Hannah's Home Opens Doors for Anniversary This Weekend

In the basement of , there is a framed napkin.

Carol Beresford wrote her initial idea for Hannah's Home on this napkin.

The idea was a simple one. She wanted to give young, pregnant women with nowhere to go a place where they could prepare for motherhood or, if they chose, adoption.

"I would see and hear about people picketing these women but they weren't really offering them any alternatives," Beresford said. "I wanted to give them a place to stay where they could have their babies."

The simple idea took years to come to fruition. Jerome Osborne Sr. donated the lakefront property at 8525 Lake Shore Boulevard in 1998. Beresford still remembers that it was "parcel No. 7."

It took the work of numerous volunteers and supporters to build the house, which finally opened its doors in 2001.

Since then, Hannah's Home has helped 134 young women, Executive Director Jaclyn Sanzo said.

This house is specifically for women who are 25 and younger. They live there for free while preparing for the birth of their children.

The women are taught skills that will help them raise their child, as well as the adoption process. Meanwhile, they are also encouraged to seek part-time work and further their education.

Furthermore, Hannah's Home is a Christian organization, and tenants have church and Bible study on Sundays.

Guests can visit Hannah's Home from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday as part of an open house to celebrate its first decade.

"It's a chance for people who have never been here to tour the grounds, to talk to the people," Sanzo said.

Some things at Hannah's Home have changed in the last decade – Beresford, for example, now lives in Florida where she runs another maternity house – but its mission remains the same.

And it's a mission that has changed lives. Beresford said she went to a fast-food restaurant and one of the employees was a woman who had stayed at Hannah's Home.

"She almost crawled across the counter," Beresford said. "'Do you know what you've done for me?' she asked. She was so grateful for the life of her child."

Both Sanzo and Beresford hope to offer more services to their moms in the future. Presently, mothers have to leave Hannah's Home after they have their child. Sanzo thinks an aftercare program could have an enormous impact on the lives of these mothers.

"We do a lot in three to six months, but that doesn't change a person," Sanzo said. "If we had aftercare – another year or two to help these women and their babies – we could do so much more."

Those who wish offer assistance or want to know more about Hannah's Home can visit during the open house, check out its website  or call 440-209-9615 during office hours, which are from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.