The Journey Home: Putting Down Roots
It is hard to believe that with the start of 2023, Grace's Table is entering our ninth year of empowering and equipping teen mamas in West Michigan. It feels like just yesterday one mama and her kiddo were trudging into the Richmond House on a cold December night to share a plate of spaghetti with our founder, Lisa.
Since the beginning, it's always been about welcoming teen mamas and their kiddos into our space. A space for teen mamas where they can feel seen, known, and loved. A space where they can access the tools they need to build brighter futures for themselves and their families. Our mamas have always said that Grace's Table feels like home.
And in 2023, Grace's Table will become just that- a home.
In the last two years, 80% of the mamas we served struggled with housing insecurity. Without a stable place to call home, teen mamas are living moment-to-moment, only able to focus on figuring out where their family will sleep that night. Being in a constant state of anxiety can be detrimental to both a teen mama and her kiddos and can have lasting impacts on their development and mental health (watch this TED Talk for more information).
With the prevalence of housing insecurity among teen mamas, we are beyond excited to begin work on launching our residential program. With the launch of our Residential Program, we are crafting the firm foundation and establishing the essential support system that will allow a teen mama to nurture herself and her family and begin to grow.
Anyone who's ever moved into a house knows that it can be a long journey. Right now, Grace's Table is at the very beginning of that journey as we begin to put down roots and turn our house into a home. Construction on the second floor of the Richmond House is slated to begin in Q1, with the launch of our Residential Program targeted for Q2.
There is plenty of work to be done around the Richmond House as we prepare it for families to move in, including furnace installation, new windows, and a complete remodel of the upstairs bathroom. Thankfully we don't have to do all this work alone! We are excited to share that Bruce Heys Builders is overseeing this project, and we can’t wait to see how it turns out.
So, if you plan to stop by the Richmond House anytime soon, please pardon our dust. We are busy bringing families home!
With all the work that needs to be done, we invite you to support this project financially. If housing homeless pregnant and parenting mamas and children is something near and dear to your heart, we would love to connect with you! Please reach out to Holly Daly to set up a time to connect.
