthcare system, and we look toward tackling these shifts - today and in the years or decades ahead - with creativity and ingenuity as we provide comprehensive, beneficial services and programs. From financial stability to recruiting a quality workforce and consistently providing superior compassionate care to our residents, Holy Angels carries its mission from our first 65 years to our next 65 years and beyond. Our needs are plentiful, but our hearts are bigger and we are eternally grateful for the successes and support that led us here and the love that will carry us into the future.