Valerie Baronkin, executive director of the home, is hoping this year's annual Pink & Blue Gala will bring in $400,000 to help house and uplift women experiencing a crisis pregnancies.

The women have been abandoned by boyfriends and families, “and they are just living on the streets,” Baronkin said.

Yet they have bravely chosen to give life and birth their babies, so St. Clare’s Home — under the patronage of Our Lady of Joyful Hope — has taken moms in and given them a chance to start or grow their family in a stable, loving atmosphere.

“We’re trying to raise our operating budget,” Baronkin said. “Housing six to eight women (and babies, plus any children under age 10 they already have) is pretty expensive.”

Helping mothers find a safe, secure haven in which to start or grow their family is more than putting a roof over a woman's head.

St. Clare’s assists with education, clothing needs, therapy, grocery bills, life skills and financial training, transportation to appointments and even job opportunities, Baronkin said.

She compared the expense to putting your kids through college. That is why she and the staff rely on the generosity of those supporting, sponsoring and attending the Pink & Blue Gala. 

Baronkin said the fundraiser features silent and live auctions. “That makes it fun for everybody,” she added, saying organizers “have put a lot of thought into these prizes.”

And for the second year, a Mardi Gras theme gives folks one last chance to let their hair down before Lent starts on March 5. With 500 people expected to attend, it will be quite the party.

Every gala features a video, and this year's focus is a St. Clare's mother who went back to school, got certified as a phlebotomist and found a job.

“We recommended that she stay here and save money,” Baronkin said. “She can stay up to a year” while she gains a foothold and works on her future.

This level of care and commitment shows that donations are going toward a great cause, and are having real impact here in South Carolina.

“We also held an alumni party at Christmas, and a couple of the moms said they got married in November. That was really exciting,” Baronkin said.  

Our Lady of Joyful Hope had to be smiling at that news, and she surely is embracing the gala supporters. “Their donations are making a huge difference in someone’s life. It’s a game-changer. These moms have nowhere else to go,” Baronkin said.

St. Clare's helps women experiencing homelessness or other crises and welcomes them home, where they have an opportunity to live and thrive in a family-friendly atmosphere. The Sisters of St. Michael the Archangel who staff the home make sure of that.

“They are wonderful. I don’t know what I’d do without my staff,” Baronkin said. They smooths out the bumps in running the home and bring in volunteers when needed.

One need was fresh food, so St. Clare’s expanded its garden.

“The moms really enjoy the garden,” Baronkin said. “We have all kinds of fruit trees and berries. We even have chickens.”

Still, Baronkin wishes St. Clare's could do more. The home is limited to housing eight mothers and their children. Many more women are still are struggling, some even living in the woods. She helps where she can.

“I will put them up in a hotel,” Baronkin said, and Pink & Blue Gala funds go toward that also. The home has offered continued assistance to women in the community, even if they aren't in residence at St. Clare's.

Work is under way to establish a second location for St. Clare's Home in the Charleston area. A property is under contract, but zoning issues have delayed the ribbon cutting by a few weeks. The upstate Pink & Blue Gala proceeds are not to fund the Charleston area home, however.

“Other efforts are going on for the Charleston [location],” Baronkin said. “We are working on the home and hoping. We have sisters, furniture; everything is pretty much in place. We’re excited. We are working through zoning right now.”

Baronkin said she is praying that the St. Clare’s Home in Charleston will open in early summer.

Don’t bet against it. Especially when Our Lady of Joyful Hope is guiding these efforts.