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Wednesday, October 17, 2012 |
By Sarah Acosta
Times Reporter
Join My Baby and Me Maternity Home as they work to end the cycle of unplanned pregnancy in the Bastrop County area through their ?Raise the Roof? banquet and auction on Saturday, Nov.3.
Guest speaker for the event, Jennifer O?Neill is an internationally acclaimed model, actress in 35 films, including ?Summer of 42?, television star, spokesperson, author, producer, fundraiser and proud mother of three.
Through her extensive fundraising efforts she has helped raise thousands for non-profits nationwide and jumped at the opportunity to share her own life?s experiences to raise hope and enthusiasm at the banquet.
?It is an absolute blessing to have O?Neill as a part of this special event,? said My Baby and Me board president Allen Henderson. ?She is an elite and regal woman of God who has done so much for others and continues to do so.?
Former resident of Smithville and recording artist, Len Herndon will be the musical talent for the evening. While listening to the soothing melody of Herndon?s music, dinner will be catered by renowned chef John Chabot.
The menu includes Bayou chicken grilled with garlic sausage etouffee, green onion rice, roasted zucchini and carrots, tossed salad with ranch dressing and dinner rolls.
A live auction will also be held and My Baby and Me is currently accepting donation items or services to be auctioned off at the event.
Purchase of gold ($2,000 donation), silver ($1,000 donation) and bronze ($500 donation) sponsorships are another great way to support the maternity home.
First National Bank of Smithville has contributed to the organization by the purchase of a bronze sponsorship. Each sponsor will receive banquet tickets for two and a special thank you at the event.
The event will be held at the Smithville Recreation Center at 6 p.m. and tickets are $30 a person. Tickets may be purchased at the Smithville Area Chamber of Commerce, First National Bank and Prosperity Bank in Smithville.
My Baby and Me Maternity Home is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization that provides shelter, education and life skills to teenagers in crisis pregnancy situations.
?We do not only want the baby to be born,? Henderson said. ?Firstly we want to teach the expecting mothers that God loves them and show them how to be a mother and parent, how to take care of themselves, help them obtain a college education or GED, help them get a job, teach them how to handle a checking account. So that one day they can eventually be out on their own and live as productive individuals.?
The maternity home was founded by mother and daughter team, Laura and Molly Henderson in February 2011. It started with Henderson?s daughter Molly, a graduate of Smithville High School who is currently attending the University of Houston in Clear Lake.
Molly was involved in the Peer Assistance and Leadership program (PALS) in high school, and says she heard heartbreaking stories from classmates who had become pregnant and didn?t know what to do.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics of teen pregnancies having induced abortions in 2010, Bastrop County is ranked 55 out of 254 counties based on a pregnancy rate per 1,000 females.
The stories and research on teen pregnancy empowered the Henderson family to take on the challenge of establishing a non-profit, faith-based home to help teenage mothers in crisis.
Laura, a former teacher at Smithville High School who currently teaches at Texas Virtual Academy, her husband Allen, and Molly worked hard to establish a board of directors while raising funds to make the home a reality.
Board members include Henderson, president; Rob Anderson, pastor at Trinity Baptist Church; Bobbie Barnett, retired Bastrop County treasurer; Dr. Rock McNulty, SISD superintendent; Mark and Lauren Nailen, Auberge Bed and Breakfast innkeepers and the newest member to the board, Kelly Holt.
My Baby and Me had its first resident last September and she was able to return to the Houston area for the birth of her child, who was born Nov. 2, 2011.
The maternity home has been quite a success, currently housing their second resident who gave birth to a healthy baby boy on April, 28 2012- the maternity?s home first baby.
The group acquired the land in a tax auction last July and then launched their ?One Foot at a Time? fundraiser for the 4,000 square foot home and transition house which is still a work in progress.
It is $70 per square foot and each donor can contribute all or part of a square foot to get the building up and running. For a donation of $700 or ten square feet, a brick will be engraved with your choice of up to ten words to be placed in the courtyard and future prayer garden.
?100 percent of the funds that we receive from the fundraiser will be used toward building the facility to house teen girls in crisis pregnancy situations,? Henderson said. ?We thank everyone for their ongoing support throughout the community, we are truly blessed.?
For more information, contact My Baby and Me maternity home via email at mybabymaternity@austin.rr.com or call Allen at 512-581-8724. To donate to the home, send mail to My Baby and Me, P.O. Box 31, Smithville, TX, 78957.
Source: http://beta.smithvilletimes.com/2012/10/17/smithville-group-hosting-iconic-star/
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