Warm Home Project- Fixing our home for pregnant teens

Rebecca Bangma from The House of Grace Trust - Wellington

Pregnant young girls (between the ages of 12 and 23) come to The House of Grace because they need to be in a safe, loving home environment. They need a place to prepare for childbirth, where they can learn how to safely parent a new baby, how to run a household, and are supported to make plans for a bright future.

Over the last 17 years, we’ve had more than 220 beautiful young girls come to The House of Grace.

One of those girls was Sarah. At just 16 years old, Sarah arrived at The House of Grace seeking a safe place from her violent family. Her pregnancy was a shock, but made her realise she needed to create a new future for herself and her baby. During her time at The House of Grace she went back to high school and completed NCEA Level 2. She received professional counselling, and attended parenting courses. Sarah and her daughter Lily now live independently, and are doing extremely well.

We want to see many more lives changed, just like Sarah and Lily's. But we need your help. Will you help ensure that The House of Grace is a warm, dry home for young girls and their babies?

Our Wellington home is a 1950's concrete block house with multiple extensions. It has many leaks, and is a very cold, damp, draughty house. This is causing damage to the house, and also isn't ideal for newborn babies. We have to run dehumidifiers and heaters constantly in order to keep the house at a safe temperature. But it's time to make a lasting difference!

To ensure The House of Grace is able to continue for many years, and to keep our precious young girls and their babies healthy, warm and dry, we're launching the Warm Home Project. As part of this project, we need a new roof (the current one leaks terribly), double-glazing for the windows, and modifications to our heating system.

As a charity which doesn't receive any government funding, we rely on the generosity of people. People with a desire to see lives turned around, and a bright new future for girls like Sarah, and her daughter Lily.

With support from Neighbourly and AMI it will help ensure that The House of Grace can have the urgent repairs needed to continue supporting young mums and their babies.