Diocese Starts Nourish for Parents Support Group

August 19, 2025

Caretakers of children with disabilities or mental health illnesses are invited to a new, Catholic support group, Nourish for Parents.

Nourish for Parents is an offshoot of the Nourish for Caregivers support group. The curriculum was funded through a mental health grant from Catholic Charities.

Planning for this new group began after parents in the Nourish for Caregivers group requested a space where the unique needs, such as education or community resources, that come with raising a child with disabilities or mental health illness can be discussed, said Patty Origer, diocesan coordinator of Persons with Disability Ministry.

The leaders of Nourish for Parents, Kate McInroy and Anna Mundy, want to take the needs of parents and build topics surrounded by those needs. They also plan to bring in quarterly speakers to discuss topics.

“We are interested in learning what matters to them and what fits for the people attending,” said Mundy.

McInroy and Mundy hope Nourish for Parents will be a place where caregivers can connect with others in similar situations in the context of their faith. McInroy, a retired special education teacher, and Mundy, a parent of a special needs child and leader of other organizations, plan to bring their experiences to share and help others.

Origer, a parent of a child with special needs herself, hopes the connections formed in Nourish for Parents will be an invaluable resource for caregivers.

“It was really important to have that connection,” Origer said. “It’s nice to have other parents to talk to about things and to pray with.”

Caregivers of children of all ages are invited to come, McInroy said.

Nourish for Parents meets the second Saturday of each month. The first meeting is Sept. 13 at 9:30 AM at Holy Trinity Parish in Des Moines. Childcare will be provided.

For more information or to volunteer, contact Kate McInroy at kmcinroy59@gmail.com or Anna Mundy at awholey@gmail.com.