The last of the trio of leaders who led the effort to establish the Father Bradley Shelter for Women and Children died on Tuesday, Dec. 9., just as the shelter is observing its 25th anniversary of service to the community.
Mary Ann Thrasher was 93. She never lost her love and compassion for the shelter, its operations and its many residents through the years.
In 1998, Mrs. Thrasher, the late Father Ed Bradley and the late Sister Mary Pauletta Kane started having conversations about the need and feasibility for a community shelter, with recognition about the increasing number of women and children in crisis.
The goal was to offer a place of refuge and hope to an at-risk population.
That recognition was no doubt an outgrowth of the social service ministries of Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church, where as a lifelong member Mrs. Thrasher was a very active participant and had an opportunity to witness the challenges faced by the less fortunate.
Jo Logan, who would eventually become Mrs. Thrasher’s next-door neighbor and close friend, has been on the board of the Women’s Shelter for Women and Children (which was renamed in November 2013 to honor Father Bradley) from the very beginning.
In addition to being a founder, Mrs. Thrasher was an original board member and officer, and was involved in the daily operations of the shelter located at the end of Klutey Park Plaza Drive.
“It was a joy working with her,” Jo said, referencing her “servant’s heart” and strong Christian faith. “She had strong convictions and stuck to them. Even in these latter times when her health wasn’t as good, she had such a joyful spirit and positive outlook. These things were the basis for all the wonderful things about her.”
In later years when they became neighbors, Mrs. Thrasher, who served as the primary caregiver for her late husband Cecil Thrasher during a prolonged illness, was able to offer valuable advice to Jo when facing her own family caregiving challenges.
“We became really, really close friends,” Jo said. “She was such a wonderful mentor to me.”
Sharon Hazelwood, who served as the first director of the shelter, recalls the solid advice and experience Mrs. Thrasher shared with her when she took the job.
“She always spoke with wisdom and gentleness,” Sharon said. “She was an encourager, and I really appreciated her because I was doing a job I had never done before.”
Some of her training involved working with the Holy Name outreach programs, like Mrs. Thrasher had done, to get a feel for at-risk populations, their needs and their challenges.
That paid off for Sharon, thanks to guidance from Mrs. Thrasher.
“She had a real inner strength and strong moral character,” said the former director, who she has continued to visit over the years since her own retirement. “She always met me with a big smile.
Sheila Beaven, a member of the shelter board since 2013, said she was impressed by Mrs. Thrasher’s deep faith and devotion to the shelter.
“It meant so much to her,” Sheila said. “She wanted to see it be a success.”
And her desire to see relief for the less fortunate wasn’t limited to the shelter, the board member said.
“She was dedicated, sincere,” she said, “and will be missed by many, many people.”
In an interview with The Hendersonian earlier this year to note the shelter’s 25th year, Mrs. Thrasher talked about what was required to get it off the ground and introduced to the community.
“We had two daunting tasks,” she said. “One was finding a place to build or house the shelter. We had several failed efforts in the beginning.”
But a piece of property on Klutey Park Plaza was donated, and local builders volunteered to supervise the construction and, eventually ongoing maintenance.
“When we were donated the property, I dreamed of a new building housing women and children who wouldn’t have to be homeless and they could feel safe,” she added. “The community supported this effort and the shelter was completed.”
The second big task was finding someone to run the shelter. And then they found Sharon Hazelwood.
“Sharon was a true blessing,” Mrs. Thrasher said. “She laid the groundwork and led the shelter for years. We wouldn’t be where we are without Sharon’s leadership.”
And now after 25 years, the founder said she believed the shelter continues to be a vital resource for the community.
“It’s in a good place and continues to do what we set out to do—helping the women and children have a safe place to go and get a new start in life,” she said.
Originally the shelter at the end of Klutey Park Plaza Drive was a modest five-bedroom shelter with 22 beds.
Over time it has evolved into a community resource that offers more than emergency housing. It offers a pathway to stability and independence. Over the years it has helped at least 2,400 women and children.
The shelter (staffed 24 hours a day) provides meals and laundry access, and offers workshops on life skills, nutrition, financial literacy, parenting and domestic violence prevention. Children who come in with their mother get support, homework help and transportation to and from school.
Most residents stay an average of three to five months, which provides time for them to “stabilize, save money and prepare for independent living.”
They get there because of a variety of circumstances including relationship breakdowns, mental and physical health issues, substance abuse disorders and overcrowded or unsafe housing.
In the last five years, the number of women and children who have sought and acquired help has been rising, from 77 in the 2021 fiscal year to 141 in the last fiscal year.
Services for Mary Ann Hamilton Thrasher are set for 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church. Memorial contributions can be made to the Father Bradley Shelter, Holy Name School Endowment Fund or St. Anthony’s Hospice.
Read her obituary here.
