Center focuses on helping with unplanned pregnancies

Editors note: This is one of a series of stories on United Way agencies in Vernon County

By Noah Jones

Nevada Daily Mail

An unplanned-pregnancy center's focus on giving support instead of judgment to those with unplanned-pregnancies has helped 450 women in the last two years and is looking to keep the pace this year.

Birthright of Nevada, a non-profit unplanned pregnancy help center, first opened its doors in the early 1980s, but was closed in 2007 after failing to have strong leadership. Seeing the need for pregnancy help, Birthright re-opened its doors in May 2013.

The center and its board worked to get Missouri to recognize it as an accredited pregnancy resource center and have donations be tax deductible. Working with a budget of $10,000, the center offers free pregnancy tests, information and maternal and baby clothes.

The center's partnership with United Way helps Birthright more than financially, said Colleen Haberkorn, Birthright's treasurer and board member.

United Way provided $2,500 to the center, which helps the center because it does not have any incoming money, said Haberkorn. The center gives diapers and layettes (a basket of goods with mother and baby basics costing between $70 and $100). To date in 2015, the center has provided 25 layettes. Haberkorn said she expects Birthright to give out 40 layettes this year, at an estimated cost of $3,400.

"That's a lot of money," Haberkorn asked.

Birthright needs donations to survive, she said. Churches, individuals and fundraising are the center's biggest ways of financial support.

During "Sanctity of life Sunday" or "Respect Life" and the following weeks in May and June that coincide with Father's and Mother's day, Birthright holds a Boomerang Bottles fundraiser at churches in the area where change is collected and given to the center, Haberkorn said.

With a tight budget and more help needed for patients than is currently available, Haberkorn said Birthright needs volunteers. The center is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

"We're desperate for volunteers," said Haberkorn. "We just had a board meeting, and we may have to consider limiting our hours because we just need volunteers. We close the door one day, and the next day we have twice as many calls and visits."

She said there are positions for anyone who wants to help, working with those in need and positions in the office.

"We have volunteers who aren't comfortable in the counseling role and want to volunteer but don't feel confident, so we find ways to make anyone who wants to volunteer feel comfortable," said Haberkorn. She said Birthright needs people to write thank you cards or answer phones. Those who want to help patients are trained and then work with veteran members on a "trial" run. Haberkorn said confidentiality was a major part of training the new volunteers.

"Our volunteers are given a great deal of training on confidentiality. If a girl comes to you, and you counsel her and you see that same girl at Wal-Mart you say 'Hello,' and that's it," said Haberkorn.

Further more, the center says their volunteers may not take political stances in public.

"Our volunteers are not allowed to lobby because in doing so, that might prevent someone from coming to us."

Birthright is a center that wants to protect life. However, what may separate the center from other anti-abortion agencies is its promise of not trying to persuade patients in either direction.

"If they see (our volunteers) standing on the sidewalk with a sign, that might prevent them from coming to us, and we can't help them if they don't come to us. It's really very basic as far as that goes. We don't judge. I think that's probably the main thing. When someone comes to us, we offer them the services they need, but we never judge them. There's a large body of people that are ready to do that, and that's not going to help anybody.

"That's our goal, (to have) open arms and to be there for them. That's it."