New director at Give Me A Chance

Friday, Oct. 21, 2016

SALT LAKE CITY — The new director of Give Me A Chance is Sister Arthur Gordon, who 56 years ago professed her vows to the Daughters of Charity in St. Louis, Mo.

 A nurse by profession, Sr. Arthur has been following her call in California and in Africa for almost 17 years. Now she has been assigned to a different path the Beehive State.

“In our community we live through missions, so I was sent to Utah as part of my new mission as the executive director of Give Me A Chance Center,” said Sr. Arthur, whose name is unique – she is the only Daughter of Charity with that name.

“When I became a Daughter of Charity we didn’t take our own names, so that’s my father’s name. Then, after Vatican II, we had a chance to go back to our baptism names, but it meant so much to my father and it is so sentimental that I kept it,” said Sr. Arthur, who also explained why she decided to follow the call to the religious life.

“I was taught by religious sisters through my grammar school and high school, and their lifestyle attracted me, but what I really wanted to do was work with the poor,” said Sr. Arthur.

From the articles that she used to read in Catholic newspapers she heard about the Daughters of Charity and their work with the poor, so “ I went to see them and observed the work, spent time with them and asked to be admitted,” she said.

Sr. Arthur arrived in Ogden on Oct. 13 filled with joy and excitement about this new mission path.

She started down that path when she was called into her provincial’s office while six California hospitals that had been run by the Daughters of Charity were being sold, she said.

Because of the closures, the sisters who had been working at the hospitals required new assignments, “so I was available to be sent where ever they need me,” said Sr. Arthur. 

Her provincial told her “we have a need,” and proceeded to tell her about Give Me A Chance, “and asked me if I would be willing to do that, to think about it and to pray about it, which I did, so I came back and said yes, I will be willing to do it,” said Sr. Arthur.

For the moment she is getting to know everyone at Give Me A Chance as well as the programs that the organization offers.

“This is a wonderful program that does a lot for women and children. The Catholic laity that is involved – the various parishes, the volunteers, the Knights of Columbus - are just great,” she said.

Two other Daughters of Charity  also are assigned to Give Me A Chance.

“Sister Milagros Federico is in charge of the whole tailoring and sewing program, and Sister Lucia Nguyen is responsible for the sacred art and music program,” said Sr. Arthur.

Daughter of Charity Maria Nguyen began Give Me A Chance in 2010 as a project to teach low-income women sewing skills, then added cases in basic business practices so they could establish micro-businesses to help them become self-sufficient. 

Now GMAC has two locations. The original location on Washington Avenue has become the GMAC Bridal & Formal Center, and the new location on Grant Avenue  is the GMAC Learning Center, which offers adults sewing skills, nutrition classes, parenting classes, counseling and a computer center, as well as a day care and after-school tutoring for children.