ARCHBISHOP GOMEZ BLESSED NEW RESIDENCE SERVING HOMELESS PREGNANT WOMEN AND THEIR CHILDREN
August 19, 2022  |  By:   |  Press Releases  |  

–Each year there are over 5,000 women in Los Angeles who are pregnant and homeless but only 70 beds available within our city to house them–

Today, Archbishop José H. Gomez took part in the blessing of the Harvest Home new Pico Home residence at 1205 Corning St, Los Angeles, CA 90035. Harvest Home provides case management, therapy, parenting classes and more to homeless pregnant women who have nowhere else to turn. Each year, Harvest Home transforms the lives of up to 30 women and their families through its residential program.

“It is with great joy that we witness the opening of Harvest Home’s second residence for homeless pregnant women and their children. We are proud to collaborate with Harvest Home in this beautiful work of compassion and care for our most vulnerable neighbors,” said Archbishop Gomez. “Let us continue to pray for these women and their children and let us continue to commit ourselves to building a Los Angeles where every life is cherished and protected.”

Pico Home is the converted 18-bedroom former St. Mary Magdalen Convent for Sisters of the Holy Faith, and now it has the unique opportunity to open to serve up to 30 more women, made available by the Los Angeles Catholic Archdiocese.

“Nearly 5,000 pregnant women experience homelessness each year. Harvest Home stands in the gap to provide vital housing and critical service to these pregnant women who are in crisis and have few options for housing and support,” said Sarah Wilson, Executive Director for Harvest Home. “We are honored to open the Pico Home to triple our reach. As pregnant mothers are equipped and empowered with the tools they need to transition out of homelessness and create a flourishing future for their families that impacts generations to come. We are incredibly grateful to the Los Angeles Catholic Archdiocese for making this former convent available to bring this vision to life. It’s a gift beyond what we could have ever imagined.”

The LA County Health Department reports that each year 5,000 women are homeless at some point during their pregnancy, however, in the city of Los Angeles, there are currently less than 70 shelter beds available for women who are pregnant and in crisis. Each year thousands of women lack housing and supportive programming during one of the most critical times in a mother and baby’s life.

Harvest Home not only provides 10 of those beds but specializes in unique intervention programs designed to increase mother and baby’s physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Harvest Home has provided a safe space and a future for more than 600 families for the last 37 years through a residence in Venice, please visit https://www.harvesthomela.org/ to learn more. For more on the Harvest Home Expansion, click here.

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