Total Donations |$271,660.34

Thanks to the incredible generosity of local businesses, community partners, and a “We Are All in This Together” grant from a Lutheran Foundation, Bethesda Lutheran Services is humbled to share that we’ve reached our initial fundraising goal of $250,000 for our Right Start program home. But this is just the beginning.

We are continuing our efforts to raise funds for the next critical phase of the Right Start program — a transitional housing unit located right next to the main home. This space will offer young mothers the stability and support they need to build brighter futures, including life skills training, parenting support, educational advancement, and pathways to employment and housing independence. With your support, we can ensure these women and their children have every opportunity to succeed beyond our program walls.

“Our Right Start program provides pregnant and parenting young mothers with the resources to raise their babies and build nurturing families for the future, decreasing risk factors associated with teenage parenting and for many providing an opportunity to positively impact multi-generational trauma”.

Kelly- Program Director Right Start for Young Mothers

Support Bethesda's CEO George Trauner & COO Jerrad Rimel on their trek up Mt. Kilimanjaro while raising funds for our Right Start for Young Mothers Program!

Please consider donating in support of our brave leadership as they climb for promising futures.

About Right Start |Our skilled team of staff works with young women to assist them in becoming strong, confident, and independent mothers using strategies and techniques aimed at enhancing parenting knowledge and skills, continuing education, and developing independent living skills. Program staff provide child care and age-appropriate developmental activities for infants, toddlers, and young children residing in the program.

The young women participate in evidence-based therapeutic treatment groups to include evidence-based parenting classes a minimum of two times a week. Young mothers are offered mental health therapy from our skilled clinicians, and obtain psychiatric, psychological, and medical consultations, as necessary.

After successful participation in the Right Start Program a youth may qualify for our Transitional Living Program (TLP). This program supports the next phase of the young mothers journey to independence. These qualified mothers must have demonstrated the ability to be an independent parent on the Right Start Program before being considered for the TLP. This program is a far less-restricted level-of-care with significant access to the community setting and helps to ensure a smooth transition for both mom and child.