A belated Mother’s Day
at The Mission at Kern County
Most moms were celebrated by their families last Sunday, as husbands, children and other loved ones gathered around the buffet table or in the dining room, sharing laughs, stories and appreciation.
However, the party Saturday at The Mission at Kern was for the moms who, for a variety of reasons — maybe their significant other is in jail, they’ve lost a child to addiction or they’re going through their own journey of recovery — didn’t have the traditional Mother’s Day experience.
“We’re gonna laugh, we’re gonna cry, we’re going to pat each other on the back and support each other, and we’re going to have a good time,” Bill Maxwell told the crowd gathered inside The Mission on East 21st Street.
The field director for Prison Fellowship partnered with Be Finally Free to host Saturday’s get-together after an issue at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla prevented a gathering at the prison last weekend where Debbie Ormonde, president of Be Finally Free, conducts outreach several times a week, Ormonde said.
As more than a dozen moms joined in a dance competition in front of the crowd of mostly women assembled in the hall, grooving
to Aretha Franklin’s “Respect,” supported with cheering and laughter from their friends, children and other local ministries, gratitude and appreciation for mom was all around.
“A lot of people were just excited to hear that something like this was available,” Ormonde said of the free event, which also welcomed mothers and children from The Mission. Her keynote address to the crowd, which followed about an hourlong set by Christian comedian Nazareth, was about “How can we discipline our disappointment?” she said.
Part of the inspiration for Be Finally Free’s first Mother’s Day celebration also came from the recent Light A Candle for a Loved One event that Be Finally Free hosted in January, said Vanessa Hooker, who also works for Be Finally Free. That January event included a candlelight vigil for loved ones in the community who’ve been lost to addiction, and throughout the event, Hooker could see how many parents were affected by such a loss.
“There’s a lot of mothers out there that are hurting and broken, have been through a lot of things,” Hooker said. “And so we wanted to have what are called ‘hope events’ for them.”
Jacquie Sullivan former longtime Bakersfield City Councilwoman and founder of the In God We Trust America — a decadeslong effort to put the national motto in schools and government buildings — said she couldn’t think of anything more important than supporting this type of ministry, which helps those who have struggled and are trying to get on the right path.
“I just love supporting good people doing good things, that has been my greatest pleasure through the years,” Sullivan said, and then, referencing the crowd. “There are a lot of people that deserve appreciation and extra attention, and I welcome the opportunity to do that.”