Sister Princess Mary Dawson has seen the devastating effects of poverty firsthand. Every day, people come to her for toilet paper, toothpaste, soap, deodorant or a loaf of bread. These are basic things that we can often take for granted, but can mean the world to someone going without.
“Sometimes a mother comes here with her baby and she is on her last diaper,” she said. “It is such a blessing to give her diapers.”
Sister Dawson manages the food and supplies pantry of Catholic Social Services (CSS) of West Alabama, based in Tuscaloosa, in the Diocese of Birmingham. Her order Mission Helpers of the Sacred Heart sent her there in 2011. She came to help in 2011 after a major tornado ripped through the area. The storm killed 64 people, destroyed homes, and wreaked havoc on the local economy. The region has still not recovered.
Serving those most in need
Alabama is currently the sixth poorest state in the country. Several counties in West Alabama are among its poorest, with nearly a quarter of residents falling below the poverty line. Rates in some counties reach higher, including Perry county that faces a 40 percent poverty rate.
This is the area that Sister Dawson serves.
The food pantry hosts about 200 people weekly. Regular supplies from stores, such as Panera Bread, and other donations keep its shelves stocked. Additionally, CSS operates a clothing warehouse, which is set up like a store to ensure clients feel treated with respect. Sister Dawson loves to help people walk through the aisles of beautiful clothes and shoes and help them pick out a new outfit.
The number of people needing help keeps rising. In 2016, CSS served about 7,000. That number jumped to more than 10,000 in 2017 and continues to grow.
Sister Dawson is happy to greet each one of them with a smile. “We are all poor in different ways. These people are poor in money,” she said. “But some people have lots of money and they are still poor.”
Catholic Extension Society supports Sister Dawson’s health insurance to help maintain her ministry where it is needed most.
I am serving God where it really counts. These are the poorest of the poor. I am a vessel for God’s love.”
Sister Princess Mary Dawson
