When Candace Abel became involved with the CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) program in Lancaster, she noticed something. There were plenty of programs in place to help the children she was advocating for, but it was a different story for the young mothers.

"The mother of my very first CASA child appointment was developmentally disabled and only 19 years old," Abel recalled. "She was really in need of strong and loving guidance, but she did not fit into any of the local programs for single moms. ... I kept thinking what she needed was a reliable ally who could offer both advice and comfort to make the difference in her future life."

From that experience, Second Grace was born. The two-year program for single mothers below the age of 25 will match "Graces" - the mothers - with "Sages" - trained mentors who will advocate on the mother's behalf. The Sage might do anything from offering advice to driving the Grace to court or child care classes, helping with budgeting or assisting with finding housing.

Each Grace will have her own Sage, but the Graces will move through the program in groups of four who will attend monthly Grace Gatherings. "This will give our Grace clients the opportunity to build community with someone who can understand their challenges," Abel explained. "Additionally, they will need a better peer support system to get and stay healthy."

During the second year of Second Grace, the Graces will move into the work phase of the program. "Our vision includes long-term stability for our Grace, and an understanding of the value of steady employment is an important piece of this stability," Abel stated. The goal is to employ the Graces either at Girl Crush, a bath and body products company Abel started in 2017, or other local businesses.

Abel founded Girl Crush after retiring from Brittany's Hope, the special needs adoption advocacy program she created after losing her first adopted child in a car accident. She's the mother of 17 children, 13 of whom are girls. "Every time I would adopt another daughter, people would say to me, 'You must have a girl crush,'" she said.

Although Abel was inspired by another organization, Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, the idea for Second Grace is a unique one and required creation from the ground up. "The cream of the crop came forward," she said, of Deborah Wilson Gadsden, a child welfare expert who is writing the curriculum for the Sages, and Karen Jaskot, a family and addiction therapist who has written the curriculum for the Graces.

With the foundation for Second Grace set and a strong executive committee and board of directors in place, the program is ready to begin Sage mentor training. "Sages need the fortitude to go the road for two years with these women and the extraordinary, compassionate patience to stand firm and help when these women meet obstacles," Abel said. "I am sure that when we make a good match, it will be life changing."

An information session for potential Sages is set for Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Event Barn at 1610 Landis Road, Mount Joy. For more information or to register, visit https://secondgrace.org.