As noted, the agency provides a wide variety of services and programs. They service women and young children in the greater Henry County, GA area. The agency provides counseling for pregnant women, but it also provides support to those mothers who choose to keep and raise their children. They provide everything from baby formula and diapers to maternity clothing, baby clothing, car seats, and cribs to needy families and mothers. It is a full-service organization in that caseworkers are assigned to clients and can advise them throughout the pregnancy and beyond. PRC also has counseling available for young mothers who choose to give their babies up for adoption. They also provide links to further educational information, and will counsel young women if they choose to have an abortion, too. They will not perform the abortion, however. They also provide ultrasounds for patients.
Funding is always a challenge in any community service organization such as this. PRC has a wide variety of creative funding and donation sources. They provide a donation button on their Web site, and have several local programs where citizens can donate a variety of equipment and funds. The ask for donations of baby and expecting mother necessities, such as baby bottles, clothing, formula, diapers, cribs, and more. They also encourage people to turn in their own cell phones for recycling. They receive $7 for each phone they collect and turn in to an organization that refurbishes them and donates them to needy organizations. They also have a program with the local Marble Slab Creamery ice cream store. Receipts are collected in a jar and PRC receives a donation for each receipt dropped in the jar. Clearly, these are small scale funding sources, and the PRC receives funds from other agencies, too. Their Web site does not note if they receive federal grants, but it seems sure that they receive funding from the county or other municipal funding, or they would not be able to continue. Most community service organizations such as this do not survive...
They are listed as service providers on several national organizations' Web sites, including Habitat for Humanity, The Georgia Center for Nonprofits, the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta, and on the Henry County Web site under Community Services. Clearly, they enjoy support and guidance from many of these organizations, including the Georgia Center for Nonprofits, which exists to support, guide, and train nonprofit organizations such as the PRC.
Perhaps the greatest challenge for an agency such as PRC is to gain the adequate funds to service their clients and provide quality services. The PRC, as noted, raises funds from a variety of sources, and receives funding from
grants when available. However, it always seems there are more people in need than there are funds available, and so, as with most public service agencies, additional, creative ways to add funding are always being sought after and discussed. Educating the young people of Henry County is one was to reduce the community's need for services.
Abstinence,
birth control, and other forms of
contraception, such as birth control pills and
condoms need to be discussed and understood. With more understanding come less unwed mothers and unwanted pregnancies. Educating a large number of teens is also a great challenge for the agency. Finding enough qualified staff is a challenge, too. However, funding always seems to be the greatest need and the greatest challenge. If more people knew and understood the
caring and compassionate mission of PRC, perhaps more large-scale funding from corporate or private donors might become available.
References
Author not Available. (2005). Pregnancy resource center of Henry County (PRC). Retrieved from the PRC Web site: http://www.pregnancyhenry.com/index.html14 Sept. 2005.
Editors. (2005). Choosing abortion. Retrieved from the Planned Parenthood Web site: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/pp2/portal/files/portal/medicalinfo/abortion/pub-abortion-q-and-a.xml#1096485730778::113741405219455006714 Sept. 2005.
