Since November 2022, Julia Gamba has been greeting Elizabeth House residents, alumni, donors, and staff with a big smile and an even bigger heart. Until very recently, she would be the first face you’d see if you visited the Center for Mother & Child Wellbeing. You can still find her at the Center, but now she’s there as the Community Engagement Manager for Elizabeth House—a position that brings together so many of her career goals.

It’s not every day that a Pasadena High School band calls to say they’ve raised money for Elizabeth House. In fact, this is probably a first. But that’s exactly what happened on a random Tuesday in July when Esmei’s lead singer and guitarist Anekin Ortiz called us. He and his bandmates bassist Lucca Galeano, drummer Jordan Hershberg, and guitarist Daniel Espinoza were on their way over with money they’d raised at a recent gig.

From the very beginning of her life Terry Bright felt like God had called her to serve Him and to work with Him. Her commitment to that service has been a lifelong journey, being called to different things at different times. When she stepped into her role at Elizabeth House 30 years ago, Terry didn’t understand why he was placing her there, but God was leading her.  

How do you organize your life? Who taught you how to organize your life? What systems do you utilize to stay on track? At Elizabeth House, we use the Life Box as a helpful starting point…

Mary K. has been a dedicated Elizabeth House volunteer for many years. “Volunteering is the cornerstone of communities. There is a place for everyone if you put in the time and really look.”

Elizabeth House keeps me busy most of the time. But when we have a baby shower, it’s my chance to get out from behind my computer and spend quality time with our residents. Recently, I got to stretch my creative muscles and plan and execute the baby shower for our resident, Melanie and her baby girl on the way.

Yessenia (Resident) went into labor at the end of January 2025, just as the community around her faced the aftermath of the Eaton Fire…

I was born and raised in Hungary. I came to the U.S. to get my bachelor’s degree at Azusa Pacific University. One day in 1998, while I was a student, I found out that I was pregnant…

Elizabeth House experiences countless moments where our incredible volunteers provide tangible, emotional, and spiritual support for our women and our children. In big ways- and some that may seem small- our community surrounds women who are hurting or struggling and says “You are not alone”.

As an organization that has served pregnant and parenting mothers for nearly 30 years, Elizabeth House is dedicated to maternal health and wellness. This Black History Month we would like to honor the history of Black birth workers and allow their legacy to inspire us to continue to lead the way in serving our community and beyond. 

Mary came to Elizabeth House when she was expecting her third child. She had a history of drug abuse and felt depressed and overwhelmed with the many losses in her day-to-day life. It took all of her effort to stay clean and get through the challenges of each day- she knew she needed help, and she called us to lend a hand.