Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexandrea Crutcher–
Alexandrea, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Oh my, where do I begin! How did I get here? Saved by God’s grace and mercy and by the unconditional love and support of my family and friends. I realized I had to get out of my own way and allow God to direct my path. There have been so many defining moments throughout my life that impacted my journey. I now realize that my plans were not Gods plans for me. It is God’s unique purpose, His special plan for my life, that has been tailored just for me. For me, living out my purpose in the face of adversity is a daily struggle. But the great thing is knowing your purpose allows you the opportunity to fulfill the call of GOD on your life.
I have a love and compassion for children!! Throughout my life, my mom always cared for other’s children. I remember sharing my bed, clothes, and food with the children she would keep. In watching my mom, I grew to love children. To me, there is nothing more rewarding than working with children. Their enthusiasm and energy is so contagious! In 2001, I was cheering and coaching loudly from the stands while attending my God daughter’s basketball game. As a result, I was later approached by an assistant principal at Roosevelt High School in Dallas. He asked me if I would be interested in coaching basketball for their varsity team. He said the girls were a hand full and he was tired!
Two weeks later, I was given the opportunity to start teaching and coaching basketball at Roosevelt High School as the head girls basketball coach! I couldn’t believe what was happening, I had gone to school to be a doctor, and somehow now I was teaching high school science. Even though I have a passion and a heart for children, high schoolers were another breed. However, the team I had at Roosevelt has been one of my greatest blessings and accomplishments. But the more I taught, the more I realized how much I enjoyed helping the students not only learn science but also navigate through adolescence. I encountered students with troubled everyday lives and students in my classroom who were pregnant, parenting, prostituting, using illegal drugs or had gang affiliations.
There were many challenging students, however, I had more students who truly cared about their futures. I was able to have a more personal relationship with these students, and it afforded me the opportunity to become a mentor that would help to shape their futures. In 2004, one of my basketball players became pregnant her senior year after being offered a basketball scholarship. She was scared with not many options. Her mom had been unable to care for her and her siblings, so they lived with their grandmother along with several other relatives. She did not want to terminate the pregnancy but really didn’t know what kind of life she could offer her child without an education.
So, I decided to support her by taking care of her daughter while she went to college. She is a college graduate and was able to break the cycle of poverty that she knew all too well. Her story opened my eyes to the needs of pregnant and parenting teens and often times their lack of support. The profession of teaching is great in that you are having a positive impact on your students, some of whom really need such influence, but I started to think about those who need help outside of the school. I then started to look for ways to volunteer to help children in our community. In working with various nonprofits, I encountered more uneducated and jobless teen parents without hope or direction.
I then began to pray for direction. Those prayers were answered, and God has given me the awesome assignment of being the Founder and Executive Director of The Lullaby House. The Lullaby House is a nonprofit organization that provides long-term housing for homeless pregnant and parenting teenagers ages 14-18. We provide programs and services where teen moms can be supported through their pregnancy and early motherhood.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Of course not! In the spring of 2002, I suffered a brain aneurysm rupture and was later told by my mom that the doctors said the bleed was inoperable and I wouldn’t live through the night. But God… I woke up walking and talking as if I had been asleep. No operation, no long-term effects just one of Gods miracles!! I was given a miracle, a gift that would be impossible by man, but was brought to pass by the supernatural power of God. It was then that I knew I was exactly where God wanted me to be and that I had work left to do in this life and my requirement to walk by faith.
In 2013, I was diagnosed with Mixed Connective Tissue Disease. It is a rare autoimmune disorder that has signs and symptoms of three different disorders: lupus, scleroderma, and polymyositis. This was a very difficult time for me because I am in and out of the hospital and in constant pain. Over the last few years, I have had, three strokes, seizures, internal bleeding, and other critical issues. This caused me to get really depressed because not only could I not work but I gained 70 lbs from all the steroids. Being a “type A” personality it was very difficult for me not to have any control over what was happening to me. But even in the midst of turmoil, God has been by my side and has used these challenges to mold me. Once I understood that, my perspective on life completely changed.
