Children
HOME
START
Protecting Children From Abuse
Repurpose for a
Purpose Thrift Boutique
f
or more than 46 years, Home Start’s team has
fought to protect precious children from abuse. To
effectively prevent and treat child abuse, they provide
life-changing services such as parenting education,
housing, employment case management and mental
health services, with a focus on self-sufficiency and resiliency. In
fact, over 22,000 low to moderate-income families and children
benefit each year from Home Start’s programs!
Two of these innovative programs are the Maternity Shelter
Program (MSP) for homeless young mothers and their children,
and its accompanying “Repurpose for a Purpose,” Thrift Boutique.
MSP provides safe, stable housing and wrap-around supportive
services to give moms and kids the love and support needed
to get back on their feet. The Boutique provides professional
work experience to the moms in the MSP and is also a source of
revenue to support Home Start’s sustainability efforts.
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Stacey, Thrift Boutique
Stacey and her son
Lead Associate, is
living proof that their
Maternity Shelter Program and its Thrift Boutique are changing
lives. Exiting the foster system after 10 years, Stacey became
homeless and pregnant, and thankfully found Home Start. “It
was really important that they were here to help me be a better
mom,” she shared with Giving Back Magazine. “I can’t imagine
where I’d be without Home Start.” Her options were either get a
job while pregnant and put her pregnancy at risk or stay homeless
until she had her son which would ultimately put her son at risk
at being placed in the foster system. Growing up in the foster
system herself, that was never something she wanted her son to
experience.
Through MSP, Stacey meets with a child development specialist,
once or twice a month, which has helped her son continue