Thank You to the new Executive Director from the Beatitude House for joining us for Today's program. Gina Pastella covered all of the updates on the types of services that the Beatitude House offers. Additionally, she covered how their services affect those individuals in need in Mahoning, Trumbull, and Ashtabula Counties and their team of 22 Staff have been able to help over 3,000 people since their inception.

Inspiration can take many forms and strike at any moment. For Ursuline Sister Margaret Scheetz, the inspiration to open Beatitude House came in the form of a film, God Bless the Child. This film, written by a Youngstown man, is the story of a mother and daughter caught in the cycle of poverty and homelessness. The mother must make the painful decision to give up her daughter, in order for her to lead a better life, giving her daughter a chance at a life she felt she couldn't give her.

After seeing this film, Sr. Margaret was moved to take action in the community and help women and children break the cycle of poverty and homelessness.

With a firm belief that education is the best way out of poverty, Sr. Margaret established Beatitude House. Beatitude House is a nonprofit nondenominational corporation of the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown that addresses the needs of all disadvantaged women and children.

Throughout the years, Beatitude House has benefited from the generosity of those in the community whether it is through their time, talents or monetary support. In 1990 an anonymous donor gave the Ursuline Sisters a Tudor home on the city's north side. That building was transformed into an apartment complex for Transitional Housing services, providing shelter for women and children. The first families moved into the building in 1991 and soon two complexes were added to the program. Those complexes can house up to 12 families.

Since its inception in 1988, Beatitude House has greatly expanded its services to address the growing needs of the community. The organization now operates transitional housing, permanent supportive housing and services for English Language Learners.

Sadly, in January 2001 Sister Margaret passed away, but her legacy lives on in her ministry. Beatitude House continues her dream of helping women and children break the cycle of poverty and violence and builds lives of stability and hope.

For more information on the Beatitude House, visit: http://www.beatitudehouse.com/ or Call (330) 744-3147