One Family’s Story: From the Nursery to Middlebury College
From the Nursery to Middlebury College
Malachi Raymond is thriving following his first year at Middlebury College, one of the top schools in the country. His mom, Quendy, was feeling sentimental (and proud) as he prepared to head to college last summer, so she decided to write notes of gratitude to the community that helped her raise Malachi.
“I wanted to reach out and say thank you. As a single parent I always knew whatever reason I deemed worthy that you were a safe, caring and nurturing place to leave my son and I thank you, your staff and your donors for that.” -Quendy
“I was so touched when I received Quendy’s letter,” says Nursery Executive Director Mary Pat Lee. “hearing that our services made such a difference reinforces the value of the work our Nursery team does every day.”
Single working mom
When Malachi was born, Quendy was 25, single, and trying to balance being a new mom with her job as a family advocate for Simpson Housing Services. Sometimes she had to spend weekends in her office catching up on her workload. Malachi was in daycare during the week, but she didn’t have family or friends who could care for him at other times, and she couldn’t afford to hire a babysitter. That’s when she turned to the Nursery.
“What I loved was that the Nursery let you define your crisis, and for me it was always work,” Quendy says. “It was hard to find places to take Malachi outside of daycare, and the Nursery is the one and only…especially on the weekends. It’s such a premier resource for that 0 to 6 age group.”
On being worry-free
“It’s always hard leaving your child anywhere when they’re so young – Malachi was like 2, 3, 4, and little kids that age need your full attention unless they’re napping,” Quendy says. “It was so nice to have a free, safe, warm place where i could drop him off and know he was in good hands. I knew he’s eat well, there were safety and other protocols in place, I knew things would be charted and documented, and I never had to worry that something would happen to him.”
Even though Malachi doesn’t remember the times he stayed at the Nursery, he, too, is grateful. “I can see that the Nursery was not only helpful for me, but also for my mom as a single parent,” he says. “It created a space that allowed her to do her work, which allowed her to continue providing for me so I could grow up and become who I am.”
As Quendy talked about the Nursery, she wondered, “If this resource isn’t there for people, what’s the outcome?” Fortunately, Quendy and Malachi never had to find out. Instead, today Quendy shares, “Thank you for being the village of safety nets and supports that helped to raise and care for my son. I truly think his story and future epitomize all the work that the Crisis Nursery does!”
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