Why The Elizabeth House Matters
Tia* knows firsthand the amazing power of transformation a supportive environment like our maternity home, The Elizabeth House, can have on a family. She knows because she experienced it.
“I was 18, sleeping on my grandmother’s ‘80’s couch, working closing shift and taking the last bus home in the cold Wisconsin winter. I tossed and turned, wondering how I was going to be give my child anything in this situation. I had no high school diploma, a minimum wage job, and a couch 2 inches shorter than me. How would I bring a child into the world?”
Sadly, situations like Tia’s are not uncommon. In fact, we have a long call-back list for pregnant women waiting for a room in our maternity home. They know The Elizabeth House offers the hope of a better future and a way forward that doesn’t include ending the life of their pre-born baby.
Tia lived in The Elizabeth House for nearly a year. In that time, she gained skills that prepared her for motherhood, earned her high school diploma, learned how to budget, and craft a resume and gained other life skills. Even more important, she created lifelong memories and relationships and reconnected with God.
Said Tia, “I felt safe and loved. I knew that because I was finally willing to accept help that would mean my daughter would never struggle with instability.”
One of Tia’s favorite memories was dinner time. Growing up, she didn’t experience healthy family meals shared together around a table. “To be able to make a delicious dinner, have great conversations, and even clean up together afterward, made me feel like I had a family and a home life!”
Even though we do little advertising, our maternity home has been in high demand, and we can’t accommodate the number of requests we receive. We’re prayerfully looking at expanding to serve the rising number of women who reject the lure of abortion and make a choice for life. Please contact us to learn more about the need, the vision, and how you or your church get involved to make a second home a reality for more moms like Tia. Email Sara at sarap@carenetdane.org or call 608 – 259-1606.
As Tia says in her own words, “I hope they continue to touch as many women’s lives as possible. Because everyone deserves a fair chance and that’s exactly what they’ve given me and more.”
*names changed for privacy.