Suozzi Celebrates Opening of New MOMMAS House in Hempstead
Residence, Funded in Part by Nassau’s Common Sense for Common Good Initiative, Will Help More Young Mothers Care for Babies & Establish Independence
Hempstead, NY – Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi today celebrated the opening of Long Island’s fourth MOMMAS House, one of the programs to receive a grant from the County’s Common Sense for the Common Good Initiative. The new Hempstead residence will allow MOMMAS House to provide safe, nurturing homes for even more young pregnant women, new mothers and their babies, and will give these new moms the tools they need to become financially stable.
“I’ve always said we need more places like MOMMAS House, to provide safe and nurturing options for young mothers and their newborns – a place where these new families can get the best start possible,” Suozzi said. “So I am delighted to be here for the opening of the newest MOMMAS House, in Hempstead. For more than 20 years, Pat Shea and her team have provided the right combination of nurturing and training, caring and emphasis on personal responsibility, to help young women who too often are in crisis.”
Suozzi’s created his Common Sense for the Common Good initiative to reduce the number of abortions in Nassau County. The program, announced in 2005, earmarked $1 million to support organizations dedicated to promoting adoption, providing housing for single mothers and preventing unintended pregnancies. It includes member organizations as diverse as Planned Parenthood and Catholic Charities. MOMMAS House and its partner, Catholic Charities Regina Maternity Services – which cares for pregnant women before they give birth – were awarded $330,000 for their collaborative program.
MOMMAS House provides young mothers, aged 17 to 24, with a nurturing home for two years, where they can get the support they need while they learn to become responsible for themselves. These homes prevent child abuse by alleviating the isolation of young moms, avoid neglect by teaching new mothers how to care for their babies and offer a stable environment – and daycare – to allow them to attend school or job training. MOMMAS House, a non-profit, also benefits the larger community by helping new mothers become financially stable – and not dependent on welfare.
The new residence, at 72 Marshall St. East, has separate bedrooms for five mothers and their babies, along with shared facilities such as a daycare room, kitchen, living room, dining room, a laundry room and bathrooms. It includes 24-hour supervision.
The first MOMMAS House opened in 1986 in Wantagh. Since then, Momma’s Houses have been established in Glen Cove, Jericho, and today, Hempstead.
