Category Archives: Housing

Housing Undocumented Women: When, Why, and How

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Valerie Harkins is joined by Faith Cintron from Aid for Women (Chicago, IL) to discuss how to best serve undocumented women in the maternity home setting. Faith draws from her experience to answer Valerie’s “frequently asked questions” surrounding this topic.

Sponsored by: Heart & Home E-Newsletter

Notes: 

  • Undocumented residents may come from all over the world. Maternity home staff should be prepared to be understanding of different cultures and traditions.
  • It’s helpful to familiarize yourself with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) processes and build a strong relationship with agents so that residents can obtain the correct paperwork as asylum seekers.
  • Connect with area churches that serve the same culture as your resident to help them feel more comfortable.
  • Government assistance may not be available to undocumented women; check your state laws.
  • Maternity homes can help women stay on top of court appointments and paperwork so that they can legally stay in your home.
  • Ask lots of questions! Be ready and willing to learn.

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Hope: The Journey of sharing Jesus in Maternity Homes

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Valerie Harkins, Director of the Maternity Housing Coalition interviews Allie Reuscher, Director of The Nesting Place Maternity Home about her experiences that led her to starting a maternity home, and what she has learned along the way. They discuss challenges that come with opening a new home and when/how to share the Gospel.

Email Valerie at Housing@heartbeatinternational.org

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Maternity Home FAQs

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Director of the Maternity Housing Coaltion, Valerie Harkins, takes us through some of the frequently asked questions that she hears from the Maternity Housing community. Valerie covers homes for minors, goals for residents, funding your ministry, housing models, and more!

Resources:

Sponsored by Heartbeat International’s Annual Conference

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Insurance for Maternity Homes – Kirk Thomas

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Valerie Harkins brings in Kirk Thomas from Johnson-Witkemper Insurance to talk about considerations when choosing insurance for your maternity home. He covers questions surrounding what insurance companies will ask and how to keep insurance costs low for ministries.

Resources:
–Click here to contact Kirk Thomas at Johnson-Witkemper Insurance
Email housing@heartbeatinternational.org to connect with Valerie Harkins

Notes:

  • Remember to cover your physical assets and people assets with insurance
  • Take into consideration your home structure – single family, multi-family, or mixed use property
  • Utilize things like security cameras, sprinklers, fire alarms, etc. to help minimize costs of insurance
  • Have a plan in place ready to implement in a crisis situation such as a natural disaster or home evacuation for other reasons.
  • Set clear expectations for residents

Sponsored by: Heart & Home E-newsletter

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Adding Apartments to Your Maternity Home – Vicki Krnac

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Vicki Krnac, Executive Director of Hannah’s Home talks with Valerie Harkins about the process of adding apartments to their maternity home to meet the need of residents who are ready to move into more independent living while still working alongside the staff of the maternity home. While it seemed like an overwhelming endeavor, Vicki and her team were intentional about following God’s timeline for the project, and saw His hand guiding each step along the way.

Resources

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Media and Maternity Homes

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Maternity Housing Specialist, Valerie Harkins talks with VP of Communications & Marketing, Andrea Trudden about the media’s increased interest in maternity homes over the past year. Andrea provides guidance on how to respond to attacks and how to effectively communicate with your supporters.

Resources:

Sponsor: Pregnancy Help Institute

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Trauma-Informed Care During the Christmas Season

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Valerie Harkins, Director of the Maternity Housing Coalition, interviews Suzanne Burns from Foundation House about serving women during the Christmas season who have experienced trauma. While most of us see this time of year as a season of joy, traditions, and celebrations, we recognize that for others, it is a difficult season to navigate as challenging family relationships, trauma, or loss may trigger negative emotions. Find out how you can help your clients to find healing and hope as you celebrate the birth of Jesus together.

–Click Here to Access the Recorded Webinar

Sponsor: Option Line

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Breaking the Cycle of Domestic Violence

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Women seeking help from maternity homes are often caught up in a cycle of domestic abuse. Ashley Potts, Founder and Executive Director of Selah Creek Maternity Home, explains how homes  can prepare to serve victims of abuse by learning as much about trauma-informed care as possible, and most importantly, learning to listen and develop trust. Listen in as Ashley shares how she and her team have helped women go from feeling that domestic violence is just the “normal” of relationships, to making cycle-breaking choices that will have a lasting effect on generations to come.

You can reach Ashley Potts at ashley@selahcreek.org or visit www.selahcreek.org

Sponsored by: Heart and Home

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Get to know the Maternity Housing Coalition Council

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Valerie Humes brings Vicki Krnac, Executive Director of Hannah’s Home and Housing Leadership Council Chair on as a guest as they talk about who the MHC Council is and how they can support you and your maternity home through training and resources.

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Mental Health First Aid

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Housing Specialist, Valerie Humes interviews Vanessa Rock (Good Counsel Homes) about the importance of teaching your staff how to safely and effectively respond to a mental health crisis. There are simple steps that staff/volunteers can learn that will help to create a safe environment for all residents in a home as well as for clients at pregnancy centers.

This episode is sponsored by Go for the Gold
Call 937-262-7010 for more on Go for the Gold!

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