By SUMMER HAMPTON
The Life Center of Hernando county is an organization centered on “making a difference in the lives of young single mothers and their small children.” This organization changes women’s lives for the better and helps set them back on their feet and on track for a successful future.
They do this through many ways, one example is twice a week the mothers attend a life skills class.
Here they learn everything from budgeting, financing, to self-care, child care, and more. These amazing volunteers and members of TLC (The Life Center) continuously make sacrifices to provide for Hernando’s women. The biggest impact though, is made on the children who come through here. TLC provides a safe space where these kids can grow through constant love, support, and guidance from its members. The women and children who stay here are given the opportunity to realize their potential as creative and independent individuals.
On February 25th at 10 a.m. I attended a ceremony where the 100+ Women Who Care Nature Coast donated $5,400 to The Life Center. This organization is a group of women looking to show their community how much they care about the residents there. All of these women meet quarterly and each member donates $100+ at every meeting. During these meetings is when members get to vote on who/which organization is to receive their donations. The organization makes donations quarterly and immediately following the check ceremony they submit a claim to the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation for a donation match of up to 50%.
Following the ceremony, I sat down with President and founder of TLC Barbara Lemoine and Vice President and Treasurer Evangaline Ried for a little insight as to how much TLC provides for Hernando’s women.
Barbara told me a story of something that happened recently, a sheriff from another county called TLC to see if they had room for a young mother and her four-day old child.
The family was desperately looking for a place to stay seeing as she just gave birth a few days before. The mother was distraught from a commotion that happened with the baby’s father during her stay at the hospital, this ended with the father being escorted out and child services getting involved. Now that child services was aware there might be a problem at home, they wanted to move the child into foster care. The mom wanted the baby to come home with her so she can breastfeed, among other things, and bond with her child. This wasn’t really an option seeing as there was no safe place for the child to go.
This is when the sheriff learned of the opening at TLC and contacted them immediately. Unfortunately, at that time TLC was at capacity and Barbara Lemoine was juggling a lot of things trying to see how in the world they could fit this new mom in. One of the other mothers who was supposed to come in that week offered to give up her spot to the new mother for the time being. She set aside her problems for someone else in need.
It’s not just the members and volunteers of TLC that care, the women and children who stay here all come together as a family to provide for one another.
At TLC you will find nothing but mutual respect and support.
The need for help in Hernando county is so great that The Life Center is looking to expand. There is property across that street that is on the market and is ideal for renovating into more living and learning spaces. TLC has a goal of half a million dollars, once they reach this they can expand.
If it’s in your power and you’re able, volunteer and/or donate to The Life Center so that they can continue providing support to our mothers in need.
TLC contact info:
http://www.lifecenterofhernando.com/history/
https://www.facebook.com/TheLifeCenterOfHernando/
Mail address: P.O. Box 10141 Brooksville, FL 34603P
hone: 352 597-0119
Email address:
100+ Women Who Care Nature Coast info:
https://www.100wwcnc.org
Phone: 352-573-8561
Email address: [email protected]
