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Pregnancy resource centers (PRCs) exist to serve expecting mothers and families in their time of need. There are around 3,000 PRCs spread throughout the United States. Each center is run by a compassionate staff who are advocates for the utmost quality of life. PRCs provide many services and resources for these women and families, including life grants, emotional support, counseling, baby showers, baby supplies, daycare for existing children, job and rent assistance, and much more. These services are free of coercion and cost. PRCs are a safe place for tough decisions that require unconditional support toward women, fathers, and families. While these centers provide life-affirming resources for those in need, individual community members should also play an active role in supporting people through pregnancy and parenthood.
The majority of PRCs fulfill their mission by uplifting abortion-minded clients and providing for families in crisis pregnancies. Even if the family regrettably proceeds with the decision of abortion, many PRCs offer post-abortion healing and counseling. Regardless of any hardship the mother is in, PRCs make it their mission to be a humane alternative to what the pro-abortion culture offers.
The numerous testimonies from PRC clients display how valuable these centers are for the women and families that need their help. For example, the following is a testimonial quote from a husband and wife on the receiving end of support from a Florida pregnancy resource center:
“My wife and I have been coming to this place for the last seven months, they gave us the exciting news that we are pregnant and have been very helpful with everything along the way from stuff for the baby all the way to maternity clothes and to just having someone to talk to. I would recommend them to anyone.”
This specific PRC in Florida provided pro-life care that improved this couple’s quality of life and made a lasting impression of love and compassion toward them and their baby. These centers bring hope to all who enter and serve as a life-affirming conduit for struggling mothers and fathers. For many of these women, the only prenatal and postpartum support they receive is because of PRCs. We, as individuals, need to ask why these hurting families are not receiving support from sources within their personal communities and circles.
While PRCs do everything they can with the donations and resources they have, there is an extent to the support they offer in terms of longevity and finances. If individuals join PRCs in supporting expecting mothers and creating positive change, then we could rebuild the very foundation of the culture that surrounds expecting parents. We can realize the importance of speaking up for the vulnerable where we witness injustice and supporting the mothers and families less fortunate than us.
We shouldn’t rest the whole responsibility of sustaining a culture of a pro-life society solely on PRCs. Even if it seems small to us, offering what we can out of our own abundance to struggling mothers, fathers, and families can be a step toward reshaping the culture of life. We need to uplift women we know personally within our own families and communities by reaching out directly to them and offering support. Or being there for a father who is struggling to step up for his soon-to-be-born child. We need to create a sustainable and compassionate culture of life as we individually possess the responsibility to take care of those who lack the needed support around us.
Do you know any pregnant mothers right now? Send them a thoughtful text filled with love, or buy them necessities they can’t afford to buy themselves. Or throw a mother a baby shower if you know they don’t have anyone to throw it for them. Do you know any post-birth mothers who are struggling? Reach out to them with an offer to babysit their children or an offer to run an errand for them. Is there a father who comes to mind who you know needs an ear willing to listen? Be that person of support for him. Would you like to share your wealth but don’t know where to start? Ask parents you know if they or anyone they know of are struggling to pay hospital bills. With big and small steps, we can reshape our society toward a culture of beautifully sustainable life.
We can learn from the following quote from a mother and father who were seeking help from another Florida-based PRC:
“Very friendly people. We went for proof of pregnancy and ended up getting an ultrasound. Me and my boyfriend are also going back to take some classes.”
These PRCs don’t look to judge their clients or provide care based on prejudice; they welcome those who walk through their doors with open arms. And we need to do the same. Our society shouldn't ask judgmental questions of people facing a crisis pregnancy but instead, listen with the intent to help.
There are countless holes within the system and stigma that surround struggling mothers, fathers, and families during and after pregnancies. While donating and gratifying PRCs in your area is congruent with pro-life efforts, there is much more we can achieve in offering ourselves as an outlet for support toward this cause beyond the longevity that PRCs provide. Our individualism can lend itself as a safe place for these women, fathers, and families who may be suffering in silence.
Hope and life-affirming support are found within the walls of pregnancy resource centers. These PRCs are an incredible gift to local communities and the people in need who rely on them for material and emotional support. May we recognize that the responsibility to take care of struggling mothers, fathers, and families shouldn’t rely solely on PRCs. Even though they do an amazing job providing a positive outlet for crisis pregnancies, we need to fulfill the role we can play in the lives of those around us. Be empowered to walk out of your comfort zone to a mother, father, or family who could use life-affirming support today. Be open to discussion of the holes in this system and what changes we have control over. May we come from a place of understanding and genuine service as we rebuild the very foundation of the culture that surrounds existing and expecting mothers, fathers, and families.