Not everyone in life is blessed with a family capable of being there for them in crisis. For those in the Goldsboro area, Mother Blanche Bell Weaver lived her life being that mama for all who were in need.

It all began within her church, the Rescue Church of God in Sanford, where she saw the men in her community struggling to make ends meet, struggling to make a better path for themselves.

In remembering her, Pastor Quinton Faison described Mother Weaver as someone who mothered and took care of all, “always ready to listen and share her life experience, wisdom and motivation.

“She was known for her big, beaming smile,” Faison says, clearly back in the past, remembering his experiences with Mother Blanche Bell Weaver. “She would stand by that door and greet each person who came into this church with her warm smile and treat them like family from the moment she met them.”

She had a reputation, Faison says, and people would hear about her from all over. When they heard about her, they would travel to Sanford, seeking the counsel and advice of this Mother who didn’t judge and accepted everyone for who they were.

“She always worked at mentoring and teaching others to be better,” he said.

Young individuals would come to her barely able to make ends meet, and she would take the time to work with them, guide them, and show them how to create a budget, grow their lives and skills, and overcome whatever obstacles were in their way.

When the needs of serving and uplifting the community became too large for the church, Mother Weaver approached the church elders with her dream to build a haven for those who were living on the streets in her community.

It would take $15,000 to start construction, so she and the church congregation committed one hour of their pay each week to the building of a new shelter to be located across the street from her church to uplift her neighborhood.

In 1987, the church met its financial goal, and congregation members dug the footers for Rescue Outreach Mission by hand, literally laying the foundation for her legacy of love and compassion for people from all walks of life.

Once the shelter was established, she was a participatory leader, spending much of her free time there interacting and working with the guests staying at the shelter, ensuring that they felt valued regardless of their circumstances.

One of her favorite places to serve those around her was in the kitchen, where she poured love into her meals. Through her cooking, she ensured that shelter guests were nourished and cared for, showed appreciation to her board, enticing them to show up to meetings with food, and supported the neighborhood through a thriving restaurant, Mother’s Kitchen, just down the street from the shelter.

In addition, she ran two daycare centers in the neighborhood. Helping families regardless of their ability to pay, ensuring families had a safe place to leave their kids while they worked.

No job was too big or too small for her. From cleaning the bathroom, taking out the trash, to running multiple businesses to support her neighborhood and being a mother to all who needed it.

Mother Weaver served and loved her community until she was no longer capable due to dementia and died on Mother’s Day 2014. She left behind a legacy of finding the good in people and helping them become their best.

“She always said ‘If it’s in you, I’ll get it out of you,’” says Faison with a wistful smile. “She would say it to me and to everyone…. ‘if it’s in you, I’ll get it out of you.’”

We may not all have the family that we wanted, but we most likely all know someone like Mother Bell Weaver, someone who saw the good in others and was always willing to help when someone was in need.

This Mother’s Day, we honor those women. Family is who you can turn to when things get rough. For those who don’t have a family to turn to, we at Rescue Outreach Mission strive to continue Mother Weaver’s legacy and be a haven for those in need.