In 2004, Brenda Lovelady Spahn began the Lovelady Center program by receiving 6 inmates from Julia Tutwiler Prison into her home to bring hope through the love and promises of Jesus Christ, as well as to ready them for life outside prison walls. Formerly, when ministering to women in the work release program, Brenda had heard some of the women talk about going through halfway houses and how little those places had helped them. This was the inspiration for Brenda’s concept of a “whole way house” because as she likes to say, “God doesn’t do anything halfway.” She began the ministry with her daughter, Melinda MeGahee, who now serves as the Executive Director of The Lovelady Center.
From those initial six women, Lovelady has grown to house over 400 women and nearly 100 children daily and offer them a second chance at life. Today, The Lovelady Center in Birmingham, AL is the largest transitional housing program of its kind in the country. We currently have 420+ adult women and 80+ children residing here. The women here have been displaced due to incarceration, addiction, domestic violence, and homelessness, and are given a safe place for 9-12 months to learn the life skills necessary to transform their lives. The “Loveladies” are able to take advantage of many different services while in the program, as they earn their 34 credit hours to graduate. Our services include drug and alcohol rehabilitation, individual counseling, life and parenting skills, legal and medical services, job-readiness programs, childcare, continuing education courses, and numerous other opportunities, all while utilizing a faith-based approach.
We work with drug courts from all over Alabama as well as the DOC’s supervised re-entry program. Lovelady is a 501(c)3 organization and donations are tax deductible. Our 100-year-old 250,000+ square foot facility operates solely from monies we receive from our two thrift stores and the generosity of our donors.
It is our mission to help women rebuild their lives and walk forward with faith-driven hope for the future. The Lovelady Center ensures that each woman is taught how to overcome barriers to success by providing not only much needed services, but also life skills and spiritual guidance. We can give a woman shelter, food, and clothing, but if she cannot support herself and parent her children, the cycle of poverty and incarceration will not be broken.
Since 2004, over 13,800 women and 3,500 children from all 67 Alabama counties and beyond the state of Alabama, 44 states, have entered our program. Many went on to graduate and, in turn, save Alabama taxpayers untold millions. The Lovelady Center is a truly remarkable place. Besides the obvious tangibles, it provides these women with love, support, confidence, and hope for a better future. It is a privilege for everyone who works here to witness on a daily basis the love of God and the regenerative power of the gospel.
Highlights
• Two thrift stores serve the public.
Clay: 2402 Old Springville Road (the former winn-dixie supermarket)
Irondale: 7720 Ludington Lane (the former Circuit City)
Thrift stores are open Mon-Sat,
9 a.m.-9 p.m. To schedule a pickup of your gently used items, call 205-951-9230.
Mission
Empowering women through faith-based initiatives so they can return to society as well-equipped women of God. The program is about empowerment, hope, and a belief in the value of each and every human life.
