The Dougherty Dozen

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Be careful what you pray for. We went through nine years of infertility and had at least 11 miscarriages. But I kept praying to become a mother. And God certainly answered my prayers—and then some—because now we have 12 children!

When you have a dozen children, life is a little hectic. We do five loads of laundry every day. We spend over $1,000 each week on groceries and have four full-size freezers in our garage to store food. We recently purchased 12 lockers so the kids have their own space for their coats, backpacks and all their shoes. We need a 15-seat passenger van to go anywhere. I go to bed at 11 each night and wake up at 4 in the morning to get everything done. It's amazing what you can get done if you're on the go for 19 hours each day! Our days are loud and full of chaos, but they’re also meaningful and full of love.

We became known as The Dougherty Dozen in a fairly unique way....

Trying To Eradicate Poverty

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I grew up with a single mother and four siblings. Hardship was no stranger. Sometimes, we had no place to call home, and as a kid, I thought my circumstances meant I should dream small.

God gracefully proved me wrong. In 2010, He gave me an ambition that destroyed the box I once dreamed in: a dream to eradicate poverty through community outreach and free acts of service. God showed me what once disqualified me in some places now qualifies me in others. He brought me out of poverty so I could tell others, “You can make it.”

In 2012, I put my dream on a vision board, then spent the next few years in pastoral roles. By 2019, my desire for outreach was too strong to ignore. I stepped out in faith and started the East Valley Dream Center alongside my brother...

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