Hannah's House plays a unique role in this community as we are the only maternity home in St. Joseph County and one of four across the state. We serve desperate young women who are pregnant, homeless, and wanting to choose life for their babies. The women come to us for a safe home, food in their tummy, and a opportunity to be a good mother. We offer support, guidance,love and hope. Lives are changed in our home because the women soon learn that we are different than most agencies...we truly care about them and their future.

This small house on Fourth Street becomes their "home" and a place where they can grow, change their life style, and become responsible, nurturing mothers to their children. We have helped women with addiction problems become sober and continue that path after they leave, We have helped teens get back into school or get their GED. We have helped women gain employment, learn how to cook, clean, manage their time, and get ready to be the best mom they could be! We are also a faith based home where women are exposed to prayer, sit down meals, and staff that are available 24 hours a day to help them through the joys and sorrows of life. Our support continues after the mom and her baby move out with a Monthly Support Group, a program called "Learn & Earn", and our door is always open to former residents to visit daily.

We recently started a Dad's Support Group that meets monthly. In a year, we serve approximately 28 pregnant women and their unborn babies. They can live in our home during the pregnancy and up to two months following the birth. However, we turn away 35-37 women a year as we have no room. These women call for help at a critical time in their lives and we have no idea what happens to them. Many times the homeless shelters are also full. It's possible that some of these babies are aborted and it's possible that some enter the world living "on the streets". The need is desperate to open a second home and our Board is in the process of strategic planning to consider if this can be done. We are funded privately and receive no government assistance or United Way funding. Awareness of our home and what we offer is critical to gain funding to keep our doors open and hopefully be in a position to have operating expenses for a second home. We have only a few employees and none are gifted with marketing or development expertise. We rely on staff and volunteers to help out on these matters but our plates are already overflowing.

Your help would be greatly appreciated in several areas. The timing for this grant is exactly when we need it most because we hope to have development pieces created to begin the process of approaching potential donors for the new home. We also need much help with branding and communicating to the community 'who" we are. "Why" i think we should win is mostly about these young women and their little babies that we are unable to serve. They have been turned away and yet they are our future. They are the ones who will be citizens of this community. They deserve a safe beginning and a community that responds to these vulnerable little ones.

My hope is that the innkeeper at Hannah's House will someday soon be able to say "YES....we have room in the inn for you and your precious unborn baby". Your help and expertise in marketing could help us make progress in making this dream a reality.