Community Involvement

Mary Sommers Carden is a compassionate volunteer who has contributed her time and resources to assist others in her community.

One physical representation of her contributions is the Gilead House. The not-for-profit facility with a focus on women’s addiction treatment now encompasses therapy programs, counseling, health and job readiness education, financial management, and housing assistance. Since 2001, Mary has dedicated her time and resources to help the women in these programs transition from addiction to well-adjusted women in society. Over 8 years on the board, Mary and founder Reba Harris collaborated to provide vital health and wellness services for the community. Her time with Gilead House led to the creation of a bike donation program to offer independent transportation to the homeless recipients. Mary’s example of compassion for others is proof that community change starts with those more fortunate. Learn more about Gilead House’s mission here: https://gileadhousekokomo.org/

After a few years working with Gilead House, Mary noticed the need for family shelters and resource centers in Kokomo, and from there she partnered with and served on the board of directors for Coordinated Assistance Ministries (CAM). As part of a committee, she helped raise $75,000 to purchase a multi-family home that is now the Family Hope Center. Seeing how much her efforts affected the community, Mary then went on to gift financially toward the down payment for the men’s day shelter. Mary served on the board for more than 6 years and is currently working to finance a women’s shelter in the future. Learn more about CAM’s mission here: https://www.camhope.org/

In addition to CAM, Mary’s work toward creating more affordable housing opportunities in Kokomo extends to Advantage Housing. Here, she was appointed to the very first board of directors and served for 5 years to implement policies for the charitable organization. On top of volunteering her time fundraising and working in the Advantage Warehouse, Mary aided the development of sweat equity, allowing those who cannot afford a down payment on a home to work on one and simultaneously earn the right to ownership.

Her dream of a more stable community extends to even the littlest citizens of Kokomo – the children. Mary spent many years highly involved with the Jim Carden Kids Fishing Clinic, a family charity that teaches underprivileged children to fish, and in the process imparts life skills and allows kids to gain outdoor experience. Her commitment to the program led to the development of the charity’s 501c3 status to allow community donations. Her work with children also includes the New Leaf Mentoring program where she served on the board to help the program mentor at-risk youth whose parents have been incarcerated. From organizing fundraisers to the donation of her own treasure, Mary’s commitment to the next generations has helped shape her identity in the surrounding community.

Mary Sommers Carden’s lifetime of community involvement has never gone underappreciated by Howard County, and her local Women’s Business Council awarded her the Woman of Excellence Award for her efforts. The council is a professional organization that recognizes women in their business industry and provides support in all their endeavors. The Woman of Excellence Award is given to those who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, mentorship, and community volunteering. Mary feels this distinction was no small feat and will encourage other women in male-dominated fields to share their expertise with their own communities.