No longer do I view setbacks as failures; I see them as moments when God, my loving Father, is working on me and on my behalf. Living the life God has called me to do so has meant unlearning that lesson that my A-type personality has taught me in that my way is the best way. But sometimes trusting Him completely can be tough. So, each day I consciously lay aside my own plans and expectations and allow God’s will to be done.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5)
Please tell us about The Lullaby House.
The Lullaby House has been established to meet an overwhelming need in America, and particularly, in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Area, the increase in homeless pregnant and parenting teens. Currently, there are numerous temporary facilities and social service organizations, such as emergency shelters, and placement agencies, serving homeless children only for the short-term. But the state foster care system is overwhelmed, homeless shelters are at capacity and children are going hungry, living on the streets and committing crimes to survive. This situation is even more dire for homeless pregnant and parenting teenagers because foster homes and residential care facilities are reluctant to accept them.
The Lullaby House will provide programs for teen moms and dads in the community in collaboration with other nonprofits. We strive to promote the positive development in teen parents by facilitating peer support groups, providing healthcare services, parenting classes/workshops, and the opportunity for homeless teen moms to participate in our housing program. We currently provide referrals to all pregnant and parenting teens in which a teen parent can receive needed healthcare services, advocacy, guidance, encouragement, and support from organizations within the community. Our goal from inception has been to provide teen moms and dads with information about community resources that can support them during this crisis. It’s very difficult for minor children to come by the resources and connections to make it on their our own and give their children the opportunities they deserve.
The Lullaby House truly believes that it is our community’s role to provide support for homeless pregnant and parenting teens to help them become self-sufficient, pursue and complete their education and to provide them life skills. Many teenage mothers have a difficult time juggling the dual roles of parent and teen. These responsibilities are often a result of being raised in unhealthy and stressful environments, characterized by poverty, domestic violence, and cycles of abuse and neglect. Homeless teen moms face an even greater risk of repeat pregnancy and other health problems.
I am most proud of the fact that The Lullaby House will be providing a service that will transform the lives of teen moms and their children but also help to transform our community. We are tackling an issue that continues to plague our community. Through my efforts and the efforts of an awesome board of directors committed to our mission, we will be helping to solve a community problem by directly supporting pregnant and parenting teens. We strive to strengthen families by keeping the family unit intact. Our goal is to help them peel away the layers of stigma and shame placed on them by society by teaching them to hold their heads up high and to persevere in the face of adversity. Pregnant and parenting teens can’t turn back time or undo the prejudices that others may have about them, but they can gain the tools necessary to become good parents and responsible citizens.
The majority of teen parenting is no accident but a longing for family and love. Our organization is different from other organizations because we will provide long-term housing, resources, and services for homeless pregnant and parenting teens ages 14-18 in the community and those that in foster care. We have several maternity homes in the Dallas Metroplex, but they provide temporary housing for teen moms. In 2017, Texas had over 600 pregnant and parenting teens in foster care with the absence of adequate housing to keep them together with their children. It’s very difficult to place teens in foster care with families, but it’s even more difficult to place them in homes where they can stay with their children.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Growing up, I spent most of my time with my Aunt Lullaby. My Aunt Lullaby’s house was the one place I wanted to be more than anywhere else in the world. She always made me feel so special and loved. When you walked into her house, you were always greeted by her beautiful spirit and infectious smile.
Because of her unconditional love for me, I grew to know my heavenly father loved me as well. I knew God resided in her heart and soul because she opened her door to anyone that was in need. Friends and family all knew they had a place to stay at Aunt Lullaby’s house. Her love, patience, and kindness were everlasting. The love she demonstrated helped shape my life and the lives of many more. Maybe you had “Grandma’s house” or Big Momma’s house”… God so graciously gave me Aunt Lullaby’s house. Every day of my life, I strive to make a conscious choice to be more like my Aunt Lullaby.
To love others as God loves us and to help those in need. As a result of that effort, The Lullaby House was established to honor the legacy of my aunt’s compassion and love as we strive to make a difference in the lives of the teen moms and their children that reside in our home. “Much is required from those to whom much is given.” Luke 12:48
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lullabyhouses.com
- Phone: 214-450-1941
- Email: lullabyhousegirls@
gmail.com - Facebook: The Lullaby House
- Twitter: @thelullabyhouse
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