Monthly Newspaper • DIOCESE OF BRIDGEPORT

NORWALK — The Malta House Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Carey Dougherty to the position of Executive Director.

Board Chair, Kim Petrone, states “Carey’s commitment to our mission and her love and care for the women and babies we serve is evident in everything she does. We are delighted that Carey has agreed to take on this leadership role as we begin our 21st year providing a nurturing home environment, support services and independent living skills to pregnant and parenting mothers of all faiths and their children. Carey joined the organization in March 2017 as Director of Development & Strategy and has been instrumental in the strides we have made toward our goals of increasing awareness of our mission, nurturing and growing our donor base, and acquiring a new and larger operating space. The next few years will bring changes and challenges and we are confident that with Carey at the helm we will be able to reach our goal of expanding the population we serve and the services we provide to support the long-term growth of our mothers and their families, and of making a positive impact on the greater Norwalk community.”

States Dougherty, “It is an honor to serve alongside our Board of Directors, dedicated staff, and volunteers in providing ‘hope for life’ to this very vulnerable population. No pregnant mother should be left without the resources required to safely carry, deliver and nurture her baby through the critical first months and years of life. Malta House is so much more than a shelter; we provide job skills, educational assistance, help with budgeting and finance, access to mental and behavioral healthcare, and linkages to stable and secure housing. We help break the cycle of poverty, and most importantly, we show our mothers that they are not alone.”

“My work will be focused on attaining the board’s vision to expand our services and the number of women we serve by raising the funds required to renovate a larger building in Norwalk that will serve as our new home, by continuing to broaden our reach in the community through collaborations and partnerships with other agencies whose mission and work complement our own, and by continuing to provide best-practices in social services with care that is grounded in our belief that every life is a gift from God.”

About Carey

Carey spent the first part of her career in education and the for-profit sector: teaching English as a Second Language in Japan, teaching Japanese and English in an inner-city high school in her hometown of Rochester, NY, working as an Account Executive for an international Fortune 500 Company in San Francisco, and working as an interior designer in Fairfield County. After feeling called to utilize her skills to serve those in need, in 2009 she started Her Haven, a nonprofit that designs trauma-informed spaces that provide healing, hope, comfort and care. Prior to joining Malta House in 2017, Carey served as Director of Development for Recovery Network of Programs, a behavioral healthcare agency in Bridgeport, CT.

Carey holds a BA in English from the University of Pennsylvania, a certificate in Advanced Japanese from Keio University in Tokyo, and a Residential Interior Design Certificate from Fairfield University.

About Malta House

Malta House was founded in 1998 with the mission to promote the dignity of God-given life by providing a nurturing home environment, supportive services, and independent living skills to pregnant and parenting mothers of all faiths and their children. Since inception, Malta House has helped over 500 women and their infants find a pathway to self-sufficiency.

The vision for Malta House came over 20 years ago when a young father learned that there were few services for the many homeless pregnant women in Fairfield County who chose life for their unborn. Vulnerable young mothers often found themselves living on the street or in sub-standard conditions. Once accepted into our residential program—which can accommodate up to 10 mothers—the young women are supported with programs aimed at self-sufficiency, including training in parenting, education, career, and financial security. It is the only maternity group home for pregnant women over 18 years in Connecticut—and one of only a limited number of residential programs for young parenting mothers and their children in Fairfield County. The Residential Program lasts up to 18 months, followed by the Partnering Success program that provides follow-up services to guide the women through the initial stages of independence. The Outreach Program provides household essentials and baby supplies to over 1,000 families in need in Norwalk area, making Malta House a critical resource in the community for families at risk of homelessness.

For further information, contact Carey Dougherty, cdougherty@maltahouse.org