MERRILLVILLE – The Women’s Center in Merrillville has become the busiest in Northwest Indiana, serving more than 800 women. The facility simply couldn’t keep up with the county’s needs – until now.
Bishop Robert J. McClory and other members of the Diocese of Gary toured the new home of the Women’s Care Center, located at 2624 W. 81st Ave., on Sept. 8. The new location offers dedicated classroom and childcare space while continuing to provide pregnancy testing and support to walk-ins.
During the visit, Bishop McClory blessed the rooms of the Women’s Care Center and offered prayers for the work being done there.
“The Father of mercies and God of all consolation who strengthens through his Son in the Holy Spirit, bestows his love and blessing in a particular way on those who are in need; on those who assist and minister to them,” he prayed. “Today, we ask for God's blessing on this Women's Care Center dedicated to the good of mothers and their children. We pray that it may always be a place of love and support.”
Bishop McClory noted it was a special day on the calendar of the Catholic Church – the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The occasion, he said, provided an opportunity to celebrate the one who was chosen to say yes to life and reflect on the great gift of Mary and her parents.
“It’s very clear that we're called to choose life,” said the bishop. “It is really the ministry of what happens here, to help women say yes to life, and to support them in saying yes to life, and to support those who support them and to support the families and the little ones so that we can choose life, not just intellectually, but we can do so by giving women and their families the tools they need and the resources they need to embrace life and God's plan in its fullness.”
Director Meli Salas, who started working with the Women's Care Center in June 2025, said she feels blessed to work there every day. She is excited that the new location helps provide their clients with a great experience, and stressed that it's important that those who visit the center feel loved, supported and seen.
“For me, the most important thing is what we are offering to the clients when they walk in here,” Salas said. “They say, ‘Wow, this is amazing.’ They feel welcomed, and I really want that for them.”
Salas said the facility is beautiful and everything that was done regarding the layout and design was completed with intentionality. She hopes the inviting space will encourage parents to want to come back to attend classes, meetings and exchange coupons for items as part of the Crib Club program.
She said, “Maybe this is the only place they can have peace. Maybe this is the only place they can be heard and seen. We want to provide that to them. We really want to give them the best care possible.”
Moving from a place that only had room for two office spaces to one that could accommodate six office spaces has allowed those working at the Women’s Care Center to be together more often and become better organized.
Ruby Jimenez, a parishioner at St. Joseph the Worker in Gary, happened to stop by the new location with her family during the blessing. She noted that the Women’s Care Center is a great asset for the community. Having worked with women covered by various insurance plans, she knows that even with Medicaid, it can be difficult accessing needed resources.
“Now that I'm pregnant again, it's nice to have a space that feels homey and welcoming and not scary,” she said.
Annie Barnett, outreach director, stated that the Women’s Care Center is now projected to serve 50% more women. Last year it served over 800 women at the old site, which was about 1,300 square feet. With this new center and its proximity to U.S. 30, which creates more visibility, it is estimated to assist over 1,200 women during the year.
“That's what we're hoping for,” she said. “And last year, we welcomed about 575 babies into the world with help from the Women's Care Center.”
Barnett shared the statistic that one in five babies born in Lake County start with assistance from the Women's Care Center, and believes that number will continue to increase. She added that the previous location did not have enough room to hold classes, and will now be better able to support families from the birth of their children until kindergarten.
The mission of the Women's Care Center, Barnett explained, is to help young women by treating them with love and respect, without judgment. It also supports families until the children reach kindergarten age. The center does not ask for ID or a health insurance card when assisting those at the center.
“Our whole motto is to treat them as St. Benedict would, as if you were the hands of Jesus, with total love and compassion, with no judgment,” Barnett said. “I think that's what makes the difference.”
Barnett explained the Women’s Care Center strives to fill in the gaps of critical care for mothers, including early pregnancy (by completing ultrasounds), postpartum (by offering counseling) and pre-preschool years.
“The hardest part, as we all know as moms, is after you have the baby, so we like to support them up to kindergarten,” Barnett said. “And to me, that is such a huge part of what we do that people don't realize.”
For more information on the Women’s Care Center in Merrillville, call (219) 472-8059 or
visit womenscarecenter.org/location/merrillville-2624-81st-ave.
Editor’s Note: The Women’s Care Center will host its annual Luxury Bingo event on Wednesday, Oct. 14, at the Halls of St. George in Schererville. RSVP by Friday, Oct. 2. To register online, visit LuxuryBingoMerrillville.com or text “LakeCntyBingo” to 4144.
