Shirley has always been an animal lover. She grew up taking care of many pets but it had been awhile since Shirley had any interactions with animals. One day, Latesha, brought in her brand new Chihuahua puppy named Sassy. Shirley’s eyes lit up and her smile spread from cheek to cheek. Sassy brought happiness to her heart.

On the very first day that Phoebe moved into the Branch, her family told Jenny that Phoebe had a paper Dixie cup that was very important to her. The paper cup had belonged to Phoebe’s former church leader who had passed away a few years ago. That was the cup that he had drank out of when he had visited her. Phoebe's family warned Jenny that if the paper cup was thrown away or went missing it would break Phoebe’s heart and we would never hear the end of it. Jenny knew she had to do something to protect that paper cup from being thrown away. She beautifully decorated a Mason jar and placed the cup inside and secured it tight. Jenny also placed warning labels around the jar to ensured that the jar would not be thrown away. Phoebe and her family were so relieved that the cup was safe!

Beve always enjoys arts and crafts. One day while she was strolling through our courtyard she came up with the idea of painting the rocks to bring color and love to the environment. She talked with Stephanie about the idea and Stephanie loved it! She immediately went out and bought lots of waterproof/weatherproof outdoor paints for Beve to use. Beve's passion for art turned simple rocks into meaningful decorations painted with love for our courtyard.