Page 53 - BusinessWest October 27, 2021

she felt about that. But then the woman stopped by recently to donate some of her granddaughter’s clothes.
“It was such a healing experience,” Mumblo said. “She shared that the seeds planted during her time here never left her. She kept hearing
“It literally saves lives; some of
our moms have been on the brink of suicide because they just didn’t have somebody to help them.”
our words about what it meant to be financially independent, kept hearing our words about boundaries and parenting and all the things that were taught during her time here. So even though she didn’t finish, she’s still a success.
“I gave her a big hug and said, ‘whatever you need, we’re still here; we never left,’”
she went on. “And for her, she felt like it was one last piece she needed to have healing and wholeness. So we never understand the full impact of the seeds we plant. Experiences like that make me excited to get up and be in a job where this is my calling.”
From the Ground Up
That calling took plenty of work — and faith. The first Christina’s House on Madison Avenue was owned by Cottage Hill Church, which gave the keys to Shannon and Linda at a time when
the fledgling nonprofit had $300 in the bank, so they could give tours and raise awareness of the mission.
A fundraising ball later that year netted $8,000, and between that and donations from supporters, they were able to put a down payment on the house and move in.
A connection with the Springfield Police Department proved to be a key source of early support. Mumblo wanted to name a room
after the late Kevin Ambrose, an officer who died while protecting a mother and child in
a domestic-abuse situation. After visiting the house, Ambrose’s widow, Carla, decided to make Christina’s House her charity of choice.
Later that year, police Sgt. John Delaney launched the Ride to Remember, a fundraising bike ride in honor of fallen first responders, which donated $64,000 to Christina’s House in its second year to help repair the leaking roof and paint the house.
These days, donations — from individuals, businesses, and churches, as well as a few grants — are more steady, and the annual ball, now in its ninth year, is a $100,000 fundraiser.
“I feel like it started on faith, and every step of the way, we had faith,” Shannon said, and that went for buying and renovating a second Springfield location on Union Street in April 2020, to serve even more families. “The vision started in a church, and everything we do here has been a leap of faith, so to speak.”
Asked why she emphasizes a faith-based model, with a program delivered from a Christian perspective, with regular Bible studies, and her answer was simple yet firm.
“If we took God out of it, it wouldn’t be the
program that it is. I’ve said it from the beginning — this has been about faith; this has been God’s mission and vision that was placed on
my mother-in-law’s heart, and we give him all the glory for everything here every day. It’s not about us, it’s not about me — it’s about God working through me to do this work that I do every day.”
Mumblo believes it’s a model that can be replicated in other areas that need such a facility.
“I see God growing Christina’s House; it’s so needed,” she said. “It literally saves lives; some of our moms have been on the brink of suicide because they just didn’t have somebody to help them.
“And it’s about giving these kids the ability to have a mom and to have love around them and be in a safe environment where they don’t have to have drugs around them, and they don’t have to worry about what they’re going to eat,” she went on. “They’re fed, they’re cared for, they have a beautiful house to live in, and they have us long-term. We don’t go anywhere.”
Her clients, meanwhile ... well, they’re going places.
“The most gratifying thing is watching the moms and kids grow and be successful and realize their potential, realize their goals,
get that CNA certificate, get their GED, get a scholarship to attend school,” Mumblo said. “It’s more than I could have ever asked for in this lifetime.” n
Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]
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