Honestly, if you’ve met my mom, Carolyn Canouse, before, you probably have enough stories to write this blog yourself. Sometimes I think of all of the amazing things that she has done and the lives that she has changed, and it’s hard for me to wrap my head around all of it. I remember when my mom came back from a trip to San Juan de Lurigancho, Lima, Peru about six years ago and casually in conversation told me “We’re going to start a nonprofit in Peru, so start thinking of names”
Watching her go through the process of establishing Make a Miracle was completely overwhelming and intimidating. She worked tirelessly trying to find donors, registering us as a 501c3, and trying to get things like our study center and offices set up from 3,000 miles away. Even to this day, she still works endless hours each week trying to make sure that Make a Miracle is consistently growing its reach, without keeping a single dime and always with a smile on her face and a generous heart.
We have grown exponentially over the past few years going from less than 10 scholarship students to over 100, and yet somehow, she finds time to talk, nurture, and encourage each student and truly earn her title as “Mama Carolyn”. I remember one time I was telling her about two of our students joking about who was her favorite and she laughed and said “I want every student to feel like they’re my favorite because they are all so special and deserve to feel that loved”.
She never gets tired of being kind or loving or generous or giving motherly love to anyone who needs it. She is truly a ‘mother to many’ with hundreds of people who call her Mom and feel like they can come to her with anything without embarrassment, shame, or fear of being judged. Today we celebrate her life and her accomplishments, but also her servant’s heart and her drive to keep making miracles. We love you Mama Carolyn!
- Rachel Canouse