The vision to start a maternity home became reality for an Appleton, Wis., pregnancy help medical clinic earlier this summer when Vida Medical Clinic hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the community.
“Maternity housing wasn’t in the plan or the budget for 2023,” Anne Tretinyak, Vida’s executive director, told those gathered for the ceremony. “The Vida board had asked me to explore the possibility of expansion into Green Bay, and as I was exploring space to lease, I came across an auction site. This property in the Town of Buchanan caught my eye because we had looked at it several years ago.”
Previously a senior living facility, the property came up for sale a few years ago. Tretinyak and the board considered the option of purchase, however, [the] timing wasn’t right due to the organization “wrapping up a capital campaign at our main center,” Tretinyak said.
God, however, sees the future and knows the need and timing to fulfill it.
“Unbeknownst to us, God put the dream and the property on hold for two years,” she said.
God’s power in “amazing” ways
This year marks Vida’s 40th anniversary, and God orchestrated several surprises for the organization pertaining to the maternity home project during this special year.
Upon finding the property available by auction, Vida leadership decided to approach the maternity home vision anew.
“The seller’s broker informed me that there was a non-negotiable auction fee and asked me if I wanted him to add it on to our offer price or subtract it from our offer,” Tretinyak continued.
She was only authorized for a certain amount, and so instructed the broker to subtract the fee. When he sent the paperwork to sign, Tretinyak said she could hardly believe the offer price in front of her came in under the approved amount.
“Surely, God placed His stamp of Divine approval on this home and affirmed this expansion of our ministry right down to the very penny,” she said.
The process started in January and within a few months, the property belonged to Vida. It consists of two buildings, one of which will serve as the maternity home, christened Trinity House.
The organization entered into another campaign, called 333, to raise money to pay off the mortgage after the closing in March. The fundraising endeavors began during Vida’s spring gala.
“We thought if we could get 333 people to raise $1000 each, that we could basically begin our program debt free,” Tretinyak said. “We had approximately 130 people sign up to be basically crowd fundraisers, and they all followed through. We had about a third of what we needed to retire our debt come in, so that was very successful. It was a very good thing to ask people to go and tell the Trinity House story on our behalf to raise money.”
The campaign had a “soft ending” in late May, Tretinyak said. Another God-ordained surprise came soon thereafter.
“I had an anonymous donor step forward and ask me how the progress was going on the 333 campaign,” Tretinyak said. “I told him we were a third of the way there, and he said, ‘I want to match it two to one.’ So, he made an unbelievably generous donation, and we were able to pay off our entire mortgage.”
Therefore, when the ribbon-cutting happened on July 25 with about 400 people in attendance, Vida’s new maternity home was paid in full. Renovations to the buildings, however, were still needed.
“We reached out to five families who had given to a previous capital campaign, and we asked, ‘Would you be willing to make a donation just for renovations?’” Tretinyak said.
Then came the volunteers with various skills.
“We had so many businesses step up immediately to help us,” she said. “We're talking volunteer carpenters, general contractors, electricians, plasterers, painters, artists, landscapers – I mean, it was amazing, absolutely amazing!”
They were able to complete the renovations at no cost to them.
Trinity House will provide housing for up to 12 pregnant women. Those who have children under school age are also welcome, Tretinyak said, and space is available for about eight such families.
In addition to the maternity home, the second building on the property will serve to house on-site staff and host meetings.
God’s goodness through community
The story of this maternity home showcases the power of prayer, God’s response to obedience, and the spirit of community.
“The 333 campaign was really about community engagement and inviting other people to tell this incredible story of the importance of the work that we're doing here,” Tretinyak said. “The Holy Spirit was in this project from the very beginning – clearly God wanted this particular option for mothers and babies, and he moved people in so many different ways to give and to be generous, whether it was writing a check or giving of their time and their talents.”
She hopes Trinity House will open to occupants in September. Searching for staff and conducting interviews continue, and several women have contacted Vida already for housing.
As she and her staff prepare for the day of welcoming pregnant women, children, and babies into this new venture, Tretinyak remains in awe at the warp speed in which God worked, including the strong community response.
“It’s just been such a tremendous blessing to have a front-row seat to this awesome display of God's power and his goodness,” she said. “When you see people just wanting so much to be a part of the establishment of this home, you see God's power in that they were moved to give, and you see his goodness in that there is just the love of this community coming together in this incredible and beautiful way.”
