Mary's Shelter helps women in their time of need. | Canva
Mary's Shelter helps women in their time of need. | Canva
Kathleen Wilson, the executive director of Mary's Shelter, recently shared her thoughts on the last 16 years of service through the shelter. In that time, the shelter has provided assistance to more than 400 mothers.
"In 16 years, I have never had a woman that came through the shelter tell me that she regretted having her child," she said in an interview.
Mary's Shelter is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping women and their children, both unborn and born, improve their lives through higher education. Founded in 2006 with just two small rooms, the shelter has since expanded into a supportive community of multiple homes across the country. This includes providing not only a safe place for them to stay, but also offering an in-house program of parenting and life-skill courses. These courses are designed to equip women with the necessary tools and support they need to become successful parents and self-sufficient individuals.
According to Mary's Shelter, "[e]ach woman is blessed with a mentor who provides hands-on guidance, compassion and support. This foundation ensures women have the necessary time to work toward their goals and provide for their children, making the possibility of independent, stable living a reality."
Over 400 women have taken part in Mary's Shelter's program, which they state "seeks to offer hope and a chance for a brighter future for women who have made the beautiful choice of life."
“We give women three years here, sometimes more,” Wilson said, according to the Washington Examiner. “The idea is that they and their children, who we love … can go on, and counseling, housing, educational or employment goals can be a real and sustainable reality for them.”
During a CBS News segment on Mary's Shelter, Wilson said, "Not everybody needs a home. Not everybody needs to move out of their house. Not everybody needs to leave a violent situation. But we can help those that are having abortions because they feel hopeless.”
Shawnte Mallory, a 32-year-old mother of two, faced a desperate situation when she recently lost her job and was unable to pay her rent. She had reluctantly chosen to have an abortion in order to provide for her family.
Mallory was able to share her story with CBS News, and expressed the difficulty of having to make such a tough decision.
"It wasn't what I wanted to do," she told CBS News chief legal correspondent Jan Crawford. "It was just at the moment. It was what everybody was telling me to do. So I felt like that was really my only option."
Instead, she found Mary's Shelter and went through their program. She's now a mother of five daughters.
"It's changed my life," she said regarding Mary's Shelter. "It gave me a new start. I didn't have to give up or get rid of a child that I knew I wanted just because things got hard. I didn't have a support system."
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