Since 1984 the Pregnancy Resource Center in Kerrville has worked with women in Kerr and adjoining counties with the goal of eliminating abortion and child abuse. The Christ-centered organization provides sexual health and parenting resources that help women make the decision to choose life instead of abortion, and to develop healthy parenting skills.
The center works with several local non-profits to identify women who may need their services, and with the courts in the counties they serve to identify persons who may need to take parenting skills classes. But persons who are voluntarily wanting to participate in the parenting classes are always welcome at the center. They also refer clients to other services that may be available to them in the communities served by the center.
According to Lainie Johnson, executive director of the PRC, they have more than a 90 percent success rate with their program. Johnson, who has served as the center’s ED for the past 13 years, will be retiring on April 1, but plans to stay involved with the center’s board of directors. Her assistant director, Jamie Schwab, will be taking over as the new ED at the beginning of April.
“Most of our clients come to us through word of mouth,” Johnson said, “but we also get clients through local advertising and local physicians.”
The center has a mobile unit, known as Miss Kathy, that currently goes to both Gillespie and Bandera counties to provide information about the services offered. The center also serves clients from the other surrounding counties who come to the center. Johnson said she hopes in the future that additional funding will allow the mobile unit to go to the other counties to offer information to residents.
“The biggest challenge we face is making sure families in need of our services can find us,” Johnson said.
Donations to the program provide baby equipment free to the clients through the “Earn While You Learn” program offered to the participants in the parenting program.
Last year fathers and mothers attended more than 1,200 hours of training, an increase of more than 30 percent from the previous year, according to Johnson. Classes include pre-natal and parenting classes and additionally provide car seats, strollers, high chairs, pack-in-play, clothing, formula, diapers and more.
The center has impacted the community with more than 3,000 new babies born in the past decade, as well as providing material assistance through education to prospective parents, plus providing adoption options to those not ready to become parents. An additional goal of the center is to change the community’s perspective of adoption.
Services also provided at the center include pregnancy testing, sonograms, counseling, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), Bible studies and mentoring, in addition to the parenting classes and financial assistance for baby items.
The Pregnancy Resource Center was located for many years on Jefferson Street across from the Kerr County Courthouse, but relocated in recent years to 718 Alpine Drive, off Sidney Baker North. The center has 12 paid employees plus many volunteers who work with clients. The center’s annual budget in 2022 was $1.2 million.
“Most of our funding comes from individual donations,” Johnson said, “but we also receive funding from foundation grants and churches.”
The center is also a part of the Texas Alternative to Abortion Program, a statewide program that offers services to women who might be considering abortion. They receive a small amount of funding from that program, Johnson said.
In January 1984 President Ronald Reagan issued a presidential proclamation designating the third Sunday of January as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. An open house at the center on Sunday gave the public an opportunity to tour the facility.
The Pregnancy Resource Center is currently open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
Future plans include the Oct. 2023 Wall of Hope Banquet fundraiser. The fundraising goal for 2023 is $1.3 million. The Pregnancy Resource Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and donations are tax deductible. More details on the event will be available later on their website at thepregnancyresourcecenter.org.