For many women seeking help, the first step is often the hardest: reaching out.

As the Director of Intake at Good Counsel Homes, an agency of Catholic Charities of New York, Sabrina Homes serves as one of the first points of contact for women who are pregnant, parenting, or facing homelessness and crisis. That initial conversation sets the tone for everything that follows.

“Our role is to make sure each woman feels respected, supported, and met without judgment,” Sabrina explains. “How someone feels in that moment matters just as much as the outcome.”

Good Counsel Homes was founded in 1985 to help homeless, pregnant women in dire need. The organization provides a safe, loving environment for mothers and their babies, along with the support needed to regain stability and build a secure future.

The Reality Facing Families in Need

Women who reach out to Good Counsel Homes are often navigating multiple, overlapping challenges. These may include domestic violence, eviction, overcrowded living conditions, mental health concerns, financial hardship, and the ongoing lack of truly affordable housing in New York City.

“What is listed as ‘affordable housing’ is often not affordable for families earning entry-level wages,” Sabrina says. “For women coming out of shelter or crisis, the gap can feel impossible.”

These challenges are not isolated and addressing them requires more than a temporary solution.

Across New York City, many women experience pregnancy amid significant economic and housing instability. Nearly one in six births in the city is to a mother living below the federal poverty line. At the same time, housing insecurity affects tens of thousands of pregnant women each year, with pregnant women and families making up a significant share of the city’s shelter population.

Good Counsel Homes’ shelter and supportive housing programs are designed to meet both immediate safety needs and long-term stability. Unlike traditional shelter models, women are offered a safe, stable environment where they can begin rebuilding their lives.

“We don’t just provide a bed,” she says. “We offer hands-on support, life-skills training, mentorship, and case management — all working together to help women move from crisis to stability.”

Case management plays a central role, helping women break overwhelming challenges into clear, manageable steps. Through goal setting, financial education, education and workforce training, and ongoing support, women are equipped to build independence and confidence.

A Story of Hope and Transformation

Homes often reflects on the story of a pregnant mother with two young children who was living in an abusive situation, without family support or a safe place to turn. Rather than removing the children, child welfare services referred the family to Good Counsel Homes.

Through coordinated support, the mother received prenatal care, counseling, housing stability, and educational opportunities. Her children were enrolled in school, and over time, she rebuilt her confidence.

She ultimately completed the program, moved into her own affordable apartment, and today continues to return to share her story — offering encouragement to other women beginning their journey.

Dignity at Every Step

From intake to program completion, Good Counsel Homes’ goal is simple but profound: that every woman feels safe, respected, and not alone.

“Even when problems aren’t immediately solved,” Sabrina says, “how someone feels in that moment matters.”

Looking ahead, Good Counsel Homes is preparing for emerging challenges, including an increase in women facing mental health needs alongside housing instability. Plans are underway to open a specialized home designed to support women with mental illness or substance use disorders, allowing them to receive treatment while safely parenting their children.

Housing stability and self-sufficiency mean helping people move from daily crisis to lasting security — building confidence, skills, and the ability to live independently.

Good Counsel Homes continues to rely on the generosity of donors, staff, and volunteers who believe in the mission of supporting pregnant women, mothers, and families in need.

Women seeking help can reach the 24-hour helpline at 1-800-723-8331 or visit https://www.goodcounselhomes.org/ to find support. Resources are also available for women outside New York, ensuring help extends beyond city and state lines.

In every home and every story of transformation, Good Counsel Homes lives out Catholic Charities of New York’s mission to provide help and create hope for mothers and families, with dignity at every step of the journey.