A Brief History of Pregnancy Resource Centers

Pregnancy resource centers (PRCs) are local, nonprofit organizations that provide support and information to women and men faced with making decisions about an unexpected pregnancy. The history of modern pregnancy resource center movement began in the late 1960s, as several states began to remove legal restrictions on abortion.

How pregnancy resource centers began

In response to this shift toward legalization, Robert J. Pearson, a building contractor and Catholic prolife advocate, established a foundation in 1969 to assist the opening of volunteer-run Pregnancy Problem Centers across Hawaii. The centers offered free pregnancy testing, counseling, and some emergency and financial help for women considering abortion.

Pearson also wrote and published a 93-page manual called, how to start and Operate Your Own Pro-Life Outreach Crisis Pregnancy Center.

The first network of pregnancy centers was founded in 1968 in Toronto, Ontario, under the name Birthright in Canada. These centers soon spread to the United States as Birthright International. Other groups sprung up, and some of the first modern crisis pregnancy centers began helping women in California in 1968. Within three years there were 70 centers, many of which joined together to form Alternatives to Abortion (later known as Heartbeat International) In 1975, two years after nationwide legalization of abortion, theologian Harold O. Brown formed the Christian Action Council, a group which would later adopt the name Care Net. Care Net opened its first PRC in 1983.

In 1984 the National Institute of Family and life advocates (NIFLA) was established to provide legal counsel to PRCs. Today Heartbeat Internation, Care Net, and NIFLA are the three major PRC networks, operating nearly 6,700 pregnancy centers.

The use of ultrasound machines

Ultrasound machines were invented in the 1960s, but became more widespread for obstetrical use in 1980s. NIFLA was the first of the national pregnancy center organizations to promote acquisition of ultrasound technology by the centers and to provide trainings in its use by certified and qualified personnel. Since the launch of its Intuition in Limited Obstetric Ultrasound in 1998, NIFLA has trained over 5,500 pregnancy center healthcare professionals and administrators in the legal and medical “how to’s “of obstetric ultrasound.

Today, about half of PRCs in America offer ultrasound services, to the women they serve at little or no cost. In 2020 alone, close to 230,000 ultrasounds were performed at PRCs. The use of ultrasounds helps to provide confirmation of pregnancy, verifies the developing baby’s gestational age, and provides essential information that can provide a new perspective for women thinking about have an abortion.  ‘Ultrasound Technology is proving to be the most convincing piece of evidence the pro-life community has to offer young women who think their unborn children aren’t babies.” (Through the Psalm 139 Project, the ERLC seeks to save lives by donating ultrasound machines to PRSs.)

Sources of Funding

Although most PCRs have been funded through donations, additional sources began in the 1990s.

In 1996, Choose Life, Inc. was formed in Florida with the idea to use license plate sales to fund PRCs. By 2018, the Choose Life License Plate was available in 32 states and Washington, D. C., and plates had raised over $28 million in those states for the cause of life and adoption.

During this same period, President George W. Bush included support of pregnancy resource centers as part of his administration’s pro-life agenda. In 2002, President Bush told March for Life participants, “A generous society values all human life…. And that is why my administration opposes partial-birth abortion and public funding for abortion; why we support teen abstinence and crisis pregnancy programs…”

Prior to Bush administration, only a few PRCs received federal funding. However, between 2001 through 2005, over $30 million in federal funds was discontinued under President Obama, but President Trump awarded a 1.7 million family planning grant to a group that runs PRCs.

Spreading the gospel

PRCs serve more that 2.3 million people each year, providing services as pregnancy test, ultrasound, and medical services, abstinence education, options consulting and education, and parenting and childbirth classes. But many also aim to share the gospel with their clients. For instance, Care Net reports that over the past seven years, more that 1.2 million people heard the gospel at one of their centers.

From the Director’s Heart

I recently read this passage during owe of my daily readings. It vividly described the combined efforts of those that serve the Center by give their time, their finances, their gifts and /or their prayers.

“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with Gods people ad also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostle’s ad prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone. I Him you to are being built together to become a dwelling I which God lives by His Spirit. ‘Ephesians 2:19 (NIV)

This building, where we serve our God for the purpose He has determined: the saving of innocent lives, serves as the “household” mentioned in the above scriptures. In, Him, the entire ministry is joined together. Beginning at the board level and filtering through to the associates that meet with each client. We are jointly serving and accomplishing the goals that God has set for His work here. He continually uses each of us to that end, and each one uses their specified gifts.

As the battle continues to save lives, we unite (to become joined together as one.) We stand firm, we encourage one another, and we pray for one another. Please know that my appreciation to each of you for your support-financially and prayfully. The world as we know is changing: however, our God is not! He indeed remains the same- He is the Alpha and Omega! Please remember we could not do the outreach/ ministry we do without your continued support financially and especially the prayers. With your support we made a difference in so many lives, families have food, shelter, clothing for their children, our expectant mothers gain the knowledge they need to become a parent, and we have so much more services, we offer. Our mission will continue with you’re help. Thank you for faithfully doing your part. Thank you for your support in saving lives for the glory of our amazing God!!!! 

Linda Mitchell & Staff

On occasion, we are asked to come and speak about our Ministry. We are so grateful to the following for these special opportunities this last year 2023!

• Cordele Lions Club

• Arabi Baptist Church

• Celebrate Recovery

• Lake Blackshear Baptist Church, (Sanctity of Life Sunday)

• Pleasant View Baptist Church

• Wenona Baptist Church

• Kiwanis Club, Cordele

• Warick First Baptist Churchm

• First Method Church, Cordele

• Lakeshore Baptist Church

• Tours of the Center weekly/monthly

For questions or more information about having a representative from DBPCC come speak at your church or event, please contact Linda Mitchell at 229 805-3332!

Thank you for all the ways you give!

Thank you to the Donors Listed!

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, Vienna First Baptist Church, Catholic Church -Cordele, Lake Blackshear Baptist Church, Ebenezer Baptist Church, Cross Culture Church, Northern Heights Baptist Church, (Coed Class), Smyrna Baptist Church, Union Baptist Church, Family Ministry, Byromville Baptist Church Iglesia Evangelica Emanuel Inc, Community Missions Outreach, Lakeview Batist Church, Warwick First Baptist Church, Friendship Baptist Church, St. Teresa’s Catholic Church, Vienna United Methodist Church. First Baptist Church Cordele

Planters First Bank, Charles Laporte, Dr. Charles Ruis, Kay Roberts, Edwin and Memorie Lee, Stephens Health Center, Lauren Hinnant, Donald Calhoun, Betty Colter, Hazel Chapman (WMU) Neil Joiner, Ms. Earl Wells, Betty Avera, Annette Reason, Danny Ross, Eugene Ford, Dr. Herbert & Mary Lynn Hooper, Digg Sunday School, Tony Register, Chase McNeese, Joshua Epps, William Sparrow, Adams Drug Store, Debbie Bloodworth, Dewey Mitchell, Charles Barrett, Linda Mitchell