“Wow, I wish I had known about you guys years ago.”
That’s the most common reaction the staff at The Pregnancy Center on Aero Way in Medford hears, according to their executive director Beth Sheets.
“People are then surprised when they learn that we are 100% funded by local people, churches, businesses and like-minded granting foundations and that we receive no government funding,” Sheets says. “I think that people become surprised to learn that there are so many like-minded people in our community.”
That like-mindedness stems from the belief that all life is inherently valuable, from conception to natural death, no matter when or how it arrives. It’s what has driven The Pregnancy Center to provide 470 ultrasounds and 225 prescriptions for 90 days of high-quality prenatal vitamins in the last year alone. Staff have also led 99 participants through their Earn While You Learn/Bright Course programs in one-on-one weekly mentoring sessions, graduated 24 new dads from the “New Dads Program” and 35 moms from the “New Moms Club,” provided 24 families with newborn photoshoots, walked three people through post-abortion restoration Bible studies and given out countless diapers, wipes, car seats and other supplies.
“I think the most impactful thing at the Center are the ultrasounds — the view into the life of the tiniest little humans at the earliest stages, providing a connection between the baby and its mother in ways nothing else can,” says Sheets, who has worked at The Pregnancy Center for seven years. “Then, when combined with one-on-one mentoring and parenting education, we see real and lasting life changes made.”
Those changes got their start in 1984, when a youth pastor and his wife began what would become The Pregnancy Center in their living room as a church ministry. It gained nonprofit status in 2002 and has moved locations several times, most recently in 2009. The following year, medical services and 500 square feet of space were added.
With 11 employees and 30 regular volunteers, The Pregnancy Center offers an array of free services like pregnancy testing and counseling, ultrasounds, parent education, community assistance, adoption referrals, STI testing, prenatal vitamins, post-abortion support and even transitional maternity housing via Esther House for pregnant homeless women or those currently living in an unstable environment.
“In our world, where so many voices are saying that women must choose between their own happiness and the life of their baby, The Pregnancy Center provides the space, time and truth that women are capable of so much more than they are being told,” Sheets says. “The Pregnancy Center is sharing the truth that both their life and future and their baby’s life and future matters because both are created in the image of a good God, who has created them both for a good purpose. Where else can one be heard, loved, encouraged, told the truth and then supported in very practical ways?”
Sheets got a heartbreaking kickstart into pro-life work in high school. Her best friend had an abortion despite Sheets’ begging and offers of assistance. She has spent 31 years in pregnancy resource center work as a result — and doesn’t ever want anyone to feel the same heartbreak she did.
“We cannot let the culture of death drown out our voices,” she says. “People need to hear that all human life is valuable – not because of any ability to contribute to society, or because of some special gift or talent, but because they are created in the image of a God who loves them and chose them to be here for this moment in time.”
For more information on The Pregnancy Center, go to tpcpartners.us or call 541-772-1921. Supporters can also donate their recycling refunds and Fred Meyer points to the Center.
