WS Chronicle

By Busta Brown

“God told me that everything that you’re going through, you’re going through it for a reason. You’re going through it to save a life. And the girls that I talked to, their lives are so similar to mine. So, I can empathize with them, and I can understand when they have no hope,” said Marsha Twiggs. 

Twiggs is speaking of the teen girls who come through her New Start Homes Maternity Program (NSHP). The nonprofit organization is dedicated to providing housing and support services to pregnant teens in need. 

“As part of our initiative to give back to the community, our mission is to create a nurturing and empowering atmosphere where teen moms can thrive,” said Marsha. She’s the founder and owner of New Start Homes Maternity Program and was also a teen mom. 

“I can give them my story and I can tell them that I’ve been there. I know what you’re going through, how you feel, and what you’re thinking. But don’t give up, because God has something bigger for you. I know that’s why I went through what I went through and why I’m here,” she said, while tears were flowing from her eyes.  She continued, “I didn’t just go through it for no reason.”

The mother of four started New Start Homes Maternity Program (NSHP) because of the lack of information about resources for teen girls from underserved neighborhoods like the one she lived in. “I lost my mother when I was 15 years old and I was homeless, living in the Salvation Army. When I had my first daughter, she stayed in the hospital for almost a year. I needed help and I needed support, and it was not there. I didn’t know how or where to get it. I didn’t have anyone to tell me that. So, I struggled with finding work, balancing my life and finding help in the community with necessities and just things that I needed, like parenting classes and support – the things that I needed as a young mom. I lived in the 27105 zip code; it wasn’t accessible or talked about.”

The one thing she did have was faith. “I prayed and prayed, and God told me I could have the desires of my heart. I always knew I wanted to buy a house, go back to college and change the world, but I didn’t know how. My dreams came true. I bought my first home, graduated from Winston-Salem State University, received my degree in social work and worked for the Department of Social Services.” 

Marsha always loved helping people, so social work gave her that opportunity, but she also had an entrepreneurial spirit that was burning inside. “I left to pursue my passion, which was beauty and cosmetics. I’ve always loved makeup and helping women feel beautiful. I became a full-time makeup artist.”

Marsha’s makeup business began to thrive, yet she couldn’t forget about her true purpose, which was providing housing and support services to pregnant teens in need. She joined a program called Kinetic, which helped her launch the New Start Homes Maternity Program (NSHP) on May 5, 2024. 

“I wanted to bring the conversation back to the table because teen pregnancy is still here. There are over 300 girls that are currently pregnant in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School system. There is a high number of girls that are homeless, or facing homelessness, and many girls are dropping out of high school because they don’t have the support to complete their high school diploma. 

“How can we support teen moms? One way is there’s a diaper and baby wipes disparity. Teen moms are in need of these items. You can donate to our organization to help relieve the stress of girls ages 13 to 17 that don’t have enough diapers and baby wipes. Also, volunteer with NSHP to help young moms from dropping out of school because they don’t have access to childcare, which is another concern. Forsyth Tech offers free childcare if they’re enrolled; their children can go to daycare for free. But again, so many young parents are still not aware of this option.”

Marsha continued, “I wanted to be the one to break the glass ceiling in the 27105 zip code. The girls in that zip code are told that their best option is DSS. I’m not saying don’t use the benefits. I’m not saying don’t get food stamps. I’m not saying don’t get Medicaid, because you may need those services temporarily. But don’t make that your destination. Don’t make DSS a revolving door for the rest of your life,” said Marsha. 

New Start Homes Maternity Program (NSHP) wants to educate teen moms and help them get a high school diploma, a trade or a two-year program and then eventually earn a college degree. The founder and owner is a living example that faith with works … works!

New Start Homes Maternity Program, an eight-week summer program, begins July 17 at Georgia Taylor Recreation Center on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. “The girls will learn financial literacy, budgeting and saving money, understanding job readiness, how to open a bank account and manage money, and more. Our curriculum for our summer program is pregnancy prevention, because if a girl is sexually active, the chances of her becoming pregnant is very high. And if she already has a child, it’s even higher. So, we definitely want to talk about pregnancy prevention and sexual health education. We want to talk about healthy relationships, making sure that you know the relationship that you have with your family and your boyfriend is a healthy one. The girls will learn the importance of self-esteem building. You must stand firm on what you believe, and you don’t accept anything. They’ll learn smart goal setting and how to achieve them. Also, being assertive, knowing when to say no; that’s something that I had to learn as an adult,” shared Twiggs.

Marsha’s ultimate goal is to create a home for teen moms, so the girls are able to have safe and secure housing. NSHP provides life skills, parenting classes, pre- and post-natal care, food and nutrition, doula access, and therapy. “Imagine being 13,14 or 15 and having a child, and then going home and you realize you’re still 13 but now with a newborn baby. This is why therapy is needed for teen moms. They need to know that life is not over, and they can still thrive. 

“At NSHP we aim to teach young moms the importance of self-love and self-care. Therefore, we have to create access to therapy and counseling for teen mothers to understand who they are and why loving yourself as a young mother is important. Parenting is a natural skill, but to educate them on what it takes to thrive as a teen parent is crucial.”

New Start Homes Maternity Program team consists of Masha Twiggs, who has a bachelor’s degree in social work; licensed therapist, Alexia Mitchell; licensed clinical therapist, Tionna Brice; pediatrician Katina Little; and Swynette Stone. program coordinator. 

I asked Marsha if she has a scripture that gives her endurance when she wants to give up. “Yes, I do! Jeremiah 29:11: ‘For I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.’ And I’ve lived by that scripture. I tell you because there have been times where I wanted to end my life. Busta. I’m telling you! I get emotional when I think about it. I’m sorry,” she said while wiping away her tears.  She took a few seconds to gain composure, and then continued, “God has a plan for you, if you just hold on and not let go. Even when I was going through it while I was pregnant and hungry, and I didn’t have anywhere to live. God said, hold on. Don’t give up. Don’t let go.”

My Phenomenal Person of the Week is Marsha Twiggs. For more info call 704-313.8347 or visit newstarthomesprogram.com.