Eight Babies in Year One: Catholic Charities Celebrates One Year of LifeHouse in Cape Girardeau
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by
bboyd
(Cape Girardeau, MO) – April 19 marked the one-year anniversary of Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri’s LifeHouse Crisis Maternity Home on the Little Flower Campus. In its first year of operation, 12 mothers found a safe place to heal and grow, and eight babies were welcomed into the world.
LifeHouse is a residential program for pregnant women experiencing homelessness. It offers individualized case management, pre- and post-natal education, and parenting and life skills training. The Little Flower Campus has rooms for 15 mothers along with a classroom, kitchen, community room, and office space for CCSOMO staff.
Missouri historically has a high rate of both maternal and infant mortality. LifeHouse works to enhance post-partum health for mothers and infants by providing shelter, prenatal education, nutrition classes, and connection to prenatal care (OB) to support healthy pregnancy outcomes. The program also offers postpartum care support and assistance in establishing pediatric care for children.
“As we move forward–guided by a clear mission to serve those in need, fueled by the passion of the Cape Girardeau community, and driven by the unwavering dedication of our teams–we’re counting lives touched, supported and saved,” said Ken Palermo, Chief Executive Officer of Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri.
The first year saw an incredible outpouring of community support, with 1,395 volunteer hours logged at Little Flower Campus. Volunteers are essential to LifeHouse as they prepare meals, provide respite childcare, transport residents to appointments, work, daycare, and more.
“This first year has seen an incredible outpouring of support from the community,” said Rick Cuba, chair of the LifeHouse in Cape Girardeau Capital Campaign. “I am proud to support such an incredible mission, and I encourage people to continue to support this important work through financial gifts, volunteering, or attending our annual fundraiser, the LifeHouse Gala, Cape Girardeau.”
The 2025 LifeHouse Gala, Cape Girardeau will take place on November 1, 2025 at the Drury Plaza Hotel Conference Center. For more information, visit: https://ccsomo.org/lifehouse-gala-cape/.