Over nine years ago,God began crafting this ministry, Beautiful U, in the hearts and home of the Hough family

Here's their story... 

In the summer of 2009, while on furlough from foster care, we felt called to begin mentoring teen mothers. As we followed this call, God quickly matched us up with one particular teen whom was five months pregnant. We invited her into our home to stay long weekends and holidays. She became a loved part of our family. In December 2009, she gave birth to a baby boy. While we'd love to say she is now a godly, independent, healthy mom raising her son, that's not actually how it turned out. Even so, we were thankful for the opportunity to be a part of her life for a season. Now, even though she is no longer in touch with us, we have a daily reminder of our impact in one another's lives, as we were honored with the opportunity to adopt the boy she carried. We continue to pray that the loving seeds we planted will take root in her life. 

Since then, we have had the privilege of hosting several more pregnant teens in our home. Those experiences opened our family’s eyes to the desperate crisis that pregnant teens are facing here in our very own communities. The most recent data posted on U.S Dept. of Health & Human Services website states,  "there were 24.2 births for every 1,000 adolescent females ages 15-19, or 249,078 babies born to females in this age group.[1] Nearly 89 percent of these births occurred outside of marriage." Depending on each individuals situation, many of these young girls must choose between aborting their babies or being kicked out of their homes. Since becoming aware of this great need for homeless & at-risk pregnant teens and young mothers, our goal is to never turn away a referral for a pregnant teen or young mother in need of a safe, supportive home. However, we quickly realized that we'd need more resources than our family alone could provide. 

So, in 2010, we founded Beautiful U Ministries, it is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, Christian organization passionately serving the needs of at-risk pregnant teens and teen mothers.  A safe, secure family environment is an essential part of our process, which is why we operate a “family-style” program where each applicant is placed in either a Beautiful U Satellite-Home or in the Transitional Living Center (TLC).  We envision Chicagoland twinkling with bright lights shining from our Satellite homes--homes where other families, moved by the love of Christ, offer hope to pregnant teens.

Our Mission

Beautiful U is passionately committed to serving our community and the surrounding Chicagoland area as a Christ-centered, "family-style" intervention program for single mothers. It is our desire to share the good news of God’s unconditional love with each mom as we provide the individualized physical, emotional and spiritual care and support that she needs in order to help her move into the next stage of her life while feeling loved, supported, confident and independent.

 Our Method

Beautiful U works together with various social work organizations. Our referrals come from a large matrix made-up of crisis centers, hospitals, health departments, school districts, shelters, and churches . Upon acceptance into our voluntary program, each applicant is prayerfully placed in either a Beautiful U Satellite-Home (under age 18) or in the Transitional Living Center (TLC). Based on our experience, a safe, secure, Christ-Centered family environment is an essential part of our process which is why we operate a “family-style” program where healthy, biblical, parenting and life skills are taught and modeled so that our applicants can move toward a more positive and independent future.

Our Statement of Faith

We believe in the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as inspired of God and inerrant in the original writings and that they are of supreme and final authority in faith and life. 

 Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:21

 We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19-20

 We believe that Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, and is true God and true man.

Matthew 1:20-25; John 1:1; John 1:14

 We believe that all mankind is by nature and by choice sinful and in need of salvation. 

Romans 5:12-21; Romans 3:23

 We believe that salvation is the gift of God offered to man by His grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for our sins, was buried, was bodily resurrected from the dead, and is presently at the right hand of the Father as our Mediator.

Ephesians 2:8-9; I Peter 1:18-19; Romans 4:25; I Corinthians. 15:1-4; II Corinthians 5:21; Romans. 3:21-26; I Timothy 2:5

 We believe that all genuine believers are eternally secure, being kept by God’s power.

John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Romans 8:28-39, I Peter 1:3-5

 We believe that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ are born again by the Holy Spirit, and that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer to enlighten, enable, guide and control him in life and service.

John 3:6-7; I Corinthians. 2:12; John 14:16, 26; I Corinthians. 12:13; Romans. 8:14; Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians. 5:18, II Corinthians. 5:17

We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, the everlasting blessedness of the saved, and the everlasting conscious punishment of the lost. 

Luke 16:19-31; Revelation 20:11-15, 21:3-4