As we celebrate our 20th Anniversary, we wanted to share the history of the center. This continues the history of the center where Linda Samaritoni, the original founder, left off.
Janet Modjeski, the current director continues with the following...
Life at the Henry County Pregnancy Care Center
From the beginning of the Pregnancy Care Center is 1985, Linda Samaritoni served as director and founder until the fall of 1992. At that time, Julie Wright and Shari Breeding took the helm as co-directors. Karen Baiers took Shari's place as co-director with Julie in 1993.
Some of the locations for the Center were: 449 1/2 N Main Street, 1416 Broad Street, 2002 1/2 S Memorial Drive, 540 S Main Street, Suite 2, and now presently housed at 415 S Main Street, Suite A.
The ministry went by the name of "We Care" Crisis Pregnancy Service from 1985 to 1994. After becoming affiliated with Care Net, a national organization, who deal specifically with the mission of helping women in crisis pregnancies and to support and encourage the ministries that serve them, the name was changed to Henry County Pregnancy Care Center. Care Net provides educational materials and ongoing training for pregnancy center staff.
A requirement for a center after becoming affiliated with Care Net was to have a paid director on staff and Becky Parks was hired and served from 1994 to 1996. Janet Modjeski then took over that role in October 1996 and has been the Executive Director since that time. All others on staff are volunteers.
The Center provides all services to clients at no cost, and is entirely supported by churches and individuals. The services provided are free and confidential pregnancy tests, peer counseling, material supplies such as maternity clothes, baby clothes, diapers, formula, baby furniture, baby items of all kinds. We also provide referrals such as medical, housing, legal, etc. We provide education on parenting, adoption referrals, abortion risks and procedures.
Many wonderful and committed people have served on our board of directors. Since having a full time director, Linda Davis, Terry Gray, Gay Sabo and Beth Criswell have served as president of the board, each serving three years. Presently on our board of directors is Mary Brown, Phyllis Slavens, Karen Rains, Mary Dankovich, Sonnie Lamberson, Sharon Bales, Tom Sproles, Ed Fleming, Jeff Weiland, Joe Huffman and Rick Welch.
We have over thirty churches who support us regularly in many ways. They give financially, they give materially and most importantly, they support us in prayer. We have ladies who make quilts and afghans for our newborns. Numerous individuals donate baby items of all kinds.
We have thirty volunteers on staff who are committed and faithful to the ministry and represent over twenty different churches. They serve as receptionists, phone volunteers, and peer counselors.
As I think back over the nine years I have been director of the Center, many faces and stories come to mind of the many girls I have come in contact and have had the opportunity to counsel and share God's love.
One comes to mind of a young Christian couple who were so upset because they hadn't waited until marriage and found themselves facing an unplanned pregnancy. So upset and having a hard time forgiving themselves. Through talking with them and praying, they were able to forgive one another and face what was ahead of them.
I recall one young girl who was very upset with a positive test result. The volunteer counselor prayed with her and in that prayer she said that God has a plan for each of us and He also has a plan for this unborn child. When she finished praying, the client had tears in her eyes and said "you really think He has a plan for this baby's life?"
One day, shortly after I had gotten to the office, the phone rang, the person on the other end said, "My friend wants to have an abortion, can you talk her out of it?" I said I sure would try. So within a few minutes, they came into the center. After talking with the young woman, showing her pictures of how the baby developes, she made the comment "I thought it was just a blob of tissue, there is no way I can abort this baby now."
I could relate many, many times when hearts were touched and lives were changed. That's what this ministry is all about. Each day at the Center is different, each client is different, each situation is different, yet many are in need of someone to care and reach out in love.
Our mission statement is: We are a Christ-centered ministry dedicated to upholding the sanctity of human life through the provision of spiritual, physical, and emotional support of women and their families.
We endeavor to demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ to women and families in our community who have pregnancy related concerns and to recognize the worth of all human life. We thank God for the opportunity He gives us to talk with each one who comes through our door. Our prayer each day is that we will say what He has laid upon our hearts and it will make a difference in that person's life. I am personally convinced as I see women in desperate circumstances come to us each day that only Jesus can meet the real need in their lives and only he can change their hearts. It is as His love is shared that we accomplish our mission.
May God continue to bless the Henry County Pregnancy Care Center as we continue to serve Him in this way.
Janet Modjeski
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