Keller maternity home offers hope to young single mothers, treats them ‘like family’

As a young girl, Rene Lackey dreamed of running an orphanage. True, not the usual dream of a youngster, as those typically feature astronauts, pro athletes and others looked upon by kids as heroes.

However, life had its own way of turning her into a hero. As the founder and executive director of the recently opened Amira’s House in Keller, she and her nonprofit organization are giving hope and a future to young single mothers ages 18-24.

“The vision for Amira’s House is the culmination of life experiences over about 40 years,” Lackey said. “I was drawn to any stories about orphans or homeless children.

“During my teen years, I was a little more focused on myself, and pretty rebellious.”

Her mom and biological father divorced when she was 2, and her mother married her stepfather when Lackey was 5. They separated when she was 11, got back together two years later, and ultimately divorced when she was 16.

“Needless to say, I had a lot of father wounds,” she said.

A few years later she found herself a single mom with two daughters. Little did she realize it was the beginning of a dream for herself and many other single moms.

“Although I had made a lot of mistakes, I began to notice a natural connection to young people. I was kind of a mama bear to my daughters’ teenage friends, and had a desire to see them grow and flourish as young women,” she recalled.

Working as a nurse at the same time, she began to think that maybe she could use her natural gift for nurturing — and her personal experiences and challenges in some sort of cohesive way.

“I started praying for God to give me direction, and I knew that I wanted to provide housing to young girls and be a source of support for them to turn their life around,” Lackey said.

She read about a maternity home in East Texas and saw that a lot of her ideas and passions aligned with their mission. Not wanting to relocate to East Texas, however, but seeing a need for something similar in her own area, she went to work on providing such a facility locally.

And she could relate to the dilemma many young women face as they enter the challenging world of adulthood, sometimes made even more difficult when certain circumstances interfere with that process.

“Growing up without my dad present left me with a lot of questions about my value and identity. I want to see young women never question their worth, and I want them to know that they have a Heavenly Father who sees them and loves them,” Lackey said. “A large focus of what we do at Amira’s House centers around identity, and teaching these girls not only how to be good mothers, but that they are cherished and have intrinsic value.”

The name Amira’s House comes from the Hebrew word for princess, Lackey said.

“Since Amira’s House is a Christ-centered maternity home, a major part of our discipleship program is geared toward our residents understanding what it means to be a child of God,” she said.

Family atmosphere

Not only does Amira’s House help young women through the process of having a baby, but it also helps them find work and even start to establish a career.

“We believe that helping them discover their gifts and talents and skill sets — and secure a trade — will get them above minimum wage and allow them to have an adequate income while they pursue other long-term education or career goals,” Lackey said.

“What really sets us apart, however, is that we provide a safe and nurturing home environment for our residents to experience this process of discovery and growth. Other organizations can help with education or career development, but we put a roof over their head and treat them like family.”

A resident can stay from the time she comes to Amira’s House until nine to 12 months after giving birth. The average length of stay nationally in maternity homes is nine months.

“Some of our residents may come later in their pregnancy, and some leave within the first three to six months after their baby is born, so where they are at in that timeline will determine, in part, how long they stay with us,” Lackey said.

There is no cost to live at Amira’s House. However, the women contribute to the household through responsibilities like meal preparation and chores.

“If they’re earning money, we want them to be saving it to prepare for the future, not paying rent. We also focus heavily on mentorship, so they have a sounding board when they have to make grown-up decisions,” Lackey said.

Amira’s House is fully privately funded. They receive support through monthly sponsors, corporate sponsorship, and fundraising campaigns and special events.

Amira’s House officially opened its doors on Sept. 1, exactly 90 days from when they attained the property.

Perfect timing

In fact, Lackey said opening now was the exact right time because of COVID-19.

“We sensed the timing was right, based on our growth and preparedness, and at the same time, we sensed that COVID might create an even greater need in the community for a maternity home,” she said. “We felt there might be even fewer solutions for young women facing an unplanned pregnancy and wanted to help close that gap.”

While Amira’s House currently assists women ages 18-24, Lackey said they are currently pursuing the necessary licensing to take in younger residents.

“Amira’s House is a labor of love for single new mothers who want to give their children a healthy life by learning to parent well,” said Lackey’s friend, Jennifer Holland Mersberger. “Volunteers equip the young moms with life skills, Christian values and compassion to be great parents. It’s amazing to see God use an unmet need to create new family legacies.”

Though not at liberty to disclose names, the first young mother helped by Amira’s House offered praise for the facility. Her baby boy is named Prince.

“When I first found out that I was pregnant, I was so scared that I cried myself to sleep. That was until I met Ms. Rene,” she said. “If it wasn’t for everyone there, I don’t think I would be here right now. I know I would have given up by now, but because of everyone there being mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters to me and Prince, it keeps me strong.”

This story was originally published November 23, 2020 at 6:00 AM.