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On the second floor of a 19th-century brick house on Mohawk Street in Cohoes sits a room so cheery that it could easily be confused with a nursery.

A waiting room invites children with shelves of toys, books and games. Scented candles cluster on an end table. The high-ceilinged main room's walls are adorned with blue letters spelling out "Mary's Corner."

Bins of toys and clothing line the perimeter. Car seats, strollers and other furnishings squeeze into the gaps. Layettes drape over an antique stroller, and stuffed animals sit atop boxes and tables. Formula, bottles, diapers, wipes and more fill a closet.

Most of the items at the Mary's Corner center are free to expectant mothers or new mothers of children up to age two living in Cohoes; all were donated.

"Anything that we need, there's usually someone volunteering," said Kathy Kavanaugh, president of the Ladies of Charity of the Albany Diocese, the group spearheading the project.

The Christ Child Society made dozens of layettes. Parishioners of Christ the King Church in Guilderland knitted baby coats. One family donated and set up a computer and printer. A donated desk and file cabinet completed the office space.

A washing machine for cleaning donated clothes was donated from an estate sale. Even an outdoor sign was made free of charge.

"There are so many people who want to do good things," Mrs. Kavanaugh said. "It's really very heartwarming."

Mary's Corner began last spring as part of outreach efforts in Cohoes by the parish of St. Edward the Confessor in Clifton Park. After receiving permission to use the space in the old United Church of Cohoes rectory, located in the city's historic district, parishioners paid for renovations to the room and painted, plastered and installed carpeting.

"This was an opportunity for those of us who are from Cohoes to give something back," said Deacon Gene Kelenski, director of faith formation at St. Edward's and a Cohoes native. "This is a joy for us."

Parish volunteers help serve meals and tutor students as part of the United Church of Cohoes' Open Door Community Center in the same building. Their involvement helps maintain a Catholic presence in a city where several Catholic churches have closed in recent years.

"Rather than a building," Deacon Kelenski said, "we're the people. To me, it's a major movement of the Spirit."

When the upstairs room was ready, the Ladies of Charity took the reins on Mary's Corner at the suggestion of their spiritual advisor, Rev. Patrick Butler, pastor of St. Edward's.

The center opened to the public in mid-November, serving a handful of clients before the ribbon-cutting earlier this month.

At least 30 volunteers have dedicated themselves to sorting donations or running the center when clients come in twice a week. Some volunteers plan to read to children, tutor adults in English or GED preparation and provide health advice.

Volunteers will direct clients to other area services, such as Birthright, Catholic Charities' Kinship Caregiving Program and Mercy House for women, all in Albany; and the Cohoes site of St. Peter's Alcohol Rehabilitation Center. The New York State Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program may establish a presence at the center to help low-income mothers apply for aid.

The nearest WIC office to Cohoes requires a long trip by bus and the services provided may be insufficient, noted Kaitlyn Tebordo-Wood, director of the Open Door Community Center. The daughter of the United Church of Cohoes' pastor, she directs the church's children and youth program and is a doctoral student in religion and media.

Herself a new mother, Mrs. Tebordo-Wood also serves as a consultant to Mary's Corner. "This city is in a lot of need," she said, noting that many residents rely on public assistance.

She and others are determining what other services might benefit mothers and others in Cohoes.

"It's kind of taking the pulse of the city and finding out what they need and meeting them where they are," Mrs. Tebordo-Wood explained. "That's the way Christ ministered to people."

Mrs. Kavanaugh has no doubt that volunteers will make it happen. "Everybody is coming together only with the purpose of serving those in need," Mrs. Kavanaugh said. "This has had God's hand in it every step of the way."[[In-content Ad]]

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