Women's History Month

For Women’s History Month, we are reflecting on the amazing impact of the women in our lives

Every day at The Bowery Mission, we have the privilege of walking with women overcoming adversity of all kinds. Many come to us from traumatic situations, such as homelessness, abuse, addiction, exploitation and loss. Because of friends like you, women in need are able to access emergency services and find refuge, such as nourishing meals, clean clothing and safe shelter. Each service is an invitation to longer-term programs that help clients make progress towards individual goals. More than 70 women find hope and healing at our women’s centers each year, embracing their God-given identity and embarking on life-long independence.

The Bowery Mission provides both holistic and individualized care to meet each client where they are, first supporting their emotional and physical recovery needs so that they can then focus on employment or housing goals. Our homes are designed specifically to offer a sense of safety and welcome in a trauma-informed environment.

Throughout March for Women’s History Month, join us as we honor the women who have come through our Red Doors and reclaimed their lives from crisis, as well as our female volunteers and staff who help make this a reality! Keep reading and you will:

• Meet Tara, a graduate from our Residential Programs who now is a Bowery Mission staff member.
• Meet Mary Bell, a recently retired staff member for over 25 years at The Bowery Mission who has impacted the lives of so many clients.

Meet Tara

When Tara lost her mother, she felt like she had nothing to live for. She was a regular volunteer at the Mission, and decided to join the Residential Program to learn how to live again. Tara shares her story:

“I lost my confidence when my mother passed away. I was taking care of her. She was pretty much my world and when she died, that was it. I was afraid of everything. I had no job. I had nowhere safe to live. I did not want to live anymore. I just didn’t. 

“I was working at the Tribeca Campus as a volunteer. The director of the Tribeca Campus prayed over me and she said, ‘We are going to have to call for an ambulance to take you to the hospital.’ And I said, ‘Okay,’ because there was nothing else to do. 

“They kept me in the hospital for 10 days. At the end of the 10 days, I had a piece of paper in my pocket. It was for The Bowery Mission and I called the number. And Mary Bell answered the phone and I said, ‘I need a place to stay.’ And she said, ‘Come stay with us.’

“And so I came here and they fed me and clothed me. They gave me shelter. They gave me love. They taught me how to pray. They taught me how to have a relationship with Jesus. They taught me the Bible. We learned how to polish our resumes. We learned how to write elevator pitches. We learned how to present ourselves.

“I felt that empowerment. I learned how to understand that my problems were not bigger than God. If The Bowery Mission did not exist, I would not be here.” —Tara

Tara graduated from The Bowery Mission Residential Program and found success as an office manager at a physical therapy office. After serving as one of The Mission’s most faithful volunteers through the pandemic, Tara transitioned to her current role as Alumni Relations Coordinator at The Bowery Mission. “The Bowery taught me how to be self-sufficient and how to live my life in the best possible way. The Bowery Mission still feels like home. It still feels like a place I’m welcome. It feels like a place I belong. You guys need me, I’m here, because when I needed you, you were here.”

Meet Mary Bell

We give thanks for Mary Bell’s 25 years of grace-filled leadership! As Tara shares above, her life-changing journey with us was partly made possible by our colleague, Mary Bell, who recently retired. She has been a light for so many clients over the years. 

A lifelong New Yorker, Mary Bell has demonstrated true compassion for women in crisis in our city. She first came to The Bowery Mission in 1996 and immediately served in our women’s programs as an Administrative Assistant. She quickly expanded her role, interacting with both clients and supporters of the Mission. In 2005, she began leading efforts to help women find and join our programs so that they can overcome homelessness and other hardships.

Most recently, Mary Bell served as a Client Advocate and as an onsite Chaplain. She built strong trusting relationships with women, offering one-on-one encouragement, support and accountability as they worked to achieve their goals. She provided spiritual counseling, walking alongside women as they fostered and strengthened their relationship with God and others. 

We are so grateful for Mary Bell and how she humbly served our community. At The Bowery Mission, she leaves an inspiring legacy of commitment and dedication to seeing lives transformed!