our story

This is our story. 

Dolores Allen, affectionately known as, Mama Duck, had a vision at the young age of 9 to operate her own orphanage for girls. She often watched the Shirley Temple Show and felt sorry for the children that lived in the orphanage. She described the children and the workers as dismal. It bothered her to the point that she dreamed of owning an orphanage where it would be cheerful, with bright walls and pretty girlie colors. It would provide a loving environment, with loving and gentle redirection, a positive and caring staff, and the warmth that adolescent girls needed to develop healthfully. Mama Duck described her childhood as being treated like an orphan. Her mother did not choose to bond with her, only to dress her nicely with no emotional exchange. “She was never a warm mother, only a drill sergeant and strict disciplinarian with changing moods,” therefore, Mama Duck was left to self-nurture, repeating affirmations to herself like, “you’re a good girl”.

As the years past, Mama Duck carried the dream of owning an orphanage only to bring it into fruition 51 years later in 2002.

The opportunity to establish a nonprofit came Mama Duck’s way, however, it left here with fear and trepidation. Mama Duck did not visualize herself as a founder of a nonprofit. Yet, the team of women who encouraged her, rallied behind her, and caught her vision insisted that she take the lead, and that’s exactly what she did. Mama Duck and her Dream Team, that’s the name she gave the women who teamed up with her, recruited 23 girls, between the ages of 10 – 18, at the Bladensburg Seventh-day Adventist church where they were attending. The girls named the organization Sisters For Christ. They met twice a month as Mama Duck and her Dream Team engaged the girls in fun life skills development modules and activities. The modules focused on etiquette, leadership, career planning, financial management, community service, spirituality and more. The girls were instrumental in the development of the concept “Creating a Safe Place” which meant a safe forum – emotionally, intellectually and mentally. The primary focus: building from the inside out, reaching the true innate beauty of each individual while developing their self-esteem. The girls also created the Sister Care Codes and Vows, recorded the Sisters For Christ song; set the requirements for officers, wrote amendments to by-laws, and named their original colors which were blue, black and silver. The Bladensburg Seventh-day Adventist church was the charter chapter of Sisters For Christ in the span of many to come throughout the Seventh-day Adventist Church within the United States and around the world.

In 2004, Mama Duck successfully registered the organization as a nonprofit, operating under the name Sisters In Sync, Inc. (SIS, Inc.). Contributing the majority of the finances to build and grow SIS, Inc., Mama Duck worked tirelessly to reach, pour into and love adolescent girls.

From 2002 to 2011, following nine months of interactive modules and field trips, Sisters For Christ Chapters around the United States, came together to participate in a formal awards banquet each spring. The Awards Banquet was a grand occasion offering girls to put the information they learned during the etiquette module into action. The banquet honored the girls, the leaders, and parents with awards of Commitment, Sister of the Year, Parent of the Year, Leadership, Caring Heart (Community Service), Senior Cotilion, Dedication of New Member and more. Parents/ guardians, supportive friends, Dream Team Leaders and Sister For Christ chapters attended each year.

Over the years SIS, Inc.’s, Sisters For Christ program blossomed and girls thrived. In 2012, the decision was made to change the name of the program from Sisters For Christ to My Sister My Friend (MSMF). Under the new name, SIS, Inc. would produce materials to reach adolescent girls in middle and high schools. Mama Duck wanted SIS, Inc. to go beyond the church walls and into public and private middle and high schools. Mama Duck took the lead and her Dream Team assisted in developing the “Safe Place Kit”. During this time Mama Duck felt unstoppable. God revealed to her, that this was her orphanage without walls then it happened.

One morning Mama Duck woke up with a throbbing headache. May 30, 2012, she was diagnosed with a subdural hematoma which required emergency surgery for removal of the blood clots on the left side of her brain. She remained in the hospital for three days and was released. After about 10 days she returned to the hospital with brain hemorrhaging. She was placed in ICU after four hours of surgery and then in the Critical Care Unit. She was left paralyzed on her right side, with no memory and unable to speak or eat. From the hospital Mama Duck was moved to a rehabilitation center where her family nurtured and cared for her daily, posting family pictures in her room praying that this would help her to remember who they were. It was her family’s positive influence, prayers and love that aided in her recovery even when the facility told her family that she may never be ready for their therapy. However, God knew that Mama Duck was in fact ready. Her progress increased with PT, OT and Speech Therapy. Eventually, she was back to speaking. On July 17, 2012, Mama Duck was discharged to her son’s home to recuperate.

During this time Mama Duck struggled with the fear of dying. It came to her at night before she went to sleep, or it woke her up in the middle of the night. It was the fear of the sharp feelings in her head and realizing that she had been delivered from death and permanent paralysis. Being alive frightened her because she wondered every day if she would die or repeat what she’d gone through. She knew that she had to conquer this fear because it would destroy her and all the good that God had already done. Mama Duck turned to her Bible, as she knew that meditation on the Word was a positive cure for the fear of dying. After five months of outpatient therapy, Mama Duck was able to drive herself home, excited that she could begin work again on the “Safe Place Kit”.

After nine years, and through many trying times, including the COVID-19 pandemic, Mama Duck completed the “Safe Place Kit” manuscript. The materials were transferred to the designer. My Sister My Friend Safe Place Kit included three My Sister My Friend books. The All About Me Student’s Workbook is influenced by the first Sisters For Christ Chapter of girls from 2002. Designed as a training course for school systems who share the desire to assist middle and high school girls in Life Skills development. The modules are designed to empower, and the activities are purpose-driven, which promotes personal development. The Instructor’s Manual contained information and guidance for the adult leader. It provided clarity to the concept of “Creating a Safe Place!” for the girls she leads. The Instructor’s Curriculum outlined the modules with activities that acts as a guide to be implemented by the adult leader. Mama Duck also created and included The Sharyse Napue Scholarship Program, for college bound seniors who completed MSMF, in honor of Sharyse Napue, a cherished charter member of Sisters For Christ who died unexpectedly.

In the fall of 2021, Mama Duck scheduled a meeting, for February 2022, to promote her “Safe Place Kit” at a boarding high school in Pennsylvania, however Mama Duck never made that meeting. On January 27, 2022, Mama Duck passed away unexpectedly, leaving her vision to be carried out by those who had come alongside her within the past 20 years of SIS, Inc. existence.

Today, Mama Duck’s vision lives on. SIS, Inc. currently serves adolescent girls and young women, 10 – 24, through SIS, Inc. three programs: My Sister My Friend, an after-school Life Skills Development curriculum for middle and high school girls; Career Sister, a program providing job training and internships for girls 16 – 24; and Sisters For Christ, SIS, Inc. foundational program for churches serving girls 10 – 18.