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Warehouse Name Revealed!

We are thrilled to reveal Marion’s Angel Depot as the official name of our donation and distribution center located in South St. Louis County. We hosted a dedication ceremony on March 12th to recognize Marion Bradford for her steadfast commitment to our organization over the last eighteen years.

Marion, aka Dumpster Diva, Garage Sale Queen, Junking Pro, immersed herself with the organization immediately after our first home was purchased (in 2003). She was the Volunteer and Workday Coordinator Extraordinaire while we tackled the very daunting project of transforming the first Angels’ Arms’ house into a child-friendly, family home. Ever since then, Marion has remained involved by supporting the organization financially and collecting specially-themed items for our auctions, scouring sales and shops for baskets, and spreading the word about our mission. Her commitment and compassion make her one of the best volunteers any organization could dream of.  In March 2021, we honored Marion’s steadfast commitment to our mission by dedicating our donation distribution center in her honor and naming it Marion’s Angel Depot.

“Angels’ Arms captured my heart from the moment I attended their fall event 18 years ago and heard their message, I knew I wanted to be involved with this wonderful organization.  Founder Bess Wilfong projects such warmth and passion for the Angels’ Arms mission and inspires me to this day.  Volunteering with Angels’ Arms allows me to use my passion for “junking” as I scour the county for decor and projects to upcycle for their auction and their foster homes.  I am also proud that Angels’ Arms recognizes and utilizes the unique talents of each volunteer.  The efforts of those who mow lawns, paint rooms, provide family meals, donate boxes of cereal, plan birthday parties, and a thousand other things to support Angels’ Arms is so important.” – Marion

Foster Family

A Day of Sunshine

I was a bit fatigued the day after receiving my 2nd COVID-19 vaccine. But it was a beautiful Saturday in February, and I know I wasn’t feeling nearly as tired or cruddy as one of our house moms who’s in the biggest battle for her life. She has breast cancer, her2 positive, which means it spreads quickly. Her treatment plan includes chemo that goes right through her—many times a day. Needless to say, she’s always tired and feels like the life has been zapped from her. 

Ramona, foster mother, and cancer fighter.

We all know people who battled cancer: some of them fought and lost and some fought and are still here, including me. But this is different. This single foster mom has 7 children living in the home. They’re all learning virtually. As a foster parent, you never know who you’ll get, what behaviors they’ll exhibit, and how long they’ll be with you.

This group of 7 kids is special. They are a family unit. They laugh, argue, clean, eat, and play together. Every single one of them has a happy disposition. Some of them are siblings. But if you didn’t know differently, you would think they’re one group of siblings.

I took all 7 of them to Forest Park Saturday so mom could rest and just have a bit of downtime. What a tremendous blessing this turned out to be. When I arrived at their home, they were waiting by the door. Each one of them had one of the specially-themed denim quilts made just for them in their arms.

Exploring the beauty of Forest Park.

The gratitude they exhibited was completely unexpected. “Thank you for taking us to this really cool park.” “Thank you for setting up this picnic for us.” “Thank you for taking time from your weekend to be with 7 kids.”

We walked in creeks, walked some trails, played Zombie Tag (I was “it” most of the time since I’m a slow runner), but even then, they came to my rescue and allowed me to catch them. We had a picnic lunch with everyone sprawled out on their personalized blankets. Other kids even came to play with us and shared their kites and balls with them.

The kids loved having a picnic in Forest Park on their personalized quilts from DenimQuilts.

I can’t begin to tell you what this day did for my heart and my soul. It’s quite evident that these kids are experiencing what love is. They know what it means to be part of a family. They’ve learned what it means when someone has their back.

I talked with them about how hard it is to endure chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. I talked about the fatigue, the sick feeling, the metallic taste of almost all food, the inability to sleep due to frequent trips to the bathroom. I let them know that their foster mom’s cancer is treatable and has a very high success rate. Regardless of what the doctors say, it’s scary as hell, and each day in treatment (and after) brings its own challenges.

But all the while this beautiful mama manages to smile. In fact, her tears are tears of gratitude. She and her big family have been enveloped with more love than they know what to do with. They’re receiving delicious meals from supporters, from Pink Ribbon Girls, and from Angels’ Arms. One dedicated supporter redid her bedroom to make it more of a tranquil place. Others have assisted with laundry, cleaning, building another room for storage…the list goes on.

Ramona excited about her donated meals from Pink Ribbon Girls and volunteers building out a laundry room in her home.

Ramona’s new bedding and decor thanks to long-time volunteer, Linda Robben.

The kindness Ramona is experiencing is the sunshine that’s attempting to take over the always-looming clouds.

At the end of the day, I brought the kids home. They each went in to say hello to their “mom” and let her know how much fun they had. Then I went in to tell this mama how full my heart was. When you get outside of yourself and spend time with kids whose parents have died, given up parental rights, abused and neglected them, it certainly diminishes your “problems” and gives your existence a new perspective.

A selfie to remember this fun day!

We’re here to help each other. It takes more than a village. It takes one big-ass village.

Bess Wilfong
Executive Director and Founder
Angels’ Arms