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Kathy DiFiore
Kathy decided to turn her own home into a Shelter for mothers and their babies. As the demand for her help for pregnant women grew, Kathy made a decision to leave the corporate world and devote full time to helping mothers and babies in need. In a short time the demand became so overwhelming that with the help of other volunteers, she is now operating four residential shelters in New Jersey help of other volunteers, she is now operating four residential shelters in New Jersey; a 24-hour national hotline for pregnant women and five informative websites. Several Sources has opened a fifth shelter, Ladies Rest, in Newark for inner city poor women who are homeless and in need of special, daytime help to get back on their feet. The concept of Several Sources is the “haves” helping the “have nots”. Several Sources Foundation helps the poor, the ill, the lonely and concentrates its efforts on the inner city poor children of Newark and their families. Several Sources does this through monthly “Care Packages” and frequent outings to parks, the circus and to the summer golf clinic. Since mid 1998 Kathy has devoted much of her time to producing “The Choice Game,” a new DVD/computer game created by Several Sources Foundation to help young people learn about their choices and the consequences of their choices. If successful the game will help teach youth to respect their parents and the need for more homes for unwed mothers and prisons will be reduced. The 2007 segment of The Choice Game called “Confusion Burning” has been entered into the NY Independent Film Festival. Kathy’s work was honored by President Reagan at the White House in 1988. In 1989, Kathy received an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Felician College. In 1991, The New Jersey assembly passed a resolution honoring Kathy’s work with mothers and infants throughout New Jersey and poor inner city children who are “at risk” and children who are afflicted with AIDS (in Newark, NJ). In 1998, Kathy was honored by being invested as a Dame of Malta and received at St. Bonaventure University, the Gaudete Award for her continuing work on behalf of over 15,000 mothers and babies. In June 1999, Several Sources became a Non Governmental Organization of the U.N. Other Awards include the N.J. State Council of the Columbiettes "Humanitarian of the Year Award in 1989, St. Elizabeth's College Catholic Woman of Achievement in 1995, a Dame of Malta in 1998 and the Pax Christi N. J. Dorothy Day Award in 2001 and she is an Honorary Lifetime Member of the United Nations Women's Guild. Kathy is also the recipient of the 2005 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Award from the Franklin-St. John’s United Methodist Church of Newark, NJ. All operating expenses for the Several Sources Shelters is a 501 C-3 non profit organization which is funded through private donations, golf outings, dinners and free will offerings at various churches. The Choice Game is funded in part through a grant from the US Department of Health and Human Services. The Choice Game curriculum has been a part of the All operating expenses for the Several Sources Shelters are raised through private donations, golf outings, dinners and free will offerings at various churches. |
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Kathy DiFiore, Founder of the Several Sources Shelters, is a native of Rochester, and received her Undergraduate Degree in Psychology from the University of Rochester in 1969 and in 1979 received her MBA from NYU. She is currently studying for her doctoral degree at the University of Phoenix. From 1970 to 1978 she was a member of the NY State advisory Committee to the U.S. Civil Rights Committee. Her business career included holding the position of Personnel Director, American Express, Credit Card Division and Personnel Director at Degussa Chemicals Corporation. Upon reflecting on her role as Personnel Director, she thought she might be able to help more people in need on a part-time, volunteer basis by giving them her friendship and spiritual support as found in the Holy Scriptures.