Theresa Living Center and Caroline Family Services
Opened by the School Sisters of Notre Dame in 1988, Theresa Living Center (TLC) in St. Paul, Minnesota, houses approximately 12 low income women 18 years and older of all races and faiths who have no children, are pregnant, or have one child who is five-years-old or younger.
TLC provides programming related to parenting goals, employment, and life skills. The center has become a community of women who have meaningful goals and are willing to work hard to achieve them.
The women at the center need to be involved in school or work for at least 30 hours a week and may live at TLC for up to two years. The residents are responsible for their own cooking and cleaning and pay 30 percent of their income as a housing fee.
In 1999, we took over a program now called Caroline Family Services (CFS), a scattered site transitional housing program in the Twin Cities metro area for women and children. The women involved in the program and their children live in apartments with financial assistance from the program. CFS is staffed by case managers who assist women in their home setting, providing support services with parenting goals, budgeting, employment, life skills, and economic sufficiency.
Women in these programs work full-time, take classes, or participate in job training. Theresa Living Center (TLC) and Caroline Family Services (CFS) were established on the belief that the right environment can make the difference for women striving to reclaim their personal worth and dignity.
“We deal with women who don’t have a lot of options,” said Sister Rita Jirik, co-director of TLC and CFS. “We provide practical, down-to-earth support for women in need. We believe that it is essential that they are a part of determining their own life plan. Any assistance we give must lead toward self direction.”
Since the beginning in 1988, Theresa Living Center site has been home for over 450 residents and 200 children. CFS has served over 165 women and 350 children since its beginning in 1999.
Childcare during the weekly house meeting, yard work and housecleaning, visiting with the women and children, overnight house supervision.
Available times and
number of volunteers needed:
Childcare on Monday evenings, 7:30–8:30 PM (2 or 3 volunteers)
Overnights, Monday-Thursday evenings, 10:00 PM–8:00 AM (one volunteer)
Yard and housework primarily during spring and summer (4 or 5 volunteers)
Contact: Sister Judy Bakula, SSND
