Construction is underway for the fifth location of Maggie’s Place, a sanctuary for homeless mothers in the Phoenix area.
The Fiat House, scheduled to open this January, is a 6,000-square-foot residence that will be used as a community center for new and past mothers who have sought refuge at Maggie’s Place.
The house at 16th Street and McDowell Road used to be the site of a boy’s boarding school.
“We’re real suckers for fixer-uppers,” said Mary Peterson, UA graduate and co-founder of Maggie’s Place. “Every home we’ve gotten we’ve had to completely renovate and clean out, which is the stage the Fiat House is in now.”
In addition to providing services for struggling mothers including legal counsel and photo shoots, the Fiat House will also provide housing for Maggie’s Place staff members, including many recent college graduates who move to Phoenix to participate in a year of service at Maggie’s Place.
Since the first Maggie’s Place opened in May 2000, the organization has expanded from one house in downtown Phoenix to three additional houses in Glendale, Tempe and Cleveland, as well as a thrift store in Phoenix.
Peterson, the director of the nonprofit organization, said the inspiration for Maggie’s Place came from a lack of fulfillment in her previous career.
“I realized pretty quickly that my career path wasn’t making me feel alive inside, so I had to figure out what that meant,” Peterson said. “My roommate kept coming home with stories about the homeless plight and we realized there was a real need for housing for homeless, pregnant women.”
The original Maggie’s Place in Phoenix was able to provide refuge for six pregnant women.
Since the sanctuary opened its doors on Mother’s Day of 2000, more than 450 mothers have taken residence in the various Maggie’s Place locations. There are currently 25 mothers residing in these residences in Phoenix and an additional nine in Cleveland.
Homeless mothers are welcome to take up residence at any time during their pregnancy and are allowed to continue residing there until their child is 6 months old.
As part of the conditions of living at a Maggie’s Place house, the mothers must take part in “40 hours of productivity” each week, which can range from continuing their education and seeking employment to participating in outpatient rehabilitation clinics, Peterson said.
Tabatha Wills, an expectant mother who also has a 3-year-old girl, has been living at Maggie’s Place for the past three months after leaving an unhealthy relationship and a stint of living on the streets.
“My favorite thing (about Maggie’s Place) is all the babies,” Wills said. “They’ve also helped with a lot of other stuff. They helped me get back in school, get eye glasses and be more responsible.”
Megan Pena, the director of the Magdalene House in Phoenix, has been working at Maggie’s Place for a year and three months. She flew down to Arizona for an interview upon her graduation from the College of Mount St. Joseph in Ohio. “I just fell in love with (Maggie’s Place),” Pena said. “I think (Maggie’s Place is) important because I see the real differences that the women who come here go through. I see where they start and where they end up. They learn so much about themselves, like what it is to be a good mother and to have dignity and self-respect. I get to see them really change their lives.”
Although the completion of the Fiat House is still two months away, Peterson said that those at Maggie’s Place are always looking for ways to expand the program.
“We’re always daydreaming about expansions in the Phoenix area and I’m currently talking to people in Boston about the possibility of expansion on the east coast,” Peterson said. “We’ll just have to wait and see what doors open and how we can continue helping women.”
Reach the reporter at Doberhau@asu.edu
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