Scranton Stories is an oral history video series featuring 33 individuals who have lived or worked in the city of Scranton. These videos are part of the larger project, Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story, which is a community-wide exploration of themes such as history, belonging, and identity. DiscoverNEPA will share these unique, personal “Scranton Stories” in the lead-up to the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026.
Community support paved the way for a second chance in Mary Pat Ward and Izzy Deflice's "Scranton Story"
After losing both of her parents early, Mary-Pat Ward moved to Northeastern PA with her infant daughter, Izzy DeFlice. When Izzy became ill and spent three weeks at Janet Weiss Children’s Hospital, Mary-Pat was fired for missing work. The pair found themselves homeless. An ad posted by the Catherine McAuley Center offered them a second chance by providing shelter and a structure to begin building a “life worth living.”
Today, Mary-Pat is the Center’s development director while Izzy attends Rutgers University in N.J. The mother-daughter team recalls a life in the public eye as they worked to give back to the community through Izzy’s youth philanthropy campaigns.
Mary-Pat feels compelled that people know their rise was only possible through a community effort – specifically crediting her husband, Doug, as always being there even while the community was highlighting their story as “Single Mom Does Well.”
Both hope that Scranton and the nation continue to offer compassion and safe places for people struggling through the devastating effects of poverty, racism, classism, homophobia, and systemic discrimination.
