A 60-Day Update on Jazz and Her Family

Over the past couple of months, it’s been wonderful to see Jazz and her girls, Iriyah and Xyla, settling into their new home and beginning to enjoy our Holy Spirit community.

The big news:  Jazz has a job! She’s now working at FedEx and driving Lyft as she continues building stability for her family.

The girls are loving daycare, and Jazz has even made it to a few parish moments like the Fish Fry and Easter Egg Hunt.

Our Marillac Moms team continues to walk alongside her each week — and it’s been a joy to see the smiles, hugs, and gratitude every time we visit.

We’ve included a few photos of Jazz and the girls enjoying time with our Holy Spirit community.

Thank you for continuing to support this journey. 

A beautiful act of love from our young parishioners…
Our 3rd and 4th grade Religious Education students created a special project to build a library of books for Iriyah and Xyla. Each child brought a favorite book, made a card, and wrapped it with care.

These gifts will be shared with the girls throughout the 15 months their family is with us — a reminder that they are surrounded by love every step of the way.

Pictured: Iriyah opening one of her very first books — her smile says it all. 

Marillac Moms Update: Progress, Hope, and a Baby Boy

We’re not quite at the one-month mark yet, but there is already so much to celebrate.

Jazz and her daughters, Iriyah and Xyla, are settling beautifully into their apartment. Jazz has shared her gratitude several times, telling us how much she loves the space and the surrounding community. 
Our mentors have been visiting regularly — focusing first on building trust and relationships. Those early visits are now expanding into practical conversations about budgeting and understanding her overall financial picture. Together, they’re working toward a plan that supports long-term stability. 

We’re excited to share that Jazz has secured a job at an Extended Stay hotel — a strong and encouraging first step. Employment is a key building block for independence, and we’re proud of her persistence.

There’s more good news. A Vincentian from another parish has offered us a reliable used car at a very reasonable price. Transportation will be essential to long-term success. As Jazz settles into her job, we’ll work with her to create an affordable payment plan that keeps her invested and accountable in the arrangement — a meaningful step toward ownership and independence.

And joyful news — it’s a boy, due in August! 

Thank you for continuing to walk alongside this growing family. Stability is taking root. Hope is growing. And your prayers and support are making a real difference.

A New Beginning at Holy Spirit 
We are grateful to share that Holy Spirit recently welcomed Jaiza — known as Jazz — and her two young daughters into their new home through the Marillac Moms program in partnership with St. Vincent de Paul Georgia. The family is also preparing to welcome a new baby this August.

After leaving an unhealthy living situation, Jazz and her girls spent several months staying with friends while she worked hard to rebuild stability. Walking into a fully furnished apartment of their own was emotional in the best possible way — a true fresh start.

Jazz is warm, determined, and deeply committed to creating a stable future for her children. She is currently in management training and interviewing for work closer to home. Please keep Jazz and her family in your prayers as this new chapter begins.

One immediate need is transportation. If you have a reliable used vehicle you might consider donating, please contact the parish office or the Marillac Moms team.

Thank you, Holy Spirit family, for the generosity and love that made this welcome possible.

Preparing a Home, Welcoming a Family
This weekend was a beautiful example of what we can do together as a parish community.

Vincentians and Knights of Columbus volunteers transported generous parish donations, assembled furniture and a crib, and thoughtfully set up each room so the apartment will feel welcoming from the moment our Marillac Moms family walks through the door.  Father Cossio also blessed the apartment, and we prayed for the family who will soon call it home.

We are also grateful to the Women’s Club, Hispanic Ministries, the Lucy Guild, the Order of Malta, Prayer Line Ministry, Tuesday AM Bible Study, Women of the Word, and so many others who helped stock the home with essentials — kitchen items, bathroom supplies, hygiene products, panty staples and household necessities — so the family can simply begin settling in without worrying about daily needs.

Thank you to every parish group and individual who shared time, donations, and care to make this welcome possible. Because of you, a once-empty apartment is now a home, ready to receive a family this week with dignity, comfort, and hope.

Please keep this family in your prayers as they begin this new chapter.

Our Marillac Mom team at Holy Spirit has officially completed training.
Soon, our Mom will be surrounded by Holy Spirit volunteers serving as coaches, mentors, and companions on her journey forward — helping with budgeting, career development, life skills, tutoring, and ongoing support. At the same time, St. Vincent de Paul Georgia will help ensure access to benefits and medical care so she can focus on building stability for her family.

In short, she won’t be walking this path alone.

We are grateful to Karla Colman from St. Vincent de Paul Georgia and members of the Transfiguration Marillac Mom team who joined us for training and helped prepare our volunteers for this journey.

We are especially grateful for the Holy Spirit volunteers who said “yes” to this call:

Wendy King, Mayra Martinez, Patty Nichols, Martha Glisson, Catie Aasen, Ellen Twomey, Karla Colman, Sean Dacey, Terry Trout, and Manny Sequeira.

Their first gift will simply be love — showing up, listening, encouraging, and walking alongside a neighbor in need.  We ask for your prayers as this new ministry begins.

A Home Takes Shape
This week, St. Vincent de Paul Georgia coordinated with Fully Furnished Ministries to deliver and assemble all the large furnishings needed to transform an empty apartment into a home.

Beds were built, furniture thoughtfully placed, and even a nursing rocking chair was sourced especially for our mom. The Fully Furnished team prayed with us, with the Executive Director reflecting, “Who knew a nun from the 1600s would still be serving people 500 years later? God did. And through Marillac Moms, He continues that legacy right here at Holy Spirit.”  Let’s just say… there were a few happy tears!

We are deeply thankful for this beautiful partnership and the way it made move-in possible. We also highly recommend Fully Furnished if you’re looking for a place to donate furniture—they even offer pickup for a modest fee.

Learn more: fullyfurnishedministries.org/what-we-do
(Furniture pickup available for $100)

Love Showing Up in Boxes
When we shared that we were preparing to welcome a mother and her child through Marillac Moms, our parish responded in an incredible way. Boxes began arriving—filled with household essentials, thoughtful touches, and signs of deep care.


Each donation was more than an item; it was a reminder that this family is not alone. In response to the overwhelming generosity, we created the Marillac Moms Support Circle so parishioners can stay connected and respond to needs as they arise. We are deeply grateful for a community that lives out love through action.

St. Vincent de Paul Georgia has secured a two-bedroom apartment at Walton on the Chattahoochee and is identifying the right family, with an anticipated move-in in February. Volunteer roles are being filled, and donation needs will be shared once our family is selected. Please continue to pray as we prepare to welcome them. 

Holy Spirit Catholic Church committed to sponsoring a Marillac Moms apartment through St. Vincent de Paul Georgia.