Tessie Thomas knows what it’s like to feel hopeless, so she looks for every opportunity to help those in crisis know that someone cares.

That’s why she recently prepared a gourmet Mother’s Day lunch for residents of Interfaith Hospitality House, YWCA Central Alabama’s shelter for homeless families. “For someone at their lowest point, a white tablecloth and a vase of fresh flowers can bring their stress level down,” Thomas said. “It can bathe their spirit enough for them to keep going.”