Displaying items by tag: Stronger Together

by Valerie Harkins, Executive Director of the Maternity Housing Coalition

I’ve noticed a subtle but powerful pattern after years of walking alongside maternity homes across the country: the organizations that tend to thrive—not just survive—are deeply connected to others who do the same kind of work.

In fact, the difference is striking. Homes that weather economic instability, staff transitions, and shifting cultural tides often have something in common: consistent, intentional relationships with other maternity homes. They are not isolated. They are known.

This may sound like a soft metric—connection, relationship, community—but in this work, it’s essential. Maternity housing is uniquely complex and deeply spiritual. It requires strength and tenderness, policies and prayer, grit and grace. Not every leader understands that tension, but another maternity home does.

When homes connect with one another, something shifts. A director no longer feels like she’s holding the whole world together on her own. A new staff member finds wisdom in someone else’s hard-won experience. A program director rethinks burnout because she saw someone else model the Sabbath well. These relationships aren’t just emotionally beneficial—they’re structurally stabilizing.

In short, being known by others in this work makes your home stronger.

The body of Christ is not meant to function in silos, and neither is our movement. God has designed us for interdependence—not only within our own teams, but across the entire network of homes and ministries around the world.

I truly believe the next chapter of strength for maternity housing will not come from any single home’s innovation, but from the shared wisdom of many homes, leaning in together. This is not a sentimental idea—it’s a strategy for survival, and more importantly, for flourishing.

If you’re looking for a place to start, I invite you to join our Affiliates-Only Facebook Group, where we foster authentic connection among homes like yours. It’s also where we share invites to our networking meetings throughout the year, which are gatherings that remind us we’re not alone, but understood, and part of something far greater than we could build by ourselves.

Let’s build that strength together.