FBC Mt. Ranier Partners With Nana’s House to Serve Vulnerable Women and Children

By Sharon Mager

Mt. RANIER, Md. — First Baptist Church of Mt. Ranier has partnered with Nana’s House, a non-profit that lovingly provides diapers, wipes, clothing, formula and other essentials, along with the love of Jesus, to vulnerable mothers and their children, facing obstacles in their lives. Many are single moms who have said “yes” to life.

Jennyfer Moreno (l) and Monica Cole (r)  provide diapers and other essentials to Anayeli, who was thrilled to receive the supplies for her soon-to-be-born baby. (Photo by Sharon Mager)

Through the partnership, FBC provides a generous space to store Nana’s House’s quickly growing supply of essentials, and the church offers their fellowship hall as the site for monthly and quarterly distributions.

Currently, Nana’s House serves 10–15 mothers each month. Quarterly, at least 100 women, often accompanied by other family members and children, gather to receive diapers and essentials, and a whole lot more. FBC member and Nana’s House founder Monica Cole shared about the quarterly distribution, saying, “We give away diapers, special newborn packages that include blankets, onesies, bibs, socks, and a book, and we open our fall closet where anything people have donated will be shared.” This includes household items, clothing, personal hygiene items, car seats, and food. The next quarterly event is Sept. 27.

Several church members assist, as does Monica’s family, including her husband, Alan; her son, Alan Jr. (who she says does some of the heavy work); and her daughters, Faith and Candace.

Monica’s passion for serving vulnerable women and families is the result of the life testimony of her mother, Barbara Lawrence Ballou. Monica and her mother (known to all her friends as “Nana”) worked together at a food bank at a former church next to a WIC office. As women arrived to receive services from WIC, Nana’s heart would go out to them. Some of the young women had no place to stay. Monica said Nana would provide them with funds from her own limited personal resources to buy food and sometimes even offer a hotel room for a few days to help them get back on their feet.

Adryan Harding, Jennyfer’s son helps sort clothing for Nana’s House. (Photo by Sharon Mager)

Monica says, “My mom told me, ‘I can’t change the world, but I can impact the life of one person at a time.’ So, I grew up that way.”

Nana passed away in 2018, and over time, Monica was called to continue and expand her mother’s ministry. The catalyst was a life-changing medical situation. Monica explains, “Two years ago, I experienced my own health challenges and had to have brain surgery. That caused me to ‘get quiet,’ and I began thinking, ‘I’m still here, and this journey isn’t about me, but helping people meet their basic needs.’ I asked God, ‘What do you want me to do?’ I felt God prompting me to finish the work my mother started.”

Last year, Nana’s House served more than 150 women and they’re poised to more than triple that number this year.

Jennyfer Moreno has been helping at Nana’s House for the past three years. Asked how she got involved, Moreno smiles shyly and says, “I was actually a person in need when I came to the church and I was coming for a food distribution. I saw Mrs. Cole in need of help.”

With eight children, including seven at home and an adult child who is 29, Jennyfer understands firsthand the importance of Nana’s House. “I was a teen mom. It’s a blessing to be able to give back and help other moms,” she says. In addition to assisting hands-on at the distribution, Moreno also works with the website and other technological needs.

Moreno says, “There’s a lot of help with food distribution throughout the state, but I think it’s hard to find anything specifically for pregnant women. So, I think what they’re doing is really beautiful.”

Expanding outreach and services
With guidance from FBC Mt. Ranier Pastor Vernon Lattimore, the approval of church leaders, generous donors and many hands-on assistants, Nana’s House has grown as a ministry, and they see God’s hand. “Every time we get low, or our shoulders get bent over, God sends another blessing our way,” says Monica.

Monica Cole is amazed at how God has been blessing the ministry. (Photo by Sharon Mager)

Recently, their partnership with EveryLife Diaper Company and Students for Life resulted in an unexpected blessing. The diaper company and Students for Life had partnered with others to host the nation’s largest diaper drive and pro-life rally at the National Mall, where diapers were collected and distributed. Nana’s House received 75 cases of diapers at that rally to share with local pregnancy centers and at their monthly infant closet. Later, Monica got a call that Nana’s House could have more diapers. “We got 575 cases — that’s close to 76,000 diapers! (Worth about $26,000.) Nobody does that but the God that we serve. Right?” Monica says excitedly. This month, they also began partnering with another pregnancy center and were able to distribute 5,000 diapers at a back-to-school event sponsored by the City of Mount Rainier.

In addition to distributing diapers and baby supplies, Nana’s House hopes to establish a transitional home this year and develop programs such as a mobile food pantry for new mothers and an “ultrasound on wheels” service for women who may not feel comfortable visiting a pregnancy center.

The church partnership is essential to the ministry, says Monica, who serves as assistant treasurer and assistant director of the church’s food bank. She emphasizes the loving touch the ministry offers and the opportunity to share about Jesus as the Holy Spirit opens doors. She says, “We tell them, ‘Thank God that you have made a decision to choose life for your baby. God knew all about it.’ One of our goals is really providing these moms with the love of Christ.”

Pastor Lattimore reflects on the significance of the ministry: “This is a blessing from the Lord that Sister Cole is a member at Mt. Ranier and that God gave the inspiration as a result of her mother’s care to carry it on. That’s a great testimony to the Lord.”

Cole, in her early 60s, laughs at the idea of starting a ministry when many women her age are slowing down.

Pastor Lattimore reminded her, “We must not forget Moses’ ministry didn’t start until he was 80 and he did it for 40 years.”