Construction begins on LifeHouse Cape Girardeau

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KFVS) - Construction began at the site of LifeHouse Cape Girardeau.

Located at 535 Main Street, it’s scheduled to begin receiving clients in early 2024. The group will serve homeless pregnant women of southeast Missouri over the 18, along with their young children under the age of five, and their newborn babies.

According to the Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri, it’s modeled after the original LifeHouse Crisis Maternity Home in Springfield, Mo.

CCSOMO’s new Executive Director Ken Palermo was in Cape Girardeau on Wednesday, February 8 to oversee the beginning of construction.

“LifeHouse Cape Girardeau has entered an exciting phase,” Palermo said, “Years of planning, discussions, relationship building, and problem solving have led us to this moment of watching those plans rise from the ground. The love of Christ, through the vision offered by Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri, along with the generosity of many, will help the vulnerable women and children in need who will reside here soon.”

CCSOMO and Heartland leaders began raising money for the project in 2021.

A groundbreaking was held in October 2021.

Originally budgeted at $6 million, they said a capital fundraising campaign, along with the generous support of the Mabee Foundation, the Children’s Trust Fund, American Home Loan and 958 private donors, have made it possible to bring this service to the region.

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