Everyone is Welcome
Guiding Star Wakota primarily serves women and their families who reside in northern Dakota County (West St. Paul, South St. Paul, Inver Grove Heights, Eagan, and Mendota Heights) and in St. Paul’s heavily Hispanic/Latino West Side located in Ramsey County. Approximately 25 percent of our clients live outside our traditional service area.
In 2016, Wakota Life-Care Center became an affiliate of the Guiding Star Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing and supporting comprehensive health centers that offer natural, wholistic, and life-affirming services to women and families. Guiding Star Wakota is one of seven centers that form this growing national network.
In December 2021, Guiding Star Wakota completed a $3 million capital campaign and moved into its new 10,000-square-foot headquarters. The increase in space facilitated an expansion of services to include fertility awareness classes, support groups for parents, personal development services, 1:1 mentoring for fathers, and much more.
Our clients represent an ethnically diverse group that reflects the make-up of our surrounding communities. We support teenagers and women experiencing unplanned pregnancies, as well as women working through infertility, with a focus on empowering all women to understand, embrace, and love their natural bodies.
To become a client and gain access to Wakota’s programs and services, just stop by our offices and fill out a registration form.
Guiding Star Wakota’s Vision
A society where every woman has hope,
Every child is a gift,
Every family values life.
Friendly Faces
Here are some of the staff members you may meet with during one of your visits to Wakota:
Anne, Client Advocate
This mother of seven has many practical solutions to share with clients during classes on nutrition, parenting, and
fertility education.
Angie, Client Advocate A native of Chile, Angie speaks Spanish and English and teaches parenting education classes.
Judy, Program Manager
A Wakota employee since 2015, Judy focuses on identifying clients’ needs and connecting them with the most appropriate resources.
Karen, Registered Nurse
Karen, who has served as Wakota’s Nurse Manager since 2013, often does ultrasounds for newly pregnant clients.
Lori, Registered Sonographer
In addition to serving as Wakota’s ultrasound sonographer, Lori is a certified doula.
Kenyatta, Client Advocate
Kenyatta brings to Wakota 20 years experience as an early childcare teacher and also is a certified life coach.
A Legacy of Life
Since its founding in 1976—by two physicians and a group of local citizens—Wakota has focused on addressing the needs of pregnant women and their children. For more than four decades, we have promoted and provided positive alternatives to abortion, along with the support and assistance women need to successfully carry their pregnancies to term, care for their infants, and build healthy families. Read more…
8 Core Values Shape Our Culture
In all their dealings with clients, donors, partners, elected officials, and the general public, Wakota staff and volunteer leaders strive to be:
• Professional • Collaborative • Compassionate • Life-affirming • Wholistic • Generous • Positive • Catholic
Volunteer Leadership
Wakota’s board of directors meets monthly to fulfill its governance responsibilities and provide guidance to staff. The majority of Wakota’s voting board members—all of whom are volunteers—live within our service area and represent the cities we serve, including West Saint Paul, Eagan, Inver Grove Heights, Mendota Heights, and St. Paul. They have diversified backgrounds in business, finance, mental health/social work, law, and nonprofit governance. Read more…