“I have a huge love for women who choose life and I don’t think they’re celebrated enough in our culture,” muralist Elizabeth Londen shared when speaking about the stunning mural she created at Our Lady’s Inn in Defiance. Amidst the vibrant swirls of color, stars, and butterflies, is a woman and her baby beautifully depicting the joy and hope of life and motherhood.
“An upcoming University of Notre Dame study will consider the impact and evolving role of maternity homes in the United States, in the hope of better serving pregnant women in circumstances of crisis. The study is projected to launch this spring and continue for three to five years. It is a collaboration between the pro-life organization Heartbeat International and the University of Notre Dame’s Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities. It will center on five maternity homes in the South and Midwest, to include Our Lady’s Inn in St. Louis.”
Dr. Amy Bilyeu is an assistant professor and associate program director of the OB/GYN Residency Program at Saint Louis University School of Medicine where she oversees 24 medical residents and more than 180 medical students each school year. Additionally, she mentors about 10 senior medical students who aspire to specialize in obstetrics, gynecology, and women’s health. Dr. Bilyeu has made 40% above her expected revenue for her clinical department for the past three years and was responsible for more than $700,000 of billing charges in fiscal year 2021.
“Closed doors on early pro-life efforts led activist Sam Lee to craft legislation that supports women in crisis pregnancies.”
“The Galik family of O’Fallon, MO shared the Christmas spirit again this year! Each year, they decorate their home in an elaborate display of Christmas lights set to music for the community to enjoy. For the past few years, they have collected donations from visitors to benefit Our Lady’s Inn. At the end of the holiday season, they brought the $3000 and many diapers they collected to OLI. We are grateful!”
“In October and November, Our Lady’s held the second annual Miles for Moms in Need Virtual 5k. Everyone who registered received a Miles for Moms in Need t-shirt, race medal and runner’s bib. Virtual 5k runners and walkers chose their own course and entered their results in the online run leaderboard. Many sponsors and nearly 90 participants from all over the country took part in OLI’s virtual run/walk.”
“Most of us would agree that any organization’s ability to successfully carry out its mission is tied to the quality of its leadership. Be that a President, CEO, or Executive Director – the effectiveness of that person’s leadership, makes a difference. So, it’s easy to understand why it is mission critical to ensure the next leader will be the correct one, and the transition from one leader to the next will be as smooth as possible. This is especially true in maternity housing because of the deeply personal nature of the work. Leadership transition is critically important, and having a plan guiding that effort will help reduce the stresses which accompany such a transition. Succession planning takes focus and effort. It involves the Board of Directors working in partnership with the current leader.”
