Daughters of Charity's ministry now focuses on helping immigrant women become self-sufficient

Friday, Jul. 10, 2015

OGDEN — A charism of the international religious order of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul is to serve the poorest of the poor; in Utah, they have served mostly as school teachers since the 1920s. 

Today, the five Daughters of Charity sisters living in Layton help those in need at the Give Me a Chance Learning Center and the De Marillac Formal Attire Shop in Ogden.

Sister Maria Nguyen founded GMAC in 2010 in a rented space on Washington Boulevard, to “host a sewing class for 10 unemployed women with children, who spoke mostly Spanish,” she said. “Two years later, GMAC had grown into a formal wear and alteration shop for all of Ogden’s formal wear needs.”

By 2012, the sewing classes had grown and more space was needed for the women to create their own designs for sale. Sr. Maria acquired an additional building and property for a peace garden on Grant Street; services were added. The center offers an after-school program, adult and family counseling, a nutrition class, and scholarships for a Certified Nursing Assistant or Personal Care Giver certificate programs. Professionals volunteer to teach these programs. 

“We are looking for opportunities to help women find work,” Sr. Maria said. “When we started, we didn’t realize how much the sewing classes would help women gain self-esteem and self-confidence.” 

The center offers a summer sewing class for children, “even boys,” Sr. Maria said. “We also have five women who are learning how to start their own house-cleaning business. We try to see what the needs are in the community, and do what we can with the help of professional volunteers. In order to help women, we have to involve the children.”

The Learning Center also offers a group for women to share their struggles, socialize and support each other; “they seem to have similar experiences,” Sr. Maria said. 

The GMAC Our Lady of Guadalupe peace garden is about 80 percent complete, Sr. Maria said. “We have a shrine, a playground, a gazebo; we just need a pathway and a vegetable garden. The ‘A Stitch in Time’ fundraiser will be in August and we hope to complete the garden then.”

The DeMarillac Formal Attire shop is growing and focusing on marketing; “we have more merchandise now, including wedding and quinceañera dresses and tuxedos,” Sr. Maria said. 

Sister Milagros Federico, a former schoolteacher, moved to Layton a year ago to assist in the formal wear shop with sewing classes and the after-school program. 

“I learned who the clientele was, taught a beginning and an advanced sewing class and taught them how to make patterns from scratch,” Sr. Milagros said. “The women spoke mostly Spanish, so I began teaching English as a Second Language as well as sewing terms; it made them prompt because I taught English the first 30 minutes of the class. They enjoyed learning to sew, building their vocabulary and then having conversations and praying in English.” 

They also learned some math because sewing requires measurements; they designed the projects, made the pattern and put on a fashion show accompanied by the children from the Learning Center playing recorders. 

Sr. Milagros served as the interim director of the after-school program, which offers math, reading, music and some science projects.

“I teach wherever I am needed,” Sr. Milagros said. “I want people to know we are Catholic even though we don’t proselytize; I introduced the children to some saints, especially our founders, and connected them with activities as well as holidays such as Presidents’ Day explaining money. We also celebrate every child’s birthday by baking a cake.”

Three of the Daughter of Charity sisters in Layton are retired. Sister Germaine Sarrazin, who taught at Saint Olaf School in Bountiful from 1962 to 1969 and Notre Dame de Lourdes School in Price from 1977 to 1993,  now tutors children in reading twice a week at GMAC. 

“I’ve had 40 years of experience and can recognize various disabilities … a big part is building up their self-esteem,” Sr. Germaine said. 

Sister Stella Marie Zahner’s ministry now is listening, she said; a teacher and principal, she retired from the diocesan Special Needs Program in 2013.

“I listen to people and we share; a lot of the elderly don’t have that. They like to talk about their history,” she said. 

Sr. Cecilia Van Zandt has been a religious for 70 years; she is a retired school teacher who taught in the Diocese of Salt Lake City for 12 years between 1970 and 1990. 

“I would teach here a while and be transferred, but it was always a joy to come back,” Sr. Cecelia said. “We are still recognized by former students, who now have children and grandchildren; it’s good to see our efforts have paid off. The bottom line is – it’s a good life.”