About Us – Star of the North

Our Story

Star of the North Maternity Home, Twin Ports and the Iron Range, provides a loving and stable Christian family-like supportive housing available for homeless pregnant mothers and their babies with the focus of moving them to self-sufficiency. We promote a program that includes education about healthy relationships, adoption or positive parenting, a strong spiritual faith life, a good self-image and empowerment for mothers and fathers. The homes serve women age 21+ in NE Minnesota and NW Wisconsin, with the average length of stay projected to be 12-18 months. Star of the North Maternity Home is a program of Together For Life Northland, Inc.

$ 0

Estimated expense per day for a woman and child

Women and their babies served since 2019

0 mo

The average wait list time for residential housing assistance

Together For Life Northland

OUR MISSION

TFLN Collaborative (Meets Monthly)

We are working to eliminate the root causes that drive women and families to make negative choices. Together For Life strives to CONNECT women-centered services and resources that SUPPORT and EMPOWER families to make positive, life-affirming choices. We are creating a Culture of Life to TRANSFORM our community.

SON Maternity Home

The mission of the Star of the North Maternity Home is “to serve as a home and program for housing unstable pregnant women and women with infants in need for up to 18 months.

OUR VISION

TFLN Collaborative (Meets Monthly)

Our vision is to support a vibrant COLLABORATIVE of pro-woman and pro-family organizations and operate Star of the North Maternity Home, a residential home for pregnant women and their infants experiencing housing instability.

SON Maternity Home

The Star of the North Maternity Home’s vision is to move pregnant women experiencing housing instability to self-sufficiency while promoting healthy relationships, education, adoption and/or positive parenting.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

We Believe…..

In each woman’s innate ability to nourish life, either physically or spiritually.
That fertility and childbirth are natural, healthy, biological processes and that knowledge of them empowers women.
Abortion and contraception interrupt natural, healthy, biological processes.
Women should not feel forced to choose between their children and their education and/or career.
That our bodies were created beautifully and deserve respect, understanding, and care.
In the inherent dignity of every human being beginning with natural conception and ending with natural death.
Every life is unique and holds potential; every life deserves celebration regardless of the circumstances of conception, status, or health.
In holistic, women-centered solutions to the many challenges women face in our society today.
That life naturally begins at conception within women and requires a “yes” on the part of women to be realized. Therefore, women are at the heart of the Culture of Life.

Current Funding Sources

Funding for the Star of the North Maternity Home has come from fundraisers, grants, capital campaign, individual and Church donations. Together for Life Northland is a 501(c)3 charitable organization, and as such, donations are tax deductible. Our Annual Campaign Goal to continue serving moms and babies in the Northland in 2022 is $500,000

A productive, healthy future for a mother and father choosing life for their baby is priceless. Your investment in the Star of the North Maternity Home is an opportunity to demonstrate our care for an under-served population in a life-changing way! Thank you for your generosity in helping us to reach this goal.

History

In 2011, Together for Life Northland (TFLN) formed a Collaborative with other regional agencies who share in our mission of supporting women, babies, and families. Through work with our Collaborative partners, TFLN recognized that homeless pregnant women over age 21 in Northeastern Minnesota had no safe place to call home and to receive the comprehensive support and services that they and their babies need during their pregnancy and after giving birth. In 2018, we conducted a community feasibility study and met with CHUM, Safe Haven, Life House, Harbor House and others to assess the need. While the Young Mothers Supportive Housing Program run by the YWCA of Duluth offers housing and services for pregnant girls and women from ages 16 to 21, there was no similar home to serve the needs of pregnant women over age 21. The Star of the North Maternity Home in Duluth provides an innovative approach to helping these mothers move toward self-sufficiency and helping their babies get a good start in life. Since opening in 2019, we have received applications from 130 women and have been able to house 71 mothers and their babies. A great success has been the first graduate of our four-phase Life Plan program on July 1, 2020. In 2021, we were asked by the Iron Range community to conduct a community feasibility study and again determined a need. In April, 2022, SON Iron Range was opened and is now housing women in their apartment setting home. They are able to serve mothers and children up to age 10.

Meet Our Board

Lyle Johnson, Board Chair
Matt Babinski, Finance Chair
TJ Johnson, Finance
Paul Shaffer, Vice Chair
Tammy Dixon, SON Program Liaison
Pat Larson, Marketing Chair
Sue McClernon, Interim Executive Director, Ex-Officio