Media Outreach

faithHighway is proud to announce that The Center of Pregnancy Choices was voted the winner of the Nonprofit Website Giveaway. They will receive a $3500 custom website and be featured in our monthly e-zine to spread the news of this new organization (for those not familiar with building a custom website, we meet with CPC and start to scope out the project for the website – once the site is finished we will link it here !). The runners-up will also receive free services for their service to the community. Hungry for God Home for Young Men and the Christian Youth Film Festival will receive a logo revamp and free identity package. We want to say a special thanks to all of the nonprofits that participated. We thank you for your service. God bless you!

Below is quick interview the Media Outreach team did with the The Center for Pregnancy Choices.

MO: What made you want to start this organization?

CPC: The Center for Pregnancy Choices was started because of the great need for a crisis pregnancy center in our community. The Center is located in Logan, UT, a community with 100,000 people. Utah State is located in Logan (22,000 students) which is the primary reason that 25% of our population is 16-24, which is the common age range for unwanted pregnancies. Other than the LDS church’s social service programs, there are no pro-life efforts in our community. Our desire is to promote the saving unborn lives, and because there was not an Evangelical Christian witness in this area, we desired to see the start up of this center. The number of abortions in Utah is far less than the national averages, but in our community in 2006 there were 70 recorded abortions. We long to provide these women with alternatives and to offer them support when they choose to carry the child to full term. We also will seek to be a resource center for STD information, abstinence education and post-abortion counseling.

How long have you been planning to launch the nonprofit?

In the spring of 2008, the Pregnancy Care Center of Brigham City approached individuals in Logan to discuss the possibility of starting up of a similar center in Logan. As discussion began, we saw that the Lord had been moving in the hearts of a number of individuals about this need and so a Steering Committee was formed. After securing a location for the Center in June, we held our first volunteer training session. During the summer of 2008 we began to remodel our new home in a historic building near city center. Much volunteer labor has resulted in a very accessible location and with our non-profit status we have received skilled laborers willing to donate both time and materials.

What is something great that has happened since you started planning to start the organization?

Without even being open we began to receive calls this fall from those looking for our services. We purchased advertising in the USU student coupon books that resulted in a large number of new contacts for our Brigham City office (30 miles away) since we did not yet have trained client advocates to serve them. We anticipate that once we have regular hours that we will begin to see many looking for the free pregnancy tests and counseling. The Center also had a booth at the Cache County Fair and at a local craft fair to raise awareness and to sell crafts that volunteers had made to support the center. The booth received very positive comments from people, especial the baby models, and increased our public identity.

MO: Will this be a full time vocation for you?

CPC: In the beginning, all workers will be volunteers. Our director will be part time until we have enough trained client advocates and clients to warrant extended hours. Those working in The Center will be required to complete 22 hours of classroom training and should they desire to work with clients as Client Advocates, additional training will be required.

MO: What most excites you about receiving a custom website for The Center?

CPC: We know that the primary source for information of our targeted demographic is the Internet. Even though we are not in competition with any other organization to provided these services, for most young women, our website will be the initial entry point into our Center. It is critical that we provide a website that both engages these young women and provides them with medically accurate information. Having the assistance to do this and giving us the freedom to address specific items of interest is of critical importance.

MO: What are some ways that people can get involved in your organization (or similar organizations)?

CPC: The Center for Pregnancy Choices is part of a larger group of crisis pregnancy centers called Care-Net. Care Net was originally founded as the Christian Action Council in 1975, a pro-life ministry that worked to end abortion in practical, compassionate ways. In 1980, the Christian Action Council changed its name to Care Net and opened its first pregnancy center in Baltimore, Maryland. Since then, Care Net has grown to become the largest affiliation network of pregnancy centers in North America, with more than 1,100 pregnancy centers serving women and men in their local communities.

MO: Are there any resources you still lack?

CPC: The Center for Pregnancy Choices has been able to do significant remodeling with a shoestring budget. As with all nonprofits, we are dependant upon donations to allow us to operate. In our community of 100,000 there is a Christian community of less that 1,000. In the Christian churches there are few professionals (no doctors or lawyers to aid us in professional services). We also lack computers, video training materials and parenting resources for clients. Our hope is to provide every woman that chooses to carry her child to full term with material assistance (maternity clothing, diapers and baby clothing after the child is born.)

MO: Is there anything else you’d like to tell the public about your cause?

CPC: Every pregnancy center is dependant upon the Christian community it serves to provide the important role of saving lives. Our slogan of, “Save the woman, save the child” well captures what we are about. We fully believe that it is only through the power of God that real change can occur. We would greatly appreciate prayer support as we look to our grand opening scheduled for January 22, 2009, the 36th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision. We believe that it is time for ‘pro-choice’ to come to mean ‘pro-life’; it is our desire to educate women to make informed decisions about the child they are carrying.