The men of First Presbyterian Church in Freeport meet on the second Saturday of each month for breakfast at 8 a.m. Join us! Visitors are always welcome and there is always plenty to eat. The next Men's Breakfast will be Saturday, September 8. Watch this space for the featured guest.
Men's Breakfast Report, September 2012
The Men’s Breakfast Group met Saturday, September 8 with Vicky Aldridge, Public Relations and Development Director of the Pregnancy Help Center. Vicky is married with two adopted children. She started at the Help Center several years ago as a client advocate and eventually became the Publicity and Development Director under Jackie Fuller.
The Pregnancy Help Center is entirely supported by churches and individual donations. No government money is requested or accepted. They feel that their primary responsibility is to bring the girls to Christ. All volunteers at the center must be born-again Christians.
The Pregnancy Help Center offers several educational programs about pregnancy, childbirth and marriage. A class in childbirth education is offered to couples and mothers who are expecting. This covers pregnancy, childbirth, and infant care.
Another class covers parenting. A class on marriage is taught by Jackie Fuller and her husband Bobby. Having a man teach part of the class is important for the men who are involved with the women. A primary program is the HOPE program. This program is for expectant parents to prepare them for childbirth and parenting.
If a woman comes into the Pregnancy Help center because she may be pregnant she is given a pregnancy test. If she is found to be pregnant she is strongly urged not to get an abortion. They have an ultrasound machine to show the fetus at an early stage and are able to detect fetal heartbeat. If the client is a girl accompanied by her mother, she is separated from the mother so she can be educated about her options. She cannot be required to have an abortion, even by her parents. If the woman or girl is not pregnant, she is counseled to choose abstinence. They do not provide contraceptives or referrals for contraceptives.
The pregnancy Help Center operates a maternity home called Safe Haven. This is a full residential facility for pregnant women who have no other place to go. The residents are expected to study for a GED or High School diploma if they are under 18 and to work if older. Some who cannot find a job volunteer at a community organization. The residents are expected to pay some of their expenses, save a significant amount of money and to pay off debts that they had coming into the program. Most of the women entering the program have significant debts on entering the program, such as cell phone and back rent. Most of the residents give up their babies for adoption. There are enough families available to adopt so finding adoptive parents is not a problem.
The women that need the Pregnancy Help Center have a range of ages with a few as young as thirteen. The racial demographics match the racial demographics of the area.
As usual, the men had an interesting discussion and a good breakfast. The next meeting will be Saturday, October 13.