<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1578332068486.jpeg" alt="The Mary Elizabeth Maternity Home, 204 W. 7th, Hays, has closed. The organization had no referrals of pregnant teens in 2019. (Photos by Hays Post)" />
 <figcaption>The Mary Elizabeth Maternity Home, 204 W. 7th, Hays, has closed. The organization had no referrals of pregnant teens in 2019. (Photos by Hays Post)</figcaption>
 </figure>The Mary Elizabeth Maternity Home, 204 W. 7th, Hays, a nonprofit organization serving the unborn and their mothers since 1997, on&nbsp; Monday announced it is closing.The home was the idea of the Legion of Mary prayer group as they prayed for a means to combat abortion in a peaceful manner. On April 5, 1997, after the gift of a house, more than two years of volunteer labor and numerous donations, the Mary Elizabeth Maternity Home was established. It was so named Elizabeth because Elizabeth so warmly welcomed her cousin Mary, the mother of Jesus.The home was a Christian home that existed for the purpose of giving young, unwed mothers between the ages of 12 and 19 an alternative to abortion by providing a nurturing environment in which they could bring their pregnancies to term. The ministry welcomed over 332 girls between 1997 and 2018, but experienced a decreasing census over the last decade.With no referrals of pregnant teens in 2019, the governing board decided to close its day-to-day operations.Chuck White, president of the board of directors, said, "with the support we've always had in Hays and the surrounding area, we are well-positioned to find another entity to focus on repurposing the home for another cause."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1578332504610.jpeg" alt="The foyer of the Mary Elizabeth Maternity Home. Its capacity license was for eight young women and two babies.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>The foyer of the Mary Elizabeth Maternity Home. Its capacity license was for eight young women and two babies.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>"The board feels like we've done the right thing," White told Hays Post Monday morning at the home. "We're working with another organization we hope will utilize this beautiful old house in a similar capacity and mission."The house is still maintained and move-in ready. "We come by and check on it regularly, flush the toilets," he noted as he checked the rooms.A similar home in Wichita has also seen a major decline in its residents over the past few years, according to White."We hope grandparents and parents are taking a more active role in supporting their girls and babies," White said. "Years ago, it was quite common to send away an unwed pregnant teen to give birth and make arrangements for adoption."In a news release, the board recognized the home's founding members as Shirley Dinkel, Isabel Pfannenstiel, Eva Bryant, Elizabeth Marcotte, Sr. Mary Catherine Grief, CSA, Mary Kay Schmidt and Heidi Goff."The home and its ministry would not have been possible without the work of these women," White said. "Without their vision and prayers, we would not have been able to do the good work we did the past 22 years.The board also thanked the home's loyal supporters past and present, who made the maternity home a success.Beck Kiser of Hays Post contributed to this article.

Mary Elizabeth Maternity Home closes its doors; no referrals in 2019