LIVING GRACE HOME
• Phone: 702-212-6472
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: livinggracehome.com
• Hours and days of operation: 24 hours a day, seven days a week
• Owned/operated by: Living Grace Homes Inc., a Nevada not-for-profit corporation
• In business since: 2007
Describe your business.
Living Grace Home provides shelter, case management, transportation and mentoring to pregnant and parenting youth.
Who are your customers?
Young people dealing with pregnancy and parenting, ages 14 to 22.
How did Living Grace Home get its start?
Clark County has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the country. Millions of tax dollars have been poured into teen pregnancy prevention, but there were few services being provided to those young women who were pregnant.
I was teaching parenting classes at the first crisis pregnancy center in Las Vegas, Life Line Pregnancy Center. The founder and head of the organization asked me to take over her efforts in providing a safety net for women in crisis pregnancies. As soon as she introduced me to the church groups that were interested in helping these young women, they began to tell me there was a need for a safe shelter for these moms, as the only ones here had been closed down. With $200 in the bank account and five years of work and prayer, we opened Living Grace Home in February 2007.
What type of education services do you provide?
Our on-staff social worker does individual case management, making an education plan for each resident based on their individual level. Those young ladies who are able to complete their credits for a diploma are enrolled at either Sunset program at Cowan or a GED prep program with HELP of Southern Nevada.
In addition, residents attend education workshops on parenting, nutrition, life skills and budgeting.
How much do girls pay to stay at Living Grace Home?
The maximum rent is $400 per month, inclusive, but it is based on a sliding scale; no pregnant young woman is turned away due to an inability to pay.
Where does the business get its funding?
The largest source of funds is local churches and church members. We also receive support from local corporations. Private foundation grants are also sought and received from organizations such as Rozar Family Foundation, Knott’s Family Foundation, Bank of America and J.J. Ford Foundation. We also apply for local government grants but not federal government grants.
What is your business philosophy?
Teenage pregnancy is a local issue. The vast majority of residents at Living Grace Home come from never-married or divorced homes; therefore, it needs a local solution. Living Grace Home seeks to prepare these young women to become productive members of the community; thus, getting local donors and business support not only provides a roof over their heads now, but an entry into employment so they may become productive members of the community.
What is the hardest part of doing business in Las Vegas?
Knowing whom to go to for support. Las Vegas is a generous community when you know who to ask. The first six years we were in business, we were so focused on letting the agencies and government entities that deal with our population know we are here, that we did not do a good job of promoting ourselves to those who would be natural donors for this business.