Celebrating 1 Year!
It’s so hard to believe that we’ve been providing a safe place for women to journey through pregnancy for one year! It feels like yesterday and a decade ago all at the same time. Considering it was almost a year and a half ago since we posted our last blog post, I am excited to get you all caught up on the events of the past year!
A Dream is Born
Since we accepted our first mom on September 19, 2017, we have successfully provided housing for 20 women during their pregnancy. We have welcomed home 7 babies from the hospital and have witnessed the growth of not only the baby, but also the bond between the mother and her baby.
Before we opened, I remember saying to our Board President, Jeff Schiefelbein, “Even if we house one mom for one night, I will be happy.” Now here we are, having housed 20 women and their babies for 365 nights, with no thought of stopping. With the need even greater than we realized, it is more important than ever that we keep going. And we can keep going and growing with the incredible support we have received from you – the donors, volunteers, prayer warriors, and supporters who have hoisted up this organization and continue to help us grow.
So often, I see the parallels of giving birth to In My Shoes to giving birth to a baby. I have never given birth to a baby myself, but have many friends who have. The first few months of postpartum are EXHAUSTING. Everything you thought life with a baby would be ends up being totally different. While being mentally and physically exhausted, you still have to mentally and physically provide for this newborn by creating a routine and a structure for the baby to grow and thrive. Starting a new organization felt similar. It actually felt like crawling.
Learning to Crawl
At the beginning of 2018, we turned a huge corner, as a baby does when she starts to crawl and realizes there’s a world outside of the living room. We hired our second Residential Core Team Member (our live-in staff), which allowed us to continue to grow from accepting three moms at a time to six, and to build upon our classes and our programming for the moms. Later in the year, we hired a third Core Team Member, and we now can fully accept nine women to live in our home at one time.
As you can see from our overall numbers, we have had several moms come through our program who have not stayed the entire time. That is a reality of housing those who are homeless. Although to some this may not seem like a success, to us, the simple, yet profound offering of a safe, welcoming environment for even one night is an open door to experience Christ’s pure and unassuming love for us. And that is a huge success.
Standing on Two Feet
Within our walls, we have witnessed even further success. We have celebrated many moms’ sustained periods of sobriety, acquiring jobs, getting accepted into school, obtaining a GED, paying off court fees and complying with or completing probation. Furthermore, we have witnessed moms who never considered it before to breastfeed their baby. Moms who, in the past, have lost custody of children, and now are able to develop a bond and relationship with their baby in a safe environment. Moms who feel empowered to keep their child and become a good parent.
As one mom recently said, “I am very thankful for this program. I really honestly have gained so much – such as enrolling in online classes, finding a job, and, the most important thing, keeping my daughter. I’ve learned and gained so much support and I wouldn’t change it for the world.” – Current Resident
In the future, as our moms go from crawling to walking to thriving, we look forward to sharing more of these stories. Please keep our moms, our babies, and our organization in your prayers as we all continue to move from crawling to walking and, one day, fully supporting 18 women and their babies. Thank you so much for your continued support!
Maria Eichhold, LMSW
maria@liveinmyshoes.org
Maria is the Executive Director and co-founder of In My Shoes. She has a diverse background working with different populations in the social work field, and believes strongly in leading a trauma-informed organization utilizing the principles of Motivational Interviewing. Her passion is empowering women to lead healthy lives.