Bishop Gallegos Maternity Home

Bishop Gallegos Maternity Home is a non-denominational home that has been a safe haven for the most vulnerable members in the Sacramento area  since 1992.  Our amazing staff, volunteers, board members and donors are committed to help empower the expectant mothers who come to our home.  We provide our residents a supportive environment with opportunities to acquire tools to become stronger and more self-sufficient; so that when they leave our home, they have a plan for achieving their goals and can provide a brighter future for themselves and their children. 

Our life-affirming ministry has helped over 2,000 women and babies since our inception. We are more than a shelter; we are a self-actualization program that is there for our residents in times of need.

Kaylie’s Journey from Destitution to Independence 

It was a cold grey day in winter when the call came in from a desperate 27-year-old expectant mother living on the levee of the American River. She was 35 weeks pregnant and had been couch surfing or living outdoors since she was 17 years old. She needed help and had no way to get herself to the life she so desired for herself and the child she would soon deliver. The staff from Bishop Gallegos Maternity Home (BGMH) pulled up to the encampment and waited for the young woman to emerge. She reluctantly climbed in the BGMH van and as the wheels turned and the distance grew from that campsite, so did her hope. 

When Kaylie arrived at the home, she smelled of the smoke from the fire that had kept her warm and soot smudged across the page of the sign in sheet as she scribbled her name. She had nothing with her; and she was quickly given a key to her own private room, some toiletries, towels, and clean clothes. Within moments of her arrival at Bishop Gallegos Maternity Home Kaylie was able to shower and begin to wash away her last 10 years on the streets.

The same van that delivered her from the despair of living on the levee would take her to receive prenatal care, to obtain a new ID and Social Security cards, attend a rehab program and eventually drive her to the hospital to deliver a beautiful baby boy, Cayden.

A few weeks after Cayden’s arrival another set of wheels rolled into the parking lot at BGMH. This vehicle brought Kaylie’s mom who she hadn’t seen in the many years since she had left her family in Texas. Kaylie had reached out to her over the phone shortly after arriving at BGMH so that her mother would know she was safe and about to be a grandmother. Kaylie was apprehensive to see her mother again after all the years, the arguments, and the destructive choices; but no matter how the reunion would turn out, Kaylie knew that the staff at BGMH would be in her corner and that they would be there for her whenever or for whatever she needed. After a couple of hours with Kaylie and the Executive Director, Kaylie’s mom could hear from them how much progress her daughter had made in just the short few months she was there. It wasn’t always a smooth ride, but the staff and Kaylie were both determined to change her life for the better. Her mom visited for the weekend, and it was as Kaylie says, “the best time we had in a very long time.”

After their reconciliation, Kaylie and her mom remained in contact and Kaylie eventually was able to mend the relationships with all her family members and returned to Texas to raise Cayden near their family. It was there that she pursued her certificate in Automotive Technology. Knowing the struggles of being homeless and feeling stuck Kaylie used her life experiences and her education and started her own business, Auto Mom: Mobile Mechanic for Single Moms. Kaylie is a woman and mother helping others like her to make sure they can keep moving towards a brighter future for themselves and their families. 

Thanks to donors like you Bishop Gallegos Maternity Home has helped thousands of mothers like Kaylie for over 30 years to take the necessary first steps to make the changes that will affect generations to come. Your donation could help us purchase two new vehicles for our two locations so that we can continue to provide the services required to expedite their progress. Please donate today to help us transport families to brighter future.