During her twenty years of service to The Cradle, Mrs. Helen C. Renald helped to place more than 2,000 children in loving homes.   Holly Renald Cohn, Mrs. Renald’s daughter, recently contacted The Cradle Foundation to discuss making a special gift to honor her mother’s life work.

It was important to Holly that the gift be used for a purpose that would be meaningful for her mother.  Holly’s donation will help support The Cradle’s ability to provide the essentials of a healthy life to some of the pregnant women who are our clients.  These essentials might include food, clothing, shelter, transportation, and prenatal and medical care. 

In memory of my mother, Helen C. Renald, a social worker at The Cradle for twenty years, I am honored to provide a gift to The Cradle for a fund to assist the special needs of birthmothers during their pregnancies.

My mother found her years of service at The Cradle very fulfilling.  She had a special feeling in counseling the women who were delivering their babies for adoption.  She placed the children with sensitivity for each baby’s background and that of the receiving parents.  She enjoyed being a part of The Cradle, working with the physicians, nurses and social workers to attain good futures for the children and the adopting parents.

My husband and I have become friends with the parents of children who were adopted as a result of Helen’s efforts, their children, and now their children’s children.  We appreciate her fine contribution to Cradle families.

Anyone reading this article who knew Mrs. Renald is encouraged to send in their stories and donations to the Helen C. Renald Fund at The Cradle Foundation.  In a future newsletter we will update readers on ways in which this gift was put to use. 

We extend our sincere thanks to Holly and Bert Cohn for this thoughtful gift, which strengthens our links to The Cradle’s past and our ability to help the women who will need us in the coming year.

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