Thirty Years Gone By Throughout the last thirty years many things have changed from the invention of cell phones, home computers, and the internet, to advances in science and medicine. We have seen war and political change – the fall of the Berlin Wall, Operation Desert Storm, the end of apartheid in South Africa, the collapse of the Soviet Union, Hong Kong’s return to China, plus too many more to name. However, throughout all the changes, several things have remained the same, including the passion and dedication with which Our Lady’s Inn still serves its clients. The Inn may have changed locations over the years, but the mission has remained the same – to provide shelter for pregnant women and their children through humble acts of love. Throughout the last thirty years, over 5,000 women and their children have lived at Our Lady’s Inn and over 1,500 babies have been born here due to the wonderful care their mothers received during their residence. In 2006, Our Lady's Inn expanded to include St. Charles and opened a second location in Defiance and, in 2008, our Twice Blessed resale shop was opened as a way to make extra money to support the organization. We are looking to the future and are excited to see what the next thirty years will bring, but one thing is for sure, no matter what else is happening in the world, Our Lady’s Inn will still be here working hard to provide the best possible care for these amazing ladies and their children, who are simply in need of a helping hand. A Message from Executive Director, Gloria Lee Everyone at Our Lady’s Inn is looking forward to beginning our 30th year as we undertake many new projects. At our city location, we are in the midst of plastering and painting and sprucing up the building (our St. Charles home completed their makeover in 2010 with the help of many wonderful volunteers). A generous grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health is enabling us to evaluate all our program outcomes with the help of a research team from St. Louis University. After this project is completed, we will begin the year- long process of accreditation. We are also just weeks away from the grand opening of our newly expanded Twice Blessed Resale Store, which is moving just a couple of doors down to 3312 Meramec, St. Louis MO 63118. The new store will allow us to display more merchandise and to provide a more comfortable shopping experience, so we invite you to stop in soon. There will be many wonderful FUNdraisers in 2011, and we hope you can join us as we celebrate 30 years of service and care to pregnant women and their precious children. Our Lady’s Inn is pleased to welcome Jessica Faltus as the new Director of Development. I am so pleased to have this opportunity to introduce myself to you! I joined the Our Lady’s Inn family in December 2010 and have to say what an honor it is to be a part of an organization with such a wonderful mission! Throughout my career, I have had the good fortune to work for three wonderful non-profit organizations – Cor Jesu Academy, St. Vincent Home for Children, and Judevine Center for Autism in various capacities in Development. After only a short amount of time spent at the Inn, I am truly amazed by the generosity of its donors, the thoughtfulness and dedication of the staff and volunteers and the gratitude from the ladies and the children who are receiving services here. I look forward to meeting many of you at our upcoming events! If you ever have any questions about how you can help or get involved, please do not hesitate to call me at 314-351-4590 ext. 212 or email me at [email protected]. 2011 Customers Wanted! Calendar of Events The sale of jewelry, shoes, accessories, home décor, and women’s and children’s clothing at our Twice Blessed Resale Shop provides extra th 30 Anniversary Gala income for Our Lady’s Inn, volunteer opportunities and workplace skills Kemoll’s, Top of the Met and experience for Our Lady’s Inn program participants! Come and shop! Sunday, March 27th 3302 Meramec Ave. St. Louis, MO 63118 Garden of Life Luncheon and Auction We’re Moving! Twice Blessed has been blessed and we are in the process of moving to Our Lady of the Pillar Church an even larger location down one block at 3312 Meramec, St. Louis MO Thursday, April 28th 63118! Don’t forget to check our website www.OurLadysInn.org and visit “Tee off to Life!” Golf Tournament the TwiceBlessedResale.Blogspot.com to see when the new store will be and Dinner Auction completed! Norman K. Probstein Golf Course in Forest Park Volunteer Opportunities Wednesday, June 15th • Handypeople for repairs • Clerical help Online Donations • Childcare On-line donations are an easy way for you to help! To make • Help at Events an on-line donation, just go to • Host a fundraiser for us www.OurLadysInn.org and have your credit card information • Sorting Donations ready. It’s that simple! Stories from Our Moms In the course of visiting former Our Lady’s Inn program participants through our AfterCare Program, we spend time reflecting with them about the amazing events in their lives. These life happenings often include times of growth, as well as sad events, positive achievements and, quite frankly, miracles! Here are two stories I’ve had the pleasure of listening to, from two different program graduates: “The Pro-Life ATM” Ms. T. says she intended to get an abortion, even though her mother pleaded with her not to take the life of the unborn grandchild. Ms. T. insisted on aborting and decided to pay with cash. Ms. T.’s plan was to withdraw cash from the debit card she’s used for years and pay for the abortion. However, you guessed it – she took this same debit card to the ATM machine, and the ATM machine ate it!! By the time Ms. T. would have gotten another abortion appointment, the clinic said they’d have to charge her more money, because she would be farther long in her pregnancy. Since it was going to cost more and Ms. T. did not have more money or time, she told them to forget it! Ms. T. says her mother was present at this baby’s birth and cried for joy. Months later now, after this precious baby’s birth, Ms. T. sits next to me, telling this story and she is stunned that she would have considered abortion. “I already had two children and I love children. I cannot believe I thought of ever having an abortion.” She realizes she was going through a tough time during the third pregnancy and felt an abortion was her only way out. We are thankful that God made another way, the best way, life! And it was during that third pregnancy that Ms. T. and her children moved into Our Lady’s Inn. She now lives in affordable housing and is grateful for all Our Lady’s Inn did for her and continues to do. So be it, God works even through hungry ATM machines! “You Can Keep Your $150!!” Ms. S. was pregnant during the Spring of 2010 and went to an abortion clinic. The abortion clinic’s exam included an ultrasound and she asked them to show her the image. It is a surprise that they actually turned the monitor screen toward her and let her see the baby. She saw the image of her unborn child and immediately she decided against the abortion and chose life. When she went back to the registration desk to get a refund of her $150 abortion “deposit”, she was told that she could not have it because it was applied to her ultrasound! She told them they could keep the money. Mind you, this is a woman who did not have a lot of income and needed the money. But, she chose wisely because she chose life. Ms. S. and her children soon moved into Our Lady’s Inn and she gave birth later in the year to a beautiful, unique child! Since 1973, there have been almost 53,000,000 (yes, 53 million) abortions in the United States. Our Lady’s Inn is a vital answer and solution for those moms and children we are blessed to serve who choose life! Thank you to everyone who has ever donated to, volunteered at, worked at, advocated for, prayed for, lived at, or shared information about Our Lady’s Inn. Since 1982, more than 5,000 families have received shelter and care at Our Lady’s Inn. This would not be possible without God’s love moving people such as yourselves to touch others you might never meet. So, keep praying that there will be more ATMs ready to eat debit cards and more pregnant women who see the lives within them and choose hope for a future for their children. A most blessed 2011 to you! — Connie Eller, AfterCare and Development Gifts Given in Honor of…May 1 – December 31, 2010 Albert Anglin Mr. and Mrs. John Edwards Joyce Kaiser From: Teresa Miller Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary! Merry Christmas! From: Mrs. Phillip Higgins From: Anthony and JoAnne Guerrerio Richard and Violet Anth Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary! Jean Flanagan Mr. and Mrs. Herb Kelley From: LaVerne Fahey Merry Christmas Mom! Congratulations on 50 Years Together! Love, Kelly and the Lehn Boys From: Douglas and Margaret Munsell Baby Jesus (all 5) From: Susan E.