I have been involved with Hagar’s House and Project Ishmael since their beginnings, as a board member, a volunteer, an interpreter, and a friend... Recently, a mother from Hagar’s House and Project Ishmael wrote, "I have two daughters, one 13 and one 11. I had to leave my country in South America because I'm a victim of the armed conflict, and my daughters were in danger. I'm here in the US for my daughters' safety and my own. I crossed six countries until I arrived. I crossed all of Honduras on foot and Mexico by train. I endured a lot on the road, cold, hunger, many times I didn't have anything to eat to feed my daughters. When I arrived in Texas, I headed here to Louisiana. I've been here in Hagar’s House for over three months. First and foremost, I want my daughters to be secure with a good education, to have a good job, and to have good emotional and financial stability, so that we can have a future ahead. And I know that with God's help, and with your help, we will be able."

The mission of First Grace Community Alliance (FGCA) is to work with and for people in need, especially women+ and their children, by meeting food, housing and other emergency needs, while simultaneously challenging systemic poverty in the greater New Orleans area. FGCA does this through its two main programs: Hagar's House and Project Ishmael.