Kathleen Miller
Executive Director and Co-Founder
Living Grace Homes
Living Grace Homes is a non-profit organization that helps young mothers grow into healthy, empowered and productive women. It hosts two residential homes for pregnant and parenting young women, ages 14 to 24, who are homeless or in danger of becoming homeless. The first home opened in 2007 and the second home in 2014. In its 15 years, the charity has served close to 630 young moms for part or all of their pregnancy by providing housing, transportation, education, and life skills to prepare for parenthood.
Why did you start Living Grace Homes?
In 2007, Clark County had the highest teen pregnancy rate AND the highest rate of unaccompanied youth in the country, and there were no programs that focused on keeping moms and babies healthy and helping them become self-sufficient. There was a need that was not being addressed, and young moms were slipping through the cracks. So, I started Living Grace Homes to help fill that void.
Share a success story with us.
In August, I received a text message with pictures of a young man starting his first day at a local high school. He was the first baby who came home to Living Grace Homes after birth. When Sarah, his mom, came to us in 2007, she was 18 years old, four and a half months pregnant, and had not finished high school. She came from a broken home and had been in and out of juvie. The father of her child was a former gang member and felon.
When Sarah was filling out the entry paperwork, she saw the requirement that residents must be in school, working or both. She looked up at me and said, “I’ll get a job — I have to work to support my child because I cannot depend on anyone else to support us. But school? I don’t need no stinking school!” (Actual quote!)
True to her word, within a week, she had a job offer; however, she had to wait two weeks for the next new hire orientation. So, while she waited, we looked into her GED. Once we got her transcript, we were surprised to find she only needed to test out of two classes to graduate. Two months later, she walked, cap and gown, and was six months pregnant.
Sarah continues to call me ‘Aunt Kathleen’ and has stayed in close contact. She’s now a successful insurance agent, has another child, and cares for her grandmother.
What does Living Grace need the most?
The two things Living Grace Homes needs the most are volunteers and monthly donors. Since we opened our doors, we have been blessed with donations of goods and services. Volunteers help with transportation, give house parents a reprieve, share their own stories with young moms, and more. The classes we provide for the girls have all been on donated time by professionals in the community for financial literacy, parenting, nutrition, infant safety, etc. Monthly donors truly help us keep the lights on and the doors open.
What are you grateful for?
While I am VERY grateful for the donors and volunteers that have helped us keep the doors open for 15 years, I’m even more grateful for the young women who have found their way to Living Grace Homes, and we have been able to plant seeds. Hope is truly born here.