With strong support from Catholics, local groups helping more women and children in crisis

A mission of love

Women and children in crisis across the Diocese of Charlotte are increasingly turning to local Catholic organizations for food assistance, emergency shelter, financial support and help through unplanned pregnancies.

Parishes across the diocese offer widespread support through a variety of programs, including Walking With Moms in Need, which provides support for pregnant women and new mothers. And parishioners are stepping up as volunteers and donors to support well-established organizations making an impact on women’s lives.

Here’s a look at three nonprofit outreach programs within in the diocese – Catherine’s House, MiraVia and Room At The Inn – serving increasing numbers of women and families.

Catherine’s House, Belmont

Catherine’s House, nestled on the Sisters of Mercy’s Sacred Heart campus, meets a critical need for women and children experiencing homelessness by providing safe transitional housing and services that help build self-sufficiency.

Named after the foundress of the Sisters of Mercy, Catherine McAuley, Catherine’s House opened in 1992 and has provided shelter for more than 2,500 women over the past 31 years. Dedicated staff and volunteers work in partnership with each resident to identify long-term housing solutions while teaching skills such as budgeting, time management and conflict resolution.

During their stay, each woman participates in an individualized four- to six-month program that includes case management, individual and group counseling, and a focus on emotional wellness.

“Many of the women and children that Catherine’s House serves lack a stable and positive support system to help guide them during their transition,” said Kathy Gauger, president and CEO. “The staff of Catherine’s House embody the core tenant of the Sisters of Mercy – the charism of Mercy, defined as the compassionate treatment of those in distress. The mercy bestowed upon residents is what fuels long-term change.”

In 2022, Catherine’s House assisted 54 women and 36 children, free of charge. It serves women and children from a multi-county area in North and South Carolina, with the majority of residents from Mecklenburg and Gaston counties. And their work is growing.

“We provided 23 percent more nights of care to women and children compared to the same time last year and have served 21 people more individuals. The need will likely continue to grow due to the increase in cost of living,” Gauger said. “While Catherine’s House meets the basic needs of our residents, our greatest impact is empowering women to become self-sufficient so that upon completing the program, the cycle of homelessness ends.”

MiraVia, Charlotte and Belmont

Since 1994, MiraVia has offered a safe haven and source of hope for more than 11,300 pregnant women and their children. It offers a unique combination of pregnancy resources to women in an outreach program in Charlotte and in a residential program for college moms on the campus of Belmont Abbey College.

Last September, MiraVia’s Outreach Center moved to a new, 3,700-square-foot location on Tyvola Road, allowing for much-needed extra space to store donations, conduct classes and accommodate a free boutique for pregnant women and new moms. The move couldn’t come at a better time.

MiraVia hosts up to 80 women a week at the outreach center, and it was running out of room in its old facility on Weona Avenue.

“Our Outreach Center has become busier and busier, so this was the perfect year for us to expand and to find a new facility,” said Debbie Capen, executive director.

“We are thrilled to have relocated to a new location that is still very accessible to our clients.”

Capen said the space is more professional and better reflects the dignity of MiraVia’s clients. In addition, it is well organized for the programs they offer women, including life-skills classes and support groups. The new classroom setting is bigger, offering technology resources for meetings.

“The flow in our new space is better, as clients go from the classroom to the boutique to pick out clothing for themselves, their children and the necessities they need such as diapers, wipes, car seats and cribs,” Capen explained.

“Our hope is that we would like to increase our reach by 25 percent this year and work towards doubling it,” she added. “We’ve adjusted and streamlined the outreach program so that the new facility makes it conducive to the program and what we do.”

Feedback from women who have transitioned from the old location to the new Outreach Center is positive. Many have noted that it makes them feel special coming to such a nice facility for support.

“That is priceless to me: that they don’t feel marginalized,” Capen said. “It’s so beautiful to see moms and donors coming in and out, interacting and enjoying each other’s company.”

Room At The Inn, Greensboro

In a large, stately Greensboro home, Room At The Inn offers shelter and comprehensive services to homeless, single pregnant women from across North Carolina.

Since opening its doors more than two decades ago, the agency has helped hundreds of pregnant women with nowhere else to turn by providing a home, resources, material goods, life-skills classes, job training, case management, transportation, child care, the chance to earn a college degree, and someone with a loving heart to listen to the struggles and dreams of the women they serve.

“Graduates of the maternity home program go on to live lives of hope-filled independence by obtaining jobs and their own housing with the support of caring staff members who stay in touch through the After Care program for years after the babies are born,” said Marianne Donadio, vice president and chief development officer.

The mothers may also choose to stay and earn a degree while living at the Amy Elizabeth Disney House next door or at the Backyard Ministry House in Kernersville. These houses are also used to provide emergency shelter when the maternity home is full.

The need for these services has always been in demand and shows no signs of waning.

“Even though North Carolina’s laws on abortion haven’t changed at this point, as a pro-life agency, we have been continuously striving to increase the support we offer to pregnant and parenting women in need, ever since we first opened,” said Albert Hodges, president of Room At The Inn.

Additions include the St. Joseph Housing program that launched in 2022 and the future Clifford Hall, a permanent ministry center to be built in Kernersville that will greatly increase the types and capacity of the agency’s services.

St. Joseph’s Housing program provides homeless clients with assistance in obtaining stable or permanent housing. Clients may be Room At The Inn’s maternity home graduates or may be referred to the program by other homeless service providers in the Triad. Assistance consists of case management, help with reducing barriers to obtaining or keeping housing, transportation, deposits for rent and utilities, and rent, all based on individual needs.

“Clifford Hall, our latest endeavor, will allow us to greatly expand what we currently do and offer a comprehensive array of essential services for single mothers,” Hodges said. “Our staff, architects and consultants are hard at work planning and getting the ball rolling on this life-changing project.”

When finished, Clifford Hall will house a thrift store, job-training programs, a child care facility, St. Joseph’s Housing offices, room for education and training programs and a large conference room with meeting areas where small fundraising events can also be held.

“We plan to add a second phase later on, which will include a small chapel and some housing for full-time volunteers,” Hodges said. “We are excited to see this long-term vision coming to fruition as we continue making the love of Jesus real to these single mothers and children.”

— SueAnn Howell and Annie Ferguson. Photos provided by Catherine’s House, MiraVia, Room At The Inn and Steven Sheppard