‘Annie’s House’ provides safe space for displaced women

DULUTH, MN. (Northern News Now) - A home in Duluth hopes to provide homeless mothers and their families a space place to land.

Deyona Kirk has a heart for young moms. She created the non-profit, Annie’s House of Refuge and Restoration, after seeing a need in the Northland. Annie’s House opened in May of 2022.

At age 12, Kirk experienced homelessness and housing instability, as a young mother herself. She is also a sexual abuse survivor and has made it her mission to help people suffering from similar traumas.

“I always like helping other women overcome things that I have overcome myself,” says Kirk.

Her passion to help young BIPOC mothers experiencing homelessness was also inspired by her own mother, Annie. Kirk’s mother, taught her how to be a mother and she wanted other women to have that same loving and educational experience.

Women like Tessa Bixler, mother of a two-month-old baby girl.

“I’m 17 with a two-month-old,” said Bixler, “I do have a lot to learn and they’re helping me with that. Even the girls here are helping me be a mom, and I like it.”

For Caneisha Fitch, the home is a secure place for family.

“No mother should be homeless, out in the streets with their babies, it’s not worth it in this world nowadays,” said Fitch. “This place is a safe home. This is our comfort zone. Our comfort home.”

By providing a safe haven for those in need, Kirk has changed lives for the better.

“When you get the right people around you that believe in you, support you, but still hold you accountable. That it can make all the difference and so that’s how Annie’s house come about,” said Kirk.

Annie’s House received a $10,000 grant last month from the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation’s Unity Fund.

If you or someone you know is a young mom experiencing homelessness and is in need of services, you can find the contact information for Annie’s House here.

Click here to download the Northern News Now app or our Northern News Now First Alert weather app.

Copyright 2023 Northern News Now. All rights reserved.