Ten years ago, Rachel Niewoehner stepped onto the Granny's House property as one of the first volunteers to cross the threshold! Her love for the children and genuine spirit blessed many children, and her energy drew many kids to the Granny's House doorstep! Ten years later, Rachel remembers her time at Granny's House, and lets us know what she is up to now!
Do you have a favorite memory of Granny's House?
Oh goodness, how to pick a favorite memory?! I have so many treasured memories from my years at Granny’s House. From Princess Academy, to field trips, to the funny things the kids would say, the funny moments shared with fellow volunteers. I have albums filled with pictures. And my mom has a picture of me with two of our first GH kids, De’la and Ton-Ton. I still tell stories about those hilarious, wonderful, loving kids.
I remember being so excited! I remember getting the space ready and feeling like it was this big adventure that we were embarking on. I remember wondering how big of a difference we would make and I oddly remember setting out a box of books and “free stuff” on the sidewalk. I remember those first few kids coming up to talk and investigate; I think I was as nervous and curious as they were!
Did Granny's House impact your life, career choices?
Granny’s House changed my life in so many ways. It is no exaggeration to say that I am the person that I am today in large part to Granny’s House. The children and families I met in Douglass Park changed my perceptions of need and poverty. Public housing became a human place, full of beautiful faces and dreams. Granny's House helped to shape how I view the Kingdom of God, and our responsibilities as Jesus-followers in bringing it here to earth. After initially following a path towards events planning, I decided to pursue a path in nonprofit work. I got my Master's in nonprofit management and urban affairs. For the last three and a half years, I have been working at Catholic Charities in Kansas City, Missouri helping small nonprofits, like Granny's House, serve more people.
What are you doing now?
I am living in Kansas City, Missouri, and I work in social service. I work for Catholic Charities here, helping small, grassroots nonprofit organizations, like Granny’s House began ten years ago, do what they do better and serve more people. I’ve been fortunate to work with nearly fifty organizations here in the Kansas City area over the last three and half years, and have been able to have a small part in some incredible stories.
Do you have a prayer for Granny's House?
I pray that Granny's House will always be a safe place, the type of safety that spreads like a little light filling a dark room until fear is driven from every corner of that room. I pray that the presence of God dwells there richly and tangibly; that children and families are made new and whole; that Granny's House becomes a birthplace of a disciplining culture in Columbia Public Housing. I pray for flowers and plants and toys and books and kool-aid, and always an abundance of open-hearted volunteers.
