The Sparrow’s Nest maternity home, which got its start in Jayton in 2019 under the direction of former community member Tricia Edwards and a groundswell of local and regional support, is moving to Snyder— when a facility in the larger city can be secured.
An informational meeting was held June 26 at Snyder’s Colonial Hill Baptist Church, with Snyder leaders Kelly Cookson and Kalli Green explaining their plans for the relocated program.
The pair each came to answer a call to this ministry separately, they said in a video posted after the meeting.
“We did a 21-day Daniel fast to ask the Lord for answers about how we were going to get this going,” said Cookson. “Sky [Gregory, executive director] called on Day 20 and said there would be a possibliity of relocating.”
Shortly after, the women toured the Jayton facility and learned more about their day-to-day operations— and the conversation moved swiftly from there.
Sparrow’s Nest board board members Layne and Regina Coulter of Jayton, who have been involved since the outset, explained that the board made the relocation decision based on several factors, which included the challenges of staffing and lack of local child care for mothers in Jayton, a city of some 500 residents. Snyder, by contrast, counts a poopulation of more than 11,000, with a strong retail and employment base.
Once all the current group of mothers were transitioned out of the program, the Coulters said, the board felt like that was the best time to look at and pray about what was needed for the Ministry to continue and possibly grow from the seeds that had already been planted in Jayton.
The Coulters, who are each currently employed in Kent County courthouse positions, said that the county-owned building in Jayton is still leased by Sparrows Nest and is housing the furniture and supplies that will be moved when the organization secures a building or home in Snyder for the ministry. All of the furnishings and renovations from the home’s May 2020 opening were provided through private donations, although the county has owned the facility (the original Kent County Nursing Home) through several occupants.
“At this time Kent County has made no definite plans for the building but discussions will be taking place,” said Layne Coulter, county judge.
Since opening in Jayton, said the Coulters, “the Sparrow’s Nest had been blessed to serve 36 mommas and their babies as well as several non-residential CPS cases that were able to assist and provide parenting classes.”
The Coulters said the group was “very fortunate that Kent County agreed to lease us the building for our non-profit ministry. No public funds were ever offered or used for the renovation and upkeep of the building; all work was done by private donations and many, many volunteers whom we are so very thankful for.”
Currently the board has the same members but has added an executive director and programs director to the board for a total of seven members. The service area covered by the facility could possibly expand with the new location in Snyder—which is served by a regional hospital with maternity and delivery care—but there is no geographical restriction on where any woman lives, to apply for resident help.
Cook and Green said they are still taking calls and making referrals to other facilities until a new home is established in Snyder.
As programs director, Green projected that volunteers will be utilized to teach classes, partnering with many churches and volunteers.
In Snyder, Cook said, “we feel we can not only continue with so many of the wonderful programs, opportunities and seeds that were planted in Jayton, but also grow with the partnerships and resources that will allow us to continue our mission which is to provide hope, help and healing to mothers in crisis.”
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