“If I ever write my life story, I’ll call it God Played a Joke,” said Ms. Eleanor Doidge with a smile.

Ms. Doidge is a member of the Ladies of Bethany congregation, which was founded to promote ecumenism and work among the unchurched. The only remaining member of the congregation in the U.S., she is one of the forces behind a recent JRS education project in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Today, thanks in part to her generosity and initiative, students in JRS schools in Nyiragongo, Mugunga, Sake (North Kivu), and Minova (South Kivu) now have access to clean, safe facilities and a quality curriculum.

When she received a proposal from JRS to build new bathroom facilities after the previous latrines had been destroyed, she immediately said yes. “Of course they need latrines,” Ms. Doidge said matter-of-factly. “And if that is one small thing we can do to help, we need to do it.”

Ms. Doidge is no stranger to the power and necessity of education. She grew up in a small town in southwestern Pennsylvania. Her father was a committed atheist, so neither Catholicism nor faith in general were a part of her upbringing. After her mother’s death, at the age of 15, she had to take over responsibilities at home, which strained her ability to continue high school even though Ms. Doidge loved learning and asking questions. “I was always one to challenge easy answers,” she said.

One afternoon, while folding laundry and watching a daytime program on the family’s black-and-white television, she heard a guest on a talk show speak about Mount Mercy College in Pittsburgh, then run by the Sisters of Mercy. Not only had she never seen a nun before, but she also hadn’t considered college as an option. Suddenly, she knew what she needed to do. Once she was able to finish high school, she applied to Mount Mercy and was accepted.

Not long after moving to Pittsburgh, a close friend invited her to a meeting with the local monsignor. Her friend needed to meet with him about her upcoming wedding. On a sudden intuition, much like when she heard about Mount Mercy, she asked to be baptized. The date of her baptism – February 3, 1963, which was also her birthday – remains one of the most meaningful days in her life.

“The only thing that’s ever mattered to me is following Jesus,” she said. “I’ve only ever just wanted to do what he did.”

Still, the road ahead was not straightforward. She worked in the dining hall and at a local hospital to make ends meet, but after three semesters, the cost of her education became insurmountable. Facing mounting debt, she told the college dean she needed to switch to part-time classes. The dean listened, then returned to a conversation they’d had before, one about Ms. Doidge’s vocation.

Independently, she had been exploring whether religious life was for her but was struggling to see herself in the congregations she had previously encountered. Not long after, a fellow student told her about the opportunity to volunteer with the Ladies of Bethany, a Dutch-founded congregation that ran a community center near Mount Mercy.

That night, Ms. Doidge couldn’t sleep. She waited until 9 a.m., when the Ladies of Bethany opened, and gave them a call.

They invited her to visit. She quickly started volunteering, even staying with the congregation throughout the summer.

Their mission was grounded in accompaniment and in being with the community they served. Primarily responding to the needs of those in public housing, the Ladies of Bethany offered social work, women’s support groups, summer programs for kids, recreational activities, and Sunday School.

The following year, Ms. Doidge entered the order.

“We don’t wear habits. We go by ‘Ms.’ We were founded to be with people, especially those who weren’t being reached by the Church,” she said, explaining how she was drawn to the simple yet profound way the Ladies of Bethany lived out their faith by being present. Founded by a Jesuit, the order and JRS have ample similarities in mission and practice.

“JRS is a perfect fit,” Ms. Doidge said.

Like the Ladies of Bethany, JRS was built to be with and in communities, walking alongside forcibly displaced people.

“There are lots of people we need to care for and anywhere we can support, we must—whether the project be large or small,” Ms. Doidge said, reflecting on the partnership between JRS and the Ladies of Bethany. “We trust JRS. I know the organization is going to do what they say they are, as much as they are able to.”

Ms. Doidge sees philanthropy as an action of hope—a way to prove you believe in a better tomorrow and are willing to make sacrifices to be part of that change.

“You could just as easily give money, and many people could, who don’t. But it’s not about the money in the first place,” she said. “It’s about believing in a better world and being committed to your part in making it a reality.”