Inspiring Conversations with Sarah Knierim of Dream Centers – Mary’s Home

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Knierim.

Hi Sarah, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in homeless shelters–not as a resident, but my parents started or supported shelters for men, women, and families from the year I was born through high school. I spent hours and hours with my parents serving meals, sorting clothing donations, coloring in the offices, playing Uno with residents… As I grew up it’s not a huge surprise that my heart for those in hard places continued to impact my time and energy.

My family has served as a foster family in El Paso County since 2014. We’ve had over 20 children placed in our home from newborns to teenagers. After years of serving children, my heart began to turn towards the mothers who needed the tools and resources to escape cycles of domestic violence and poverty which is often a generational cycle.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It hasn’t always been an easy journey. As it relates to foster care, we have welcomed a wide variety of children into our home—from infants with feeding tubes to significant medical needs to teenagers who have experienced atrocious abuse. We have grown to love children and had to say goodbye after growing incredibly attached.

While this is always a struggle, we know that caring for the vulnerable usually comes with a cost, not a crown. As it relates to my work with single mothers, there have definitely been struggles. It’s always difficult to see moms choose an unhealthy relationship over health and safety, and it’s hard to see a mom give up on opportunities because of the cost it requires.

We’ve been impressed with Dream Centers – Mary’s Home, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am so grateful for my role as the director of Mary’s Home. Mary’s Home is a long-term residential program for vulnerable women and children with nowhere else to turn. They are seeking to overcome cycles of poverty, housing challenges, and often abuse.

The incredible moms in our program are welcomed into beautiful, fully furnished apartments (right down to the toothbrushes), and are able to spend their first six months focusing on our holistic programming that addresses areas such as trauma-informed parenting, codependency, health and nutrition, finances, healthy relationships.

They are also participating in therapeutic services and healthy communities. After taking time to heal, they focus on finding their purpose and starting on the educational pathway that will lead them toward self-sustainability.

One of the beautiful things about our program is that we are there to support their goals and can look at their journey individually, and support them on the path that will get them there. Our goal is to see families succeed and cycles change. Because of our approach, our success rates are high, and lives are being changed. It’s been a joy to be a part of such a great program.

Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
One of my favorite memories as a child was getting a VHS of Land Before Time from a resident at the homeless shelter my parents ran. As I look back as an adult, I’m pretty sure it was stolen, but it’s still an all-time favorite kids’ movie.

Contact Info:

• Website: dreamcenters.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/sarah.knierim
• Other: sarahknierim.com

Image Credits
Ashlee Kay Weaver