A Day in the Life of a Pregnancy Care Center by Sue Ellen Doenier

This is part two of a four-part series of posts presented by Sue Ellen Doenier of Baptists for Life.

A day in the life of a Pregnancy Care Center …is never dull. Staff and volunteers often hit the floor running. There are clients with appointments, clients requesting pregnancy tests, and a walk-in client who has run out of diapers or formula and needs some emergency help. The phone rings and someone wants to know if the center performs abortions or will refer for abortion. If the center is short-staffed – which isn’t unusual – demands can become overwhelming. It may even get chaotic! By the end of the day, there may be a stack of client notes that still need to be recorded.

Other days unfold in hour after hour of canceled appointments. When this happens, time is spent sorting donations and stocking the EWYL store; catching up on filing; entering client information into the center’s database; writing thank-you notes to donors; reviewing the “big white resources book,” or building relationships with other volunteers and sharing counsel. An urgent call may come in from a woman who doesn’t have a place to spend the night. Volunteers quickly scramble to find a place for which she qualifies, then refer her on.

Back in the director’s office, there are other concerns. Will there be enough money this week/month to pay building expenses, salaries, center supplies, and utility bills? What’s the best way to effectively communicate the center’s ministry and needs to area churches whose financial, prayer, and personnel support they so desire? Do they have enough trained volunteers to keep the center open for a sufficient number of hours? And how are the volunteers doing spiritually, emotionally, and physically? Are they working well together? Are they adequately trained?