Raising a family is hard—for some more than others. Health complications, family pressure, lack of income, substance issues and other life circumstances can further complicate an already daunting situation. Single moms, families who have suffered a loss of income, and grandparents caring for their grandkids often face situations that seem hopeless.
That’s where Riverways Pregnancy and Family Resource Center comes in. The nonprofit seeks to ease the burden on families that need help.
Riverways will share how its non-profit impacts families in the community 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Nov. 2 at the Salem Community Center @ The Armory during its annual Champions for Life fundraising banquet. Also, speaking that night is Rebekah Hagan from Louisiana. Rebekah will share her story of how a second unplanned pregnancy caused her to turn to a medical home abortion as a solution.
“Our mission is, first of all, to provide life-affirming services to the residents in Dent County and the surrounding area,” said Marcie Thomas, the center’s executive director. “We are kind of the one place, […] where single moms, even families, expecting parents, can come and receive services. They can receive help for whatever it is, the challenge that’s going on in their life at the time where they’re expecting a baby, maybe they’re having financial issues or something like that, they can come and join one of our programs.”
Thomas said the center began as a center to provide options to women who weren’t sure if they wanted to carry their baby or not— and since then, the scope of the mission has grown.
“We have evolved and grown over the years so that we’re actually looking more holistically at the whole situation. It’s not just about a decision, it’s about supporting a mom, and empowering a mom. Helping her to see a future for herself,” said Thomas. “Trying to remove the fear of being pregnant or in an unplanned pregnancy. Can we think about this without the fear? What are those things that are causing the fear? Is it that you’re not going to be able to pay your light bill, or your rent? Maybe your parents are going to kick you out of the house. You don’t know what the situation is that would cause somebody to seriously consider abortion.”
The center, which is “100% Pro-Life” according to Thomas, seeks to provide options to women who feel like they’re out of options— to allow them to make choices about their situation without the pressure and fear of an unplanned pregnancy.
“We would like the opportunity to just be in that space with that woman and just, ‘Okay, so can we look at it logically for a minute without the emotion? What are the practical things that you need? Can we help you with that?’” said Thomas. “We’re not always given that opportunity, and that’s fine. You know, a woman has a choice, that’s fine. I understand that completely. But for someone who would be making a decision based out of fear, for lack of resources… give us an opportunity to help us chart a path with them that promotes life and helps to put her on a trajectory where her future is more secure. We want to be able to be in that space if we’re given the opportunity.”
According to Thomas, most of the people that the center sees have already chosen life for their children, but they still need help.
“We’re in a position because of the partners in our community to provide that help. Our community supports this center because they want to see others succeed, and we want to see them succeed too,” said Thomas. “We’ll have foster parents who come in and they’ve got an emergency placement of kids, and they don’t have supplies. And they’ll get paid by the foster care system, but that first initial couple of weeks, they’re going to need diapers and wipes. They may not even have a crib, or a playpen, or a high chair. It can add up fast. So, we’re in a position, again because of our community partners, where we can help that foster parent in that interim period.”
Along with single mothers and foster parents, the center also sees grandparents who need to prove to the court that they’re a good alternative home for their grandchildren.
The center’s parenting classes also serve social service clients, Thomas said.
“These are the ones that have lost their children because of poor lifestyle choices, and they’re court-mandated to take parenting classes, and we offer parenting classes. So, that’s free. It’s free to them,” said Thomas. “They’ve got a real big block checked in moving towards getting possession of their children again. Of course, they have to work on whatever other issues might have caused the separation. If it's drug abuse, they may need to go through rehab, right things like that. But we can take care of the parenting classes pieces of it, and try to sow into them a vision for a different lifestyle.”
One takeaway that Thomas said the center wants to instill in clients is the fact that “Life can be different.”
There’s also a spiritual component to the center as well. The organization is a non-denominational “Christ-centered” ministry, which Thomas said is here to help, and to meet clients where they are.
“We try to meet our clients where they're at, not where we're at, and try to help position them as much as they want into a better future, whatever that looks like for them. We're not here to proselytize, I guess is the word. We're here to help. Definitely here to help,” said Thomas. “But you know, if somebody wants prayer, we're going to pray with them. If they want any kind of spiritual nourishment, if they want to address any of the spiritual aspects of their life, we're here for that too.”
The center seeks to invest in family units where they exist, and recently started a program called “Daddy Life” to support fathers.
“We have a couple of male volunteers. One of the male volunteers sits with our social service clients, and the other one is with the new fathers. So, we’re trying to invest in the family unit, if there is a family unit, like partners in the family,” said Thomas. “About 85% of our clients don’t have a good family foundation to begin with, and that percentage is probably a little bit higher. Most of them come from either a foster care background, or other family members raised them. Some of our social service clients, their parents are repeat offenders, and they’re just following the generational cycles. There’s so much work that we can do there if they’re willing to receive it. A lot of wisdom that can be sown and a lot of vision casting, a lot of ‘ok, what will your life look like if this isn’t part of your life, and are you willing to make drastic changes to have a better life? Those kinds of conversations can happen.”
Rebekah Hagan, who is from Louisiana, will be the keynote speaker for the Nov. 2 event. Hagan was raised in a Christian home where abortion was never discussed, she became pregnant at 17, and again with her second child during her first year of college.
“Her story is probably I would say typical of what you would find in a community like us and our community. She found herself pregnant in high school, raised in a Christian home, conservative values, church, you know, the whole nine yards,” said Thomas.
Hagan, feeling ashamed and fearing her family’s disappointment, wondered if she would be forced to drop out of school. She thought raising two children alone would be impossible. At just over seven weeks pregnant, she began a course of medication to end her child's life.
“After taking the first pill, [she] changes her mind. And so, fortunately, she ran across a physician who would help her with progesterone. Progesterone is a safe hormone that is already in the woman’s body—it is used by doctors if somebody is having a miscarriage,” said Thomas. “With progesterone, the effects of the first pill, you know, the baby wasn’t expelled.”
Hagan is “a passionate advocate for grace-centered outreach”, according to the center, and she uses her experience to “unravel the mindset of women in unplanned pregnancies and to equip and encourage others to lead with hope and compassion.” She went on to graduate from William Jessup University.
“I think it will resonate with our community, because we have a lot of conservative families. There a lot of families here that they want the best for their children, and this could still happen to them,” said Thomas. “Number one, unplanned pregnancy is not the end of the world. It feels like it. Yes, it feels like it. But it’s not the end of the world, and that life can see wonderful, and productive, and glorious, by choosing life,” said Thomas. “It’s mainly meant to bring the topic to the community that values life so that they know what the stakes are, and what the possibilities are.”
Raffle items will be available, and all proceeds from the banquet will help the ministry provide services to families in the community. The banquet is free because of underwriters, but an RSVP is required since seating is limited.
The event is free, but an RSVP is required. For more information on the banquet or to RSVP, call Riverways Pregnancy and Family Resource Center at (573) 739-4673 or go to riverwaysprc.org/banquet.
