A fourth community home on the Misericordia campus, dubbed “Anne’s House,” is being renovated by the Cougar Cubs Corner, one of six of Leadership Northeast’s community service projects.

Leadership Northeast is a program whose mission is “to develop informed and committed leaders from all segments of the community who will serve, strengthen and improve Northeastern Pennsylvania.”

Lisa Makara, a Cougar Cubs Corner team member and an associate of the Geisinger Health Plan, took the time to share her vision of the future.

“Our project will foster a nurturing environment for student mothers and their children and empower them to achieve their full potential by outfitting a learning and exploration space for children in their newly remodeled community home that will expand the program’s residential space for families,” she said. “We knew that we wanted to work with the Bourger Women with Children Program at Misericordia University in some way. When we reached out to their program director to see where there might be a need within the program, we learned that they were in the process of remodeling a new community home. We decided that we would love to outfit a communal space within the home for the children to learn, play, and spend time with one another.”

The Women with Children program at Misericordia has long been a haven for homeless mothers and their children. With a space to study and play, children can thrive in an environment where they are safe and sheltered, and women involved with the program have a roof over their heads when they need it most.

The program embodies the critical concerns of the Sisters of Mercy in regard to women, as well as a core value the university was founded on: hospitality.

Through Leadership Northeast and the generosity of the community, the Cougar Cubs Corner can provide for those in need.

“As a group, we were all in agreement that we wanted our project to have a positive impact for children in our community,” Makara said. “We decided to

benefit Misericordia University’s Women with Children program because we love what the program stands for and are excited about the opportunity to impact the lives of student mothers and their children for years to come. Our mission statement is, ‘To foster a nurturing environment for mothers and children, empowering them to achieve their full potential.’”

The Cougar Cubs Corner project team has established a Facebook page to provide additional information about the project and ways the community can join to complete this space for children (https://www.facebook.com/cougarcubscorner) . People can also contact the team via email at [email protected].

An Amazon wish list can be found at: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/dl/invite/96nttlI?ref_=wl_share.