On Monday, July 16th the opening of an unprecedented resource for women will bring hope to many. Room at the Inn will be in operation as the first of its kind. This new residential facility at Belmont Abbey in Belmont, North Carolina will serve pregnant college women in order to allow them to give life to their babies while continuing their education. There is also an after-care service to further help mothers balance parenthood and school. Room at the Inn offers this residential and after-care service free of charge due to generous donations from individuals and from land donated by the Benedictine Monks of Belmont Abbey. Mothers do not have to be Catholic or students of Belmont Abbey College to be considered for the program. They may stay there for up to two years while enjoying services including around-the-clock staff, material assistance, life skills classes, peer support, and more.
After carefully considering the need of mothers who experience unexpected pregnancy, Room at the Inn board of directors understood that college women make up a large population of underserved pregnant women. After already helping more than 3,500 women and children through pre-natal counseling and extended care and outreach programs in Charlotte, the new facility will serve even more, with accommodations for 15 mothers, 15 infants, and 8 toddlers.
Room at the Inn’s goal to help those who may consider abortion is one that needed to be pursued, and they were able to achieve it. This facility serving college women in this way is the first of its kind, but here’s to many more developing so that mothers and children can receive care they deserve in order to choose life. People often argue that abortion should be an option because we need to protect children from being born into a life that lacks resources to care for them. Room at the Inn directly debunks that argument.
