January 16, 2013
Vol 15
July 13, 2011
No 3
Vol 13 No 28
Including the St. Louis location, which has been open since 1982, Our Lady’s Inn has given more than 5,000 women and their children a new lease on life.
Our Lady’s Inn Maternity Shelter Provides Care and Support for Homeless Mothers By DeAnna Massie
IN this Issue
Betsy Beauparlant believes God has a plan for everyone, including the 14 families she helps to house at the Our Lady’s Inn maternity home in St. Charles. “I came to this work because I have a passion for women,” says Beauparlant. “I’ve worked at other nonprofits, but what I love about Our Lady’s Inn is that we get to help women in all areas of life.” Unlike other shelters, Our Lady’s Inn is dedicated to providing 24/7 shelter and support for expectant women who are at least 18 years old. “We help them sort things out so they can move forward,” says Beauparlant. For nearly seven years, the St. Charles location of Our Lady’s Inn has served homeless expectant mothers in a variety of ways. Clients are provided with shelter until they give birth and are ready for transitional housing— an average of seven to eight months. During that time, expectant mothers participate in a highly-organized series of programs and counseling. They are given prenatal care and childcare training and are closely advised by financial and career counselors to be prepared for life after birth and leaving the shelter. Clients are required to work or attend school while living in the shelter. Transportation is provided, and clients are required to save at least half of their income in preparation for transitioning into an independent living situation. Beauparlant is especially proud of the personal growth clients experience during their time at Our Lady’s Inn. “It’s important that our clients experience
Photo by Ray Rockwell
living with dignity here,” she says. Each family is housed in a private, furnished room with a private bathroom. The women also get to participate in therapeutic classes and activities. One example is the Pay It Forward jewelry design program, in which established designers teach clients how to create jewelry from donated beads and materials. Pieces are sold to help raise money for the shelter. Beauparlant says client-designed jeweler earned more than $5,000 last year. “The money we raised was impressive, but the women get more out of being able to sit and create. They get so excited and feel so proud when someone selects their piece.” What makes Our Lady’s Inn so unique is the aftercare program that helps women stay on track after moving out of the shelter. “We follow clients for two years after they leave. We secure low-rent housing, which can be the trickiest part, furnish the apartment and help them set up housekeeping. We continue to support them with financial counseling, career support, donations and childcare classes. Our job is to help prepare them
Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5 Lincoln County Life . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
for the next step so they can be successful.” Running such an comprehensive shelter and the many programs that go along with it is expensive. Beauparlant says approximately 44% of the shelter’s funds
come from grants, and 56% comes from individual donors, churches, charitable organizations and fundraisers. For donated items such as clothing and baby See OUR LADY’S INN page 3
MOVIE PEEK
School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Shelly Schneider / Recipe . . . . . . . 10 Joe Morice / Sports . . . . . . . . . . . 11
See MOVIE page 9
“Zero Dark Thirty” - Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures
What’s Happening . . . . . . . . . . . 12-13 Pet Adoptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-15
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