"You're pregnant..." echoed in Mary's head, pounding almost as loud and her heart beat in her ears. She felt her hands go numb. She started to sweat. She had wondered if it could be true; but, she really didn't believe it, until now. "What am I supposed to do now?" she worried. Her mother's voice rang in her memory, "Don't you go out and get yourself into trouble with that boy. We can't afford to feed another mouth around here. Don't come back here and expect me to take care of your mistakes!" "If only she were joking," Mary thought to herself. Mary knew she wasn't joking though and she knew she would have to find a way to take care of herself, but how?

Words that provide joy to so many and that others still wait longingly to hear, struck fear into the hearts of hundreds of youth in Florida last year. Frequently, unwanted pregnancy results in young women leaving or being ejected from their family home due to a lack of commitment from their parents to support them. Because of this, frequently these youth face heart-wrenching and economically challenging decisions, such as parenting vs. adoption, alone. Some bounce from place to place with whoever will let them in for a while. They often live in substandard conditions, putting their health and the lives of their unborn children at risk. Unfortunately, Bay and surrounding counties has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the State of Florida for this and other reasons.

In June 2008, Anchorage opened Hannah's House, a safe haven to help young women, 16-21 years of age to face the challenges of caring for themselves and their unborn child. The program is named after the biblical example of Hannah, who prayed for her child and loved him so much that she dedicated him to God before he was ever born. Hannah was a fitting model of the sacrificial love of a mother to her unborn child and of the preciousness and purpose of each of these new lives.

At Hannah's House each youth will be receive counsel and assistance as they make critical decisions regarding adoption vs. parenting, preparing for single parenthood or marriage, completing their basic education, and employment after the baby is born. Through community partnerships, Anchorage will also provide access to ob/gyn care, pediatric care, parent training, life skills training, employability training and employment assistance, basic education, counseling and child care.