On July 4th, Sister Mary Elizabeth, 85, fell on a ceramic tile floor in the kitchen of her residence in Princess Anne. She suffered a dislocated shoulder, broke her upper arm in four places and was immediately hospitalized at Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury.

Painful and difficult as this accident was, there was a beautiful side to it as well. One of the therapists who helped Sister Mary Elizabeth said something that made Sister's spirits soar.

In fact, the words were an inspiration to everyone who is part of the Village of Hope. Here's the story of what happened and also, here's why the therapist's words meant so much to the staff and volunteers at the Village of Hope.

About seven years earlier, the therapist wasn't the strong, respected and contributing member of society that she is today. Back then she came to the Joseph House Village-now renamed the Village of Hope-needing all the help she could get.

Her husband had just abandoned her, and she found herself alone with a broken heart and little girl. The young woman had no job skills, no family, and no safety net.

She had nothing and no place to go, until she found Sister Mary Elizabeth and the transitional housing facility that Sister founded for homeless and abused women. The young woman stayed there for more than a year, getting her life back on track.

The staff and volunteers at the home helped her in many ways. They taught her, as they teach all the residents there, such life skills as: budgeting, parenting, how to make a resume, and how to make herself presentable for an interview.

Perhaps most important of all, they taught her how to have enough belief in herself to be willing to try. Encouraged by her new mentors, the young woman was able to get a day job at Hardee's, and at night, she attended classes at Wor-Wic Tech to get a professional degree.

The young woman persevered, got her degree and then landed a wonderful job. It's a true success story, but it has a twist.

Sister Marilyn, who tells this story, remembers what the therapist said to Sister Mary Elizabeth. This isn't an exact quote, but the words were pretty close to, "You took me in when I had no where to go and no one to help me. You gave me the start I needed and you gave me another chance with my life. Thank you."

What a joy it must have been for Sister to know that the woman caring for her was able to do so because of Sister's efforts years earlier. The author and philosopher, Melody Beattie, once said, "Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life," and that's how the therapist's gratitude must have felt to Sister and the others who work at the Village of Hope.

The Village of Hope continues to provide help to homeless women today. The shelter has 14 apartments for women and their children and it offers a long term approach to the underlying causes of homelessness. It allows residents to obtain an education, job training, living skills, and personal healing during their stay.

Susi Powell, Residence Director says, "We try to help these girls to reestablish their lives. When we help one, and they help someone else, we're all better as a result of it."

The Village of Hope is a United Way Agency

Wish List:

• Non perishable food
• School supplies
• Children's clothes
• Beds
• Lamps
• Dressers
• Blankets
• Towels
• Dishes, pots, pans, cutlery
• Toys
• Holiday decorations