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Elsie’s House – a compassionate response to women in need

Jul 12, 2019 | 4:03 PM

LETHBRIDGE — Elsie Alexander lived in Lethbridge from 1972 until 2007, tirelessly supporting the rights of women and children. She served on various committees and boards, helping in every way she could through her leadership, humility and willingness to serve.

It was because of Elsie’s passion for empowering and supporting women who desired to be mothers that Elsie’s House was created. Her hope was that the community would come together to support these women, so that even when faced with hard challenges, they had an environment that would encourage and refresh them. At the age of 92, Elsie Alexander now resides in Saskatchewan, and still volunteers for local organizations! Elsie’s House is honoured to name this wonderful space for women in need after her.

The mission of Elsie’s House is to empower strong and healthy moms living in community. They provide housing and support to pregnant women in Lethbridge and surrounding area as a compassionate response to women in need. Thus, each expectant mother is welcomed into a safe, caring, warm and family-life environment where women are encouraged to make the most of their current situation and are assisted in planning ahead for a successful future.

Elsie’s House offers a multitude of programs that are personalized to the applicant’s needs and are provided by highly skilled individuals in the Lethbridge community. The end goal is for each woman to achieve a rounded skill-set that sets them up for success in their lives with a baby. Some programs included are self-care and self-esteem; personal stressors and coping skills; baby care and parenting; nutrition, menu planning and meal preparation; shopping and budgeting; cleaning and laundry; as well as resume writing and job interviewing. Clients also have access to professional counselling, should they want or require it.

The exact location of Elsie’s House will remain undisclosed for security purposes, but it is a quaint two-bedroom residence in Lethbridge on a quiet, cozy street. The women live downstairs, while the live-in house parents reside on the second floor, and are available for support 24/7. The women’s space is fully furnished and offers a dinette with kitchen, bathroom, living room, and laundry facilities; plus two bedrooms with enough room for a baby’s crib and even a small backyard.

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Amenities at Elsie’s House

The average day for a woman staying at Elsie’s House could ideally be compared to any other day for an expectant mother: she wakes up and gets ready for the workday ahead. The beauty of this however, is that thanks to programs like Elsie’s House, the expectant mother can enjoy the mundane things in life, rather than worry about them. Currently Elsie’s House only has enough bedrooms for two women, but there is the possibility of purchasing new homes and growing as more women seek out their services.

Thanks to the hard work from Elsie Alexander and her commitment to women in need, Elsie’s House uses it as inspiration to continue their compassionate work. Women in need are welcome to email elsieshouselethbridge@gmail.com for an application. There are, of course, certain qualifications that need to be met, as well as basic house rules that are agreed to, but the board members of Elsie’s House will take all qualifications and any possible exceptions into consideration. They strive to accommodate every applicant. Women are welcome to stay at Elsie’s House anytime during their pregnancy and can continue to stay until the baby is one year old.

Shirley Hobden works as Elsie’s House Residence Director and is passionate about helping women and their babies overcome their struggles. She says that “the stories that touch our lives, and greatly impact the lives of the young-moms-to-be, are difficult to put into words,” but she remembers, quite fondly, of one young expectant mother who dreamed of becoming a nurse.

While studying nursing, she found herself pregnant, alone, and without a sponsor. Even though she was a student and pregnant, she took on two jobs to help pay the accumulating school fees but was unable to keep up. Finally, in despair, she reached out for help by approaching a social agency in town, who in turn, contacted Elsie’s House. Thanks to the supporters of Elsie’s House, this young mother will have a place to live with her new baby, and this September, will return to school to continue her journey of becoming a nurse.

Shirley believes it’s stories like those that really cement the backbone and drive behind why Elsie’s House exists. She can only hope that there will be similar stories to share in the future.

More information about Elsie’s House can be found at Elsieshouse.com

Please call Shirley: 587.220.6861 or Email: elsieshouselethbridge@gmail.com