Clara Hale facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Clara McBride Hale
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| Born |
Clara McBride
April 1, 1905 |
| Died | December 18, 1992 (aged 87) New York City, US
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| Occupation | Humanitarian |
| Children | 3 |
Clara McBride Hale (born April 1, 1905 – died December 18, 1992), often called Mother Hale, was an amazing American humanitarian. She dedicated her life to helping children in need, especially those facing difficult situations.
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Clara Hale's Early Life
Clara McBride was born on April 1, 1905, in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. She grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
After high school, Clara got married and moved to New York City. She studied business and worked hard cleaning houses. When she was 27, her husband died from cancer. This left her with three children: Nathan, Lorraine, and an adopted son, Kenneth. It was a very tough time, especially during the Great Depression. Clara worked day and night to support her family.
Later, she decided to retire from her jobs to spend more time with her children. To be close to them, she started a daycare in her own home. She cared for other children while their parents worked. The kids loved being at her home so much that many wanted to stay full-time!
This led her to become a foster parent. In the 1940s, she began taking in children for both short and long periods. She also helped find permanent homes for homeless children. By 1947, and up until 1968, she had cared for about 40 foster children.
Opening Hale House
Clara Hale was living in Harlem, New York. In 1969, she officially retired from her cleaning jobs. She then focused completely on helping children. What started as a way to make a living soon became her life's true calling.
In 1970, she got a special license for her home. It became known as the "Hale House." A few years later, she bought a bigger, five-story building. This allowed her to help even more children. By 1975, Hale House was fully licensed as a child-care facility.
Mother Hale dedicated her life to caring for children who needed help. She took them in for free. She raised them as if they were her own kids. Once the children were healthy, she helped find loving families to adopt them. She was very careful to make sure each family was a good fit. She even turned down families if she felt they couldn't provide the best home.
Over the years, she helped more than 1,000 babies and young children. This included children born with HIV and those whose parents had died of AIDS. Her approach was simple: "hold them, rock them, love them and tell them how great they are."
Special Programs at Hale House
Mother Hale's work grew beyond just caring for children. Many programs were created to help families too.
- Community-Based Family Program: This program helped troubled young people.
- Time-Out-Moms: This program gave parents a safe place for their children when they needed a break.
- Children Help Children: This program was designed for young people.
Hale House also helped families affected by HIV or AIDS. They even created programs to help mothers after they had gone through detoxification. These programs offered housing, education, and support.
Mother Hale's Legacy
Clara Hale passed away on December 18, 1992, at age 87. She died from complications after a stroke. Even shortly before her death, she kept at least one baby in her own room.
Her funeral was held on December 23, with over 2,000 people attending. Many important people came to show their respect. This included Mayor David Dinkins, U.S. Senator Alfonse D'Amato, and U.S. Representative Charles Rangel. Even Yoko Ono and her son, Sean Lennon, were there. This showed how much respect Mother Hale had earned for her amazing work. She positively influenced so many children, their families, and the entire Harlem community.
After her death, her daughter, Dr. Lorraine Hale, continued her work. The Mother Clara Hale Depot was named in her honor by the MTA in 1993.
What Inspired Mother Hale?
Clara Hale's own father died when she was a baby. Her mother had to raise Clara and her four siblings alone. Clara's mother believed strongly in being there for her children. She supported them by cooking for others and taking in boarders. It seems Clara learned this same love for parenting from her mother. Clara often said that everything she achieved was thanks to her mother's example.
Clara grew up in Harlem, New York. At the time, Harlem had many people living in poverty. There were high unemployment rates and difficult living conditions. It was a challenging place to grow up, and getting a good education was hard. Mother Hale understood how important education was. She also saw the great need for children to have opportunities.
Her religious upbringing also played a big part in her life. She was raised in a Baptist church. She believed her faith in God and strong moral values helped her through tough times. She was the first in her family to graduate from high school. This was a big accomplishment for her time. Her education helped her appreciate differences among people and social classes.
Awards and Recognition
Mother Hale received many honors for her incredible work.
- In 1985, then-President Ronald Reagan called Clara Hale an "American hero" in his State of the Union Address.
- In 1986, the Women's International Center gave her the Living Legacy Award. This award honors women for their great contributions to humanity.
- She became an honorary member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority.
- She received an NAACP Image Award in the 1980s.
- In 1990, she won the Candace Award for Humanitarianism from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women.
