The other day I was giving a mom with a pinched nerve a shoulder massage, and was thinking, “Wow, masseuse is a new one!” At Maggie’s Place, we MissionCorps do a lot of different jobs and wear a lot of different hats. Some I expected, and some are surprises. MissionCorps may be our official title, but it encompasses so many others:
Mover. Whether it’s a pick-up or a drop off, we move a lot of donations around, and I can pack a mini van with the best of them. It will fit! And remember, lift with your legs, not your back. Added bonus, a free work out!
“Friend?” Whenever you’re at the hospital with a mom and the nurse ask who’s with them today, they turn and look at you and say, “What should I call you?” “Friend” is a lot simpler than explaining everything.
Chauffeur. Doctor’s appointment? Checking in with your probation officer? Class at Fiat? Glendale to Tempe and back in rush hour? I can do that. How’s the air back there? Too much? Too little?
Advocate. This is a relatively easy one, where we get to simply do what we love which is help people help themselves.
Accountability Partner. I can be gentle or intense, whatever you need!
Contraction Tracker. Keep breathing! When they’re five minutes apart and last for an hour, we can head to the hospital.
Baby Holder. Possibly my favorite. There’s nothing like getting a fussy baby to calm down and fall asleep. The football hold is my best friend here.
Family. Parent, sister, mother, husband. We stand in for many who are absent or unable. We like to say babies aren’t meant to be raised alone, and we are happy to provide the family support that every mother needs.
Intercessor. We represent the needs of our moms and babies before the Lord every day in our community prayer.
Personal Shopper. There are a lot of ways to fill a donation request for shirts. Let’s see if I can find some things your style!
Housekeeper. We do chores, grocery shopping, shutting the blinds in the sunny part of the day, cleaning rooms and making beds for new moms. We even have on-duty aprons!
Personal Assistant. Especially if you’re the Programs Coordinator, you make appointments for the moms with our partner organizations, but we can also help you remember that phone call you needed to make, that appointment you needed to reschedule, and the time you started that bottle.
Tour Guide. “And here’s the backyard. As you may be able to tell by the funny sidewalk shape, this used to be a swimming pool!”
Google. “Is the library open today?” “How long can breast milk be refrigerated for?” “Where is the nearest park?”
Logistics Mastermind. Coordinating rides, babysitting, a meeting at Fiat, AND someone has to be at the house on duty 24/7. There are only three of us? No problem.
Expert. Well, this is just a title people want us to be, but we’re really not. Unless it’s an expert at enjoying every minute of our time off. Then we are the pros.
The Wizard of Oz. Pay no attention to the 24 year old girl behind the curtain!
And these are just some of the jobs we do. The list goes on and on!
By Lily Key, a MissionCorps member
