‘When you see strangers go out of their way to help you, it impacts you:’ Former Child Care Client Pays it Forward

When Bonnie Schenck closes her eyes, she can still picture the Catholic Charities Boston childcare center she attended in Brockton over thirty years ago: the warm lighting, the colorful walls adorned with children’s artwork, the classroom rug where she learned to read. Above all, what she remembers is the feeling of being safe and surrounded by people who cared.

Raised in Brockton until she was seven, Bonnie said her mother, who loved her and her brother deeply, struggled with mental health challenges that made everyday life at home increasingly difficult.

Instead of feeling isolated and alone, Bonnie said she always felt supported and hopeful, thanks to local organizations like Catholic Charities Boston, who stepped up to help her family in their time of need.

Beyond providing her with quality childcare, Bonnie said Catholic Charities opened new doors for her during a formative time in her life – introducing her to children her age, giving her a space to play, grow, and explore, and connecting her to a team of positive mentors and role models.

“I remember staff at the childcare center providing me with meals and birthday parties, which I may not otherwise have had,” Bonnie said. “As a child, when you see strangers going out of their way to help you, it impacts you.”

Now, at 43 years old, Bonnie is dedicated to paying it forward in her community. For the past decade, she and her colleagues at Kensington Investment Company and Grand Circle Travel have participated in service projects through Rebuilding Together Boston, with the most recent being a makeover of Catholic Charities Boston’s Nazareth Family Shelter.

This year, Bonnie served as the project lead, overseeing 45 colleagues who landscaped, repaired the shelter deck, painted, and spruced up the common spaces at Nazareth.

Bonnie said there is nothing more rewarding than working together with a team of people to help someone in need, even if it is in the simplest of ways. Her mother’s story reminds her of the importance of showing up for one another, especially those who are vulnerable and struggling.

“Everyone is going through something,” she said. “To know there are people out there who will give up a Saturday to fill food banks, walk for money, or make a space more comfortable for a family in need – it makes all the difference.”

To learn more about how you can support Catholic Charities Boston’s clients in need, visit our Ways to Give or Volunteer page. To learn more about Catholic Charities Boston’s mental health support services, click here.