The downstairs hallway at Malta House is lined with black-and-white photos, taken over the years, of Malta House children. Residential Advisor Claire Mezidor is proud to show visitors a photo of the baby who, 18 years ago, became the reason she eventually came to become a trusted member of our team.

At the time, working in Family Outreach, “My job was to find resources for families enrolled in Head Start (a program for low-income families that promotes school readiness),” Claire explains. She hadn’t needed to help a family in need of shelter until she met a client who had a special-needs child, was two weeks away from giving birth, and was set to lose her temporary housing on the birth of her second child.

“She felt hopeless, and I received a call from this mom’s social worker to help her find shelter before she was discharged from the hospital,” says Claire. “I called Malta House for help, and she was accepted into the program, and moved into Malta House with her two children.”

“She felt blessed,” says Claire, “and she and her two kids later transitioned to a three-bedroom apartment in Norwalk.”

Claire’s Transition to Malta House Employee

During this family’s stay at Malta House, Claire became more knowledgeable about what she describes as “the amazing services that Malta House provides to the moms and their children.”

Becoming increasingly interested in the mission of Malta House, Claire started bringing her sons in to volunteer. 

“They came to play and do activities with the boy who has special needs,” she says. “He hadn’t had a playmate in the house, because there were mostly babies in the house, and he loved playing with my sons.”

The boy is now a 23-year-old young man, and his baby sister is now 18. 

“Two months ago, they visited me at my other job. It was a nice visit,” she fondly recalls. “They were shocked to hear that I am still working at Malta House.  I reminded them that it has been 16 years since Linda G, Malta House Executive Director at the time, asked me to join the team.”

On saying “yes”: “That was the best decision that I ever made in my life,” she says. “I love to experience the moms’ and their children’s progress and success while they are living at Malta House.”

Among many fond memories Claire has from over the years was being invited to the wedding of one of the moms. “It was my favorite memory to be there with her on this special occasion. She was grateful for the help that she had received from Malta House,” she says. 

Another fun fact: Claire and this mom are both Haitian. Claire emigrated to the US in 1984, married in Brooklyn in 1990, and then she and her husband moved from Brooklyn to Norwalk and then to Bridgeport. They have two adult sons: The older son studied Finance and Global Business, and the younger one is a fashion designer. Both sons play tennis, and the sport is something that Claire enjoys watching with her family.

Between family and work, Claire doesn’t have a lot of “free time” - but when she does, she says, “I enjoy listening to different kinds of music (such as Jazz).  I also love theatre and Broadway shows and visiting Botanical gardens.”