Our Mother’s Home purchases new location near downtown Fort Myers

Our Mother’s Home purchases new location near downtown Fort Myers

Local nonprofit moving closer to available resources for

teen mothers and their children

FORT MYERS, Fla. (Apr. 14, 2022) — Our Mother’s Home (OMH), a local nonprofit serving to help teen mothers and their children transition from foster care to stable, productive lives by breaking the cycle of generational poverty, recently purchased a home at 2666 Swamp Cabbage Court, near downtown Fort Myers. The new home will allow OMH to foster more teens and brings the young mothers and their children closer to needed community resources and services.

“We are so excited and so proud to have successfully purchased a new home that will better serve our mission to help these young mothers and their babies achieve independence,” said Our Mother’s Home Executive Director Alicia Miller. “It will be much easier to manage appointments and travel arrangements to get the help they need to thrive and succeed while also providing a safe and comfortable environment as they work to become independent adults.”

OMH is currently located in San Carlos Park. Purchased in March, the new location is significantly closer to schools, medical providers and other resources frequently visited by the teen mothers and their children.

OMH currently fosters six or seven mothers on average, who typically age out of foster care on their eighteenth birthday. The new home will allow OMH to house up to ten mothers, using the second floor for 18- to 21-year-olds so they can continue using resources and services as they transition to independent adulthood. However, the new building has not been used in five years and requires extensive renovations to be suitable as a residence for the young mothers and their children.

On March 11, OMH held its 6th Annual Women on the Rise event at the Collaboratory in Fort Myers, where attendees were offered the opportunity to sponsor rooms in the new home. Nearly 100 people attended the uplifting celebration educating and empowering women to live their best life. The event raised more than $20,000 toward needed repairs and remodeling. Additional opportunities are still available.

OMH plans to sell its San Carlos Park location and use any profits from the sale to help pay for the new home while completing a transition to the new location by early 2023.

Since its launch, more than 400 mothers and children have benefited from Our Mother’s Home Mentored Living Program, successfully preserving families, transitioning young mothers to self-sufficiency, and saving the lives of children by avoiding their re-entry into foster care. This unique home is the only one of its kind in Southwest Florida. For more information or to donate, please call 239-267-4663, or visit ourmothershome.org/.

Our Mother’s Home

Our Mother’s Home (OMH) was founded in 2000 by Helen Coppage, a foster parent who saw the need for a dedicated residential program to allow teenage mothers and their babies to remain together as mother and child. The organization provides a safe environment and transition for teen mothers (ages 11-21) and their children from foster care and human trafficking to stable, happy, and productive lives by providing a nurturing home, education, parenting support, along with physical, mental and spiritual care. Since its launch, more than 400 mothers and children have benefited from Our Mother’s Home Mentored Living Program, successfully preserving families, transitioning young mothers to self-sufficiency, and saving the lives of children by avoiding their re-entry into foster care. This unique home is the only one of its kind in Southwest Florida. For more information, call 239-267-4663 or visit ourmothershome.org.