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By Carey Reeder | Managing Editor

The long-awaited day for CareNet of Chilton County came on Oct. 24 as it held a ribbon cutting ceremony for its new maternity home Selah’s Oasis.

Selah’s Oasis maternity home will serve central Alabama by providing a safe residence for mothers who desire to prepare for independent living. The purpose of the maternity house is to keep it a secret and safe location to benefit domestic violence victims as well as giving the mothers a peaceful place to call home.

“It is very surreal,” CareNet Executive Director Ashley Liveoak said. “God has provided everything here, and just the fact he chose me and each of these team members and board members to be a part of something like this is just extremely humbling. I am so grateful.”

The word Selah is found throughout the book of Psalms, and it means to rest, pause, contemplate or to reset. That was matched with Oasis — a fertile spot in the desert where water can be found, to create the name of the home.

“We chose that because a lot of these women are in a desert spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically, and they can come to a place where they can redirect their life,” Liveoak said.

The maternity home features eight guest rooms to serve expectant mothers and two guest rooms to accommodate young women aging out of foster care. There is also space for a house mom and a playroom with activities for the children in the home.

While at Selah’s Oasis, guests will participate in required life skills classes such as parenting, cooking, finance, personal hygiene and time management to help prepare them for independent living. Job training, education, counseling services and opportunities for Bible studies and to attend churches will be available as well.

“We want to see God transforming them, setting goals and then achieving them,” Liveoak said. “Really, the end result is just letting them know they belong in society. I felt like the vision the Lord gave was a family atmosphere, but peaceful. I have had women walk in here and say it already feels like home, and they have been here only five minutes.”

CareNet’s staff, board members and supporters, along with local dignitaries, visited the downtown Clanton office on Oct. 24 to celebrate the opening of the maternity home with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The group then visited the home to see the finished product, and enjoyed refreshments before departing.