Long ago, on a cold December night, a man and a pregnant woman arrived at a little town called Bethlehem seeking warmth and shelter. Unfortunately, the one inn that would be able to provide that warmth and shelter was full, leaving the woman no other place to give birth but in a lowly manger surrounded by the animals that fed there.
Now, each year on December 25th we gather with family and loved ones, pass gifts, and share in time honored traditions because of the miracle that occurred that night; the birth of a precious child. For this one day of the year, people hold their loved ones a little tighter, laugh a little louder, and love a little deeper all because of a woman who faced an unexpected pregnancy and the miraculous life that she brought into the world.
While I don’t know how the story would have changed if there was room in the inn that cold night, I do know that thousands of pregnant women have had their lives beautifully altered thanks to the open doors of maternity homes across the country.
Homes such as the fittingly named Mary’s Shelter in Fredericksburg, Virginia and Bethlehem House in Omaha, Nebraska, exist to help women who are facing poverty, addiction, abuse and so much more while experiencing an unexpected pregnancy. As these homes help women to embrace life, they offer classes, clothing, materials, and support so that new moms feel confident to bring a child into the world and care for it. Additionally, they help women to further their education, recover from substance abuse, obtain a job, find housing, and become strong and successful in life and in motherhood.
Mary’s Shelter and Bethlehem House are not alone in their compassionate work, however, over 400 community-based maternity homes exist across the nation to empower and support women while providing them with an abundance of love and shelter. Women such as Rachel, Fran, Danielle and thousands of others were offered care and support when the rest of the world seemed to close a door to them.
Rachel, for instance, was seven months pregnant when she escaped years of abuse in order to save herself and her children. When the local domestic violence shelters were full, she turned to Mary’s Shelter and they provided her with a safe place for her family — full of food, supplies, and love. She now has a successful job as a real estate agent, has started her own charcuterie business, has a beautiful family, and no longer lives in fear of what the next day will bring.
Thanks to the growing number of maternity homes and the strength of the pro-life moment, no woman will be turned away from warmth, hope and safety when facing an unexpected pregnancy.
As we continue in this post-Roe America, the goal of these homes and the pro-life movement is to ensure that each woman knows that she does not have to face an unexpected pregnancy on her own, and that resources and love are offered in abundance to her and her child.
That is why for the 51st annual National March for Life taking place next month, on January 19, we wanted to emphasize the life-saving work of these homes, while spreading the crucial message to women that they are not alone.
This year’s theme, “With every woman, for every child” highlights the need to love and support both baby and mom, through all nine months of pregnancy and in the many years after. We will gather again in our nation’s capital to not only be a voice for our smallest citizens, but for the women who so courageously carry them.
We will march for both woman and child, so every beating heart knows that the pro-life movement stands with them, and will always open our doors for them. The women who have no job, no home, no support and nowhere to turn are welcomed with open arms into these maternity homes. No matter their position in life, their background, or their story, their existence and the precious life inside of them will make the world a better place.
Just like the many stories of women helped today, the tale of that cold December night is one full of hope, perseverance, and joy. One woman’s unplanned pregnancy changed the world as we know it, and the beauty of new life now brings us peace and love each year.
For the brave women facing unplanned and unexpected pregnancies, you are loved, and you are never alone. No matter your journey or your destination, there will always, always be room for you at the inn.
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Jeanne Mancini is the president of March for Life.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of The Daily Wire.