See Beautiful Grant Applicant: Life Choices, Inc.

The feature below is brought to you by  Life Choices, Inc, an organization that is in the running to receive a See Beautiful Grant. For more information about all of our giving initiatives, please click here. 

To learn more about Life Choices, Inc, please visit their website page: here.

Strength for today and a new hope for tomorrow

Life Choices, Inc. has been helping others “see beautiful” since 1984. While originally operating as a pregnancy crisis hotline and then as a resource center, supplying physical items such as diapers and wipes to pregnant women in need, today, there are three branches of the ministry that enable us to see every life valued.

1. PREVENTION: My Choice Education – From elementary students to middle school and high school students to prison inmates, we help individuals see beautiful in themselves and others by teaching a sexual integrity curriculum that includes an in-depth message on self-worth, healthy relationships, and setting healthy boundaries.

2. INTERVENTION: My Choice Medical Clinic – Our clinic staff often see men and women at a point of crisis. Whether they are facing an unplanned pregnancy, coping with the aftermath of an abortion, or hearing that they tested positive for an STD/STI, we help people see beautiful despite their circumstances by instilling hope, self-worth, and knowledge.

3. RESTORATION: The Inn, a Maternity Home – With a unique opportunity to truly pour into the life of an individual in a family setting, The Inn is helping to restore beauty, two lives at a time (momma and baby).

The Inn is really what we want to share with you all! After seeing multiple women in our clinics facing the threat of homelessness, we knew that there was something missing in our efforts to see every life valued. How can the life of the mother or the baby truly be valued if they are leaving our doors to live on the street? It took almost 5 years for the vision of a maternity home to become a reality, but during that time, even though it was a difficult process, we knew we couldn’t give up.

There was only one other home specifically for pregnant women within a 3-hour radius. That home was consistently full, with a waiting list, and when moms who were not placing for adoption left for the hospital, they weren’t allowed to return. We knew we needed to provide something for these women and children, whether they choose parenting or adoption, that would be there with them through the difficult and challenging post-partum period. Our exit goal for each woman is individualized but typically occurs before 6 months after birth.

When we opened our doors in October of 2017, we knew we were in for an adventure, but we didn’t have a clue what all we would face! Each resident that comes through our doors has their own unique story and unique challenges. We have faced traumas such as prostitution, childhood drug addictions, abuse, prior imprisonments, custody battles, and more.

Consistently, we are also entering the world of assisted sobriety (only a few homes in the nation accept residents in assisted sobriety programs). Through it all, we are walking with each woman to reach individualized goals that will lead her toward community-based self-sufficiency. Those goals cover five areas: physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual. Every step forward helps these women to see beautiful again, or maybe even for the first time.
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One resident described The Inn as a lifestyle makeover. Why? Because it changed everything in her life – from relationships, to what she ate, how she dressed, what she watched on TV, and more. She said, “Without [The Inn], I wouldn’t have gotten a second chance to be the best mom I could be.” 

With a family-style atmosphere, a lot of “programming” happens in day-to-day life. In fact, a lot of heavier conversations naturally take place in the car going to and from multiple clinic and doctor appointments. From budgeting to parenting to nutrition and so much more,

​The Inn is equipping each and every woman to live a life in which she can see beautiful even on the most difficult days. Despite her past, she is loved, she has value, and she is not alone. To borrow a quote, they now have “strength for today and a new hope for tomorrow.”

Written by: Bri Sherman

Development Assistant at Life Choices, Inc.