The Starting Place Birth and Wellness Center

Starting Place founders Tara Livesay (left) and Beth (KJ) Johnson (right)

It’s finally here! We’ve been working towards June 2021 long before we signed the papers back on December 31, 2020, and this month we’ll open the doors to the Starting Place Birth and Wellness Center in Temple, Texas! We’re so excited to bring the Heartline Haiti Maternity Center model to families in Bell County, Texas!

In January, we shared a post detailing how we arrived at the vision for The Starting Place and why it’s a great fit for Bell County, Texas, and the mission and vision of Heartline Ministries. You can read the post by clicking the button below.

From Tara

In Port au Prince, women struggle to receive any sort of consistent level of care, the average woman has just one or two prenatal visits total before delivery. The WHO (World Health Organization) recommends at least 8 visits. 

While things are not that difficult or desperate in Texas, we do know there is a significant need for relational and personalized care. Many women delay starting care until well into the second trimester. 

All women need to be met with compassion and understanding in the vulnerable months of pregnancy and postpartum. We do that in Haiti and we will do that in Texas.

Knowing 1 in 5 women have serious struggles with PMAD (post partum mood and anxiety disorders) and that it is inadequately screened, The Starting Place Birth and Wellness Center will universally screen and provide support and community for all women that we work with. 

We are excited to open officially and begin this important work. 

Will you be nearby? We’d love for you to join us! You’re invited!

The Starting Place Grand Opening event will be held at the Starting Place, Temple, Texas on Tuesday, June 29th.

720 N. 3rd St., Temple, Texas 76501

5-8pm – Tours and Facility Walkthrough

6pm –  Ribbon Cutting

7pm – Guest Speaker

Learn more about The Starting Place by visiting the website!

 

3 Comments

  • steeve petitfrere says:

    i really love this kind of work you guys doing, i really want to join you guys

  • Donna Payne says:

    Congratulations on your new endeavor to support mamas and babies through The Starting Place. So glad to hear you and K.J. are doing the thing you do best and are doing it together. I have followed your Haiti blog for years through all the joys and trauma and decided to click on your old blog only to discover your new location. As I am a former Texan I am doubly glad you are there to serve. You probably do not remember (it’s been many years) but my granddaughter and her husband visited your work in Haiti when they were newlyweds and that is how I learned of your and your families’ work there. Their names are Kimberly and Philip Ellis and they now have 4 precious boys, 3 of which are adopted. They live in Taylor, Texas outside of Austin. The boys include one bi-racial son, one Hispanic son who is special needs,, and one African American son, plus their biological son. Philip works with a church and Kimberly is a stay at home mom. Of course this Mema thinks they are a perfect family! God bless you in your endeavors. How can I help?

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