20 Really Good People
When Jenny, a young, working single mother, confided to Cindy Hoover that she had grown up in foster care and was now facing homelessness, Hoover called Mary Lourdes Saenz.
Saenz is the founder of Sisters-in-Arms, a five-year-old Ponte Vedra-based nonprofit that provides aid and support for girls aging out of foster care. Since its inception, Sisters-in-Arms has earned a reputation for swift and practical follow-through. In Jenny’s case, Mary mobilized resources, providing Jenny with the financial support needed to secure a downpayment for her new home, thus preventing homelessness for Jenny and her child.
“Mary’s actions embody the true spirit of service and compassion,” said Hoover, who attends the same Jacksonville church as Saenz. “Mary doesn’t just talk about making a difference – she is the difference.”
A long-time community volunteer and entrepreneur working with companies like the Ponte Vedra Inn and Club, BMW, Pavi Optics and Walter Lorenze Surgical Instruments, Saenz was inspired to start Sisters-in-Arms in 2021 when she met a girl who was in foster care and had a 2-year-old child at age 14.
“I did all I could do to help her,” recalled Saenz, “but she and her son disappeared and I was left with this hole in my heart.”
The organization is named for Saenz’s mother, Ofelia H. Saenz-Fierro, and her nine sisters, emulating the loving relationships she witnessed growing up. Soon, Saenz and her friend, co-founder and business coach Steph McFee, began turning Mary’s vision into action, putting together a detailed plan to offer long-lasting solutions to young women ages 18 to 24 aging out of foster care.
Sisters-in-Arms offers three programs: education, mentorship and community engagement, with the goal of eventually having a home for six girls who are transitioning out of the foster system.
David and Teresa Dozier of Atlanta heard about Sisters-in-Arms through their friend, Karen Townsend of Ponte Vedra.
“Hearing through word-of-mouth and then seeing them in action decided us,” said David, who participated at The Yards in the recent Arm-in-Arm Golf Classic benefitting the organization. “The good they do reaches beyond the boundaries of state and city. We will continue to support them every year that we can.”
To date, the organization has provided solid help to nearly 50 young women, while touching many more through outreach, fundraising events and partnering with other community resources. Seamark Ranch, which provides a nurturing Christian home and family system for children from families in crisis, is one of those community resources.
“Sisters-in-Arms has been an incredible blessing to the young women of Seamark Ranch,” said Executive Director Nathan Stanley. “From job interview coaching and fashion confidence to table manners and leadership skills, Sisters-in-Arms helps equip our girls with practical tools and a renewed sense of dignity. We’ve seen firsthand how these lessons build confidence, vision, and hope for the future.”
