BJ Thelander was only 13 years old the first time his father took him to an abortion clinic to pray for the women entering. Despite his youth, he noticed stark changes on their faces from arriving to exiting.
“I didn’t know or understand the gravity of that decision at the time,” he says, “but I knew there was a difference.”
The experience eventually launched Thelander into a career of pro-life advocacy, including his current position as Executive Director at Pregnancy Care Centers (PCC) on 2nd Avenue in Canby. The nonprofit, which has been serving women in need for forty years, offers free pregnancy testing, referrals for medical, ultrasound and adoption agency services, parenting education, maternity and baby supplies like diapers and car seats, post-abortion support and STD/STI information.
“The most meaningful service we provide is relationships,” Thelander says. “Every person who comes through our doors matters to our ministry. We want to make sure they all know that their life matters, that their baby is valued and important and that the family is welcome here.”
PCC got its start as Molalla Youth Center and has moved several times, including to its latest home in 2018. In a typical year, the organization serves around 175 new clients. Many come through PCC’s “Learn & Earn” program, where clients attend parenting education classes and earn points for maternity and baby items. Besides Thelander, PCC employs three part-timers (including a registered nurse and Hispanic client coordinator). They usually administer eight to 10 pregnancy tests a month and have given away more than 13,000 diapers in 2024 alone.
“Currently, we are training our RN to be able to offer ultrasounds, and we will be able to track lives saved from abortion very soon,” Thelander says. “We partner with Obria Medical Clinics and refer our clients to them for ultrasounds at this time, but we will be able to conduct ultrasounds again starting in 2025.”
It all adds up to babies spared from abortion and mothers and fathers saved from a lifetime of post-abortive trauma.
“When people realize that we are here for them, they are relieved, appreciative and eager to continue a relationship built on God’s love and grace,” says Thelander. “We must keep fighting for life because, simply, every life matters.”
“In a climate that seems like we will never see change, we cannot give up the fight for life.”
For more information on PCC, including how to donate, see pccnwv.org or call 503-266-2673.
