St. Michael’s maternity home, The Nest, is hosting their first annual fundraising banquet this May at St. Michael City Center.
The home, run by Luke and Cristal McClain and other YWAM [Youth With a Mission] staff members is devoted to helping women in crisis pregnancies get help and the resources they need to take care of both themselves as mom and baby.
Located just a few houses away from Cornerstone Women’s Center in St. Michael, the couple barely had time to get their bearings in the donated four-bedroom house before they had inquiries, and The Nest was born.
Luke and Cristal’s mission is a family affair and the goal is mentorship. “Our goal is for healing to occur in a family setting,” they explained.
“We create an environment that is free from influences and distractions for the girls to learn, grow and ultimately decide if they will parent or place their baby,” Luke explained this past fall.
Ideally the girls come near the end of their first trimester of pregnancy or the beginning of their second so they have time for education, career building skills and counseling. The women stay in the home until they’ve recovered from childbirth, typically 6-8 weeks.
The Nest is already helping women in Wright County and are excited to continue to serve more women. The couple talks of their eventual goal to have three houses to minister through. One for pregnancy, one for postpartum care and one for women who place their babies.
The May 6 banquet will include dinner, a silent auction and a program about the life changing programs The Nest is currently providing for Wright County women. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Cristal at info@thenestmn.org
