Home for pregnant teens marks one year

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Project Home Indy, a foundation started to help pregnant homeless teens and their children, had its one-year anniversary ceremony on Wednesday morning at 32 E. 32nd Street, Indianapolis.

Rep. Andre Carson was a special guest speaker and organizations including the Women's Fund of Central Indiana, the Indianapolis Foundation, The Glick Fund, and Indiana State Department of Health, among other institutions, were recognized for their contributions.

In the one year the foundation has been open, 100 percent of the babies born were full term, at a healthy weight, had all of their well-child check-ups and immunizations. All of the mothers attended school during that time and had their pre-natal checkups. Five out of six of those moms later attended a secondary school after graduation, and 75 percent of the moms are now employed.

"As I look back on our first year of operation, I am so proud of the bright, talented and determined teens that call Project Home Indy home," PHI Executive Director Sarah Nielsen said. "I am amazed by the transformations I have witnessed."

To help celebrate the anniversary, Project Home Indy has had a number of groups coordinate "birthday parties" throughout their communities. The groups volunteered to collect necessary items like detergent, garbage bags, paper towels, toilet paper, and newborn diapers.