ALION FOR LIFE | From the Heart
FROM THE HEART:
Beth Cassidy Nabors ’85 Beth Cassidy Nabors ’85 graduated from Sacred Heart of Mary (SHM), and she truly exemplifies the traditions, the memories, and the values the Sacred Heart community brought to the merger of both schools in 1987. “Before you walked in the front glass doors of Sacred Heart, you were welcomed by the circular drive. We all loved the jukebox in the lunchroom. SHM really taught us how to live a spiritual life and walk in our faith. Through open dialogue and constant learning, we were taught to be in charge of our own lives. Most importantly, we went all in to support the underdogs. Whether someone was struggling with finances or in a further-out community and needed a ride, we pulled together.” After earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in educational psychology and working as a substance abuse counselor, Nabors found herself applying to a job at an agency her grandmother urged her to pursue. “At that time, I thought I’d give the agency a year—for my grandmother—and that the volume of need couldn’t be that large in an affluent area like Arlington Heights. Going in on day one, I knew this was my calling.” Twenty-two years later, Nabors is still supporting the underdogs in the northwest suburbs of Chicago at Journeys | The Road Home, a resource center founded in 1989 for the homeless in Palatine. As executive director, she has seen Journeys flourish: facilitating PADS shelters, day programs, affordable housing, and free counseling services with over 2,500 volunteers for approximately 800 people annually who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. When COVID-19 hit in March 2020, many shelters and programs shut their doors due to the safety concerns and the governor’s stay at home order. Within a week, Nabors revitalized Journeys programs to make sure the homeless community did not end up on the streets. Since then, Journeys has secured shelter for 100 people in Arlington Heights. “This is what our faith has taught us: that these people are worth attention, investment, and resources to feel fulfilled and whole again. We don’t know how long this pandemic will last, but our work to end homelessness is not done.” In fact, the Clerics of St. Viator pledged $100,000 to assist in a building with seven affordable housing units that breaks ground this spring for those who PADS sites can’t serve those with serious addiction and mental health issues that find it hard to manage in group settings. Nabors serves on the Board of Trustees’ Mission Effectiveness committee and continues to cherish her lifelong
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Sacred Heart of Mary Alumnae Help Us Celebrate Your Legacy
In every upcoming edition of A Lion for Life Magazine, we will devote a column to highlight a Sacred Heart of Mary alumna who has transformed the communities she encounters through her work, volunteerism or leadership. While it has been several decades since the merging of Saint Viator and Sacred Heart of Mary, we are committed to honoring the amazing educational, social, and spiritual legacy of the faculty and students of Sacred Heart. If you have an individual that you feel we should highlight, please drop us a note at alumni@saintviator.com.
friendships from Sacred Heart of Mary. “I miss the people at Sacred Heart of Mary the most Facebook is wonderful! Even though the merger happened after I graduated, one of the first places we reached out to at Journeys was Saint Viator. Seeing the effort from Saint Viator to assure the Sacred Heart of Mary component of our history is never lost is wonderful. Sacred Heart of Mary was the best seed planter - our roots in God, each other, and ourselves propelled us forward in whatever we do today.” n
