Who We Are
A mission born from love, built to support.
Our Story
For more than twenty years, my husband Sam and I carried a shared passion for foster care. But it took nearly as long for our paths to align. While Sam felt called to care for babies, my heart always broke for teenagers, the ones everyone seemed to forget. I spent a decade working in juvenile corrections, witnessing pregnant girls sent to locked facilities simply because there was nowhere else for them to go. I knew in my heart that there had to be another way.
Again and again, I saw how the system was built to keep these young women stuck. Every rule had a reason, but too often those rules left them feeling hopeless, cycling through generations of foster care, poverty, and broken relationships. I didn’t want to see more children raised as products of the system. I wanted them to experience the security, consistency, and love of a real family.
By the grace of God, the pieces finally fell together. Our nonprofit approval came through in just five days, confirmation that this mission was ready to take shape. Today, there are fewer than twenty beds in the entire state of Minnesota where a teen mom can stay with her baby. At Open Hearts Home, we offer them not only a safe place to land, but also a community that refuses to give up on them.
Although faith is woven into our lives, it isn’t something we force. We simply provide the structure, encouragement, and resources young moms need to build a different story for themselves and their children. Because family doesn’t run away when things get hard. Family stays, listens, and keeps believing in you.
Our Mission
The mission of Open Hearts Home is to provide young mothers with education, resources, and support in conjunction with safe housing while they develop into strong independent women.
Our Vision
It is the goal of Open Hearts Home to provide
education options and support for young
mothers and their children while in a home where they can safely learn and grow into successful families through a variety of wrap-around services.
Our Values
INTEGRITY
Whether providing a safe home & education to families or working behind the scenes in the business office, we desire to do all that we do in love & with integrity.
TRUST
Trust is key to all relationships. We strive to build that trust through truth, understanding & wisdom.
ACCOUNTABILITY
We strive to hold one another accountable through setting program goals & working together to achieve these goals, in the spirit of serving clients to the best of our ability.
DIGNITY
We believe that all humans are worthy of being treated with dignity regardless of who they are, where they are from or what they believe.
EDUCATION
We believe in the importance of educating individuals so they have the skill set needed to make a difference in their lives & the lives of others.
Board of Directors
Amanda Robasse - Founder (CEO) & Secretary
Amanda’s passion lies in helping our youth find the value they hold in this world and the power within themselves to make the positive change they wish to see! She is the mother to 3 loving and independent teens and all the extra humans they bring into our lives and the wife to an incredibly supportive man for the past 20 years. Amanda loves music, sunshine, family time, the sights & sounds of the water, traveling to new places and learning new things!
Credentials:
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AAS Criminal Justice, MN School of Business
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AAS Child & Adult Care & Education, St. Cloud Technical College
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Certificate Child Psychology; Neuroscience & Development, Alison Education
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Author “Finding God in the Middle of the Mess” & “The Perfectly Messy” Life 52 week self care planner
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CPD Certified Life Coach
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Ordained Credentials of Ministry
Allison Scepaniak - Executive Director
It is Allison’s sincere desire to serve God where he has placed her. ” I pray we can encourage one another and build one another up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
Allison is known as mommy to her two sweet kiddos and loves her fur babies.
She enjoys time with her family, helping others, working in her garden, and stopping to appreciate God’s creation. Allison previously served as a board member and the foster coordinator with Border Collie Rescue of Minnesota.
Bev Messer - Treasurer
Bev has been married for 35 years, is the mother of 2 and holds the title of “auntie” to lots of nieces and nephews who look up to her as an additional mother in their lives. She is known as Grandma to 2 young ladies whom she loves to watch as they play at their sporting events and spend time with at her lake lot. Bev holds a BS in Business Management and has been working in the business world for over 30 years. She is also an active member of her church and currently serves on their board. Bev loves lake days and spending time with her family.
Kayte Bartos - Social Media & Marketing
Kayte has a heart of gold!
She loves sunsets and being lazy with her fiancé on the weekends. She is unsure of her future plans but knows that she wants to make a difference in this world!
Karen Ergen - Head of Fundraising
Karen is a mother of 2 and grandma of 8 amazing, not so little, people whom she loves to watch at all their sporting events. Karen has worked at Big Rock Sports for the past 36 years, the last 12 years as General Manager. She has been a member of The Maple Lake Legion Riders since its inception in 2016, where she has held numerous board positions. Prior to her time with the Maple Lake Legion Riders, Karen belonged to the Clearwater Legion Riders for a number of years. Karen has also been a member of 3 Of A Kind, a non-profit organization, since 2016 where she has been very involved and held numerous positions on the board. She loves lake days & outdoor concerts with friends along with spending time at our cabin. Karen says, “the best time spent is with Family!”
Pam Fuss - Prayer & Faith Leader
Pam is the mother of two daughters and the grandma of two boys.
She was a young single mom herself and knows how important support and love are when it comes to raising little ones at such a young age with little to no help. She was blessed to have family to help her when she was raising her girls but knows not everyone is so blessed.
She is excited to join this adventure and help in whatever way she can.
Help Us Keep the Doors Open for Young Moms in Need
Every donation goes directly toward housing, childcare, and skill-building for the families we serve.