Mama’s House was awarded a $25,000 grant from the H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation to help pregnant women in crisis situations. The Coachella Valley Spotlight grant will be used for professional counseling, tutoring, and educational material for women in the Mama’s House program.
“Mama’s House provides shelter for women in crisis who want to carry their baby to term, whether they plan to raise their child or seek adoption options,” said Jan Lupia, Founder and Director of Mama’s House, which is operated by the nonprofit organization HEARTbeat At 22. “Our program does not stop with simply providing these women a place to live while they are pregnant. We also aim to give our residents skills to be successful on their own after the baby is born.”
Mama’s House typically assists between 15-20 women each year, most of whom are leaving negative, stressful, even dangerous situations and want to improve their lives. The staff and volunteers at Mama’s House help their residents, 18 and older, with educational goals, job training and job searching, plus basic life skills and exposure to arts, crafts and music. While at Mama’s House, every resident is required to work toward a GED certificate, if they have not already earned a high school diploma.
“Jan and everyone at Mama’s House really take care of these women. They not only help them during their stay at Mama’s House but also make sure they are ready to live a new life on their own,” said Catharine Reed, Program Director for the H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation.
Mama’s House was established in 2013, and since then more than 50 women and their babies have been helped by the Mama’s House program. Mama’s House operates through the generosity of others including individuals and foundations that support the organization financially and others who volunteer their time. The Mama’s House ladies guild known as the Mama Mia’s organizes volunteers for tutoring, parenting support groups, cooking classes, arts and crafts workshops and more.
“This is yet another time when we are able to feature a unique nonprofit benefiting people in our area,” said Mike Stutz, General Manager of Gulf California Broadcast Company, which owns and operates CBS Local 2. “No other organization in the valley helps women in crisis pregnancies like Mama’s House does.”
Along with the grant, Mama’s House was featured on CBS Local 2’s “Eye on the Desert,” in public service announcements and on the www.cbslocal2.com website throughout the month of August. For more information call 760-848-8185 or visit www.themamashouse.org.