The Pregnancy Help Center in San Angelo is More than a Testing Center

Every day, San Angelo drivers pass by the Pregnancy Help Center at 2525 Sherwood Way, and some of those drivers who see the sign, “Free Pregnancy Testing,” may do a double take and find their way back to the building, which happened to one resident, Jacob. When he and his partner, who was in need of a pregnancy test, saw the sign, they decided to stop.

"This is our first time here," Jacob added.

When the couple and their daughter walked into the building, a kind receptionist with a newborn baby strapped to the front of her body greeted them and helped them settle in while the young woman went about getting an accurate pregnancy test provided by one of the nurses at PHC. As she did so, Jacob sat waiting in the roomy waiting area filled with comfortable chairs and pictures designed in cool-toned colors. He also listened to the soft music playing in the background as his daughter began rearranging the small furniture set up for children.

“That’s what women do,” said Sandra Franke, executive director for PHC. “They rearrange things.”

Having children in the lobby and babies at the office are regular additions at the PHC, said Franke. In fact, another staff member takes her 6-month infant to work, and many of the women who attend the many classes at PHC bring their children with them as well.

Franke said those additions, the furniture, the space and the music are all a part of PHC’s environment.

“We really try to make it calming and comforting because a lot of women who come here are really stressed out,” explained Franke.

Easing stress, providing resources, clothes, necessities, services and life skills are all the things an expecting mother needs, and since 1991, the Pregnancy Help Center, a faith-based organization, has proudly provided these things to mothers and fathers in the Concho Valley and the surrounding areas.

The Closet

For mothers who may find themselves struggling to buy clothes, socks, or baby sensory development toys, PHC has a room filled with clothes from 0 months on up. Every day, the small staff and some of the 40 volunteers have to sift through all the donations that come in, so there are plenty of clothes, coats, jackets, bottles, breast pumps, linens and blankets.

“Everything in here is available to anyone in need,” Franke stated. “They don’t have to prove anything to us. They don’t have to prove their financial level. They don’t have to show us their ID."

Additionally, PHC only keeps the best of the donations they receive.

“We really want [mothers] to feel like they’re getting something that’s really special,” noted Franke. “It’s really important. Mom wants the baby to look cute."

Although mom may want the baby to look cute, Franke said the baby doesn’t care; therefore, PHC has a nice stock of development toys and rattles to help with development.

“It’s really important to me to give something to the baby that is going to stimulate that little mind,” she said. “I try to always keep these in stock."

For mothers in need of maternity clothes, PHC also has a stock of outfits; however, the clothes aren’t fabulous because donations for these clothes are hard to come by, and they’re handed down a few times before the agency gets them. But for the women who need something to get by, these clothes are there for the taking.

“We had a girl who came in once wearing her pajamas because that was the only thing she owned, and she didn’t care if it was in style. She just needed something she could go to Walmart in," Franke said.

Franke added that if a mom comes to PHC and needs something particular to keep her job like scrubs or black pants and a white shirt, the staff will go buy those things so the mother can maintain.

“It’s really important to us that she don’t lose her job because of that," the director stated. “We have done that a few times.”

The Lab

For women who need pregnancy tests, PHC has a fully functional lab where nurses conduct the tests and fill out the reports. The agency also has three consultation rooms full of plush chairs organized in a specific way so the staff and client can talk with ease.

“We want [the environment] to feel safe and comforting,” explained Franke.

In addition to free pregnancy tests, PCH also provides free ultrasounds, and there are two certified nurses on staff to conduct them. The ultrasound helps to determine if the pregnancy is viable, the gestational age of the baby--because sometimes women are confused about how far along they are--and it provides that first bonding experience for mothers.

“It’s that first reality check that there’s really something there," stated Franke.

As with the other rooms, the ultrasound area is spacious enough to fit a whole family. PHC staff set it up this way because they want women to bring their support system with them to provide support.

Franke said, “We’re going to give her pictures, and we really want this to be a special time for her. The ultra sound is a huge impact on the clients to be able to see that."

The Classes 

The biggest room in PHC is a storage area where staff keep the cribs, car seats, bounce seats, strollers, diapers and wipes. Anyone can get these things, but it’s not like the clothes where mothers can walk in and pick what they need. In this case, mothers and fathers have to give a little of their time.

Although that’s the case, these parents walk away with more than a crib; they also walk away with important life lessons. PHC has volunteers who teach parenting and prenatal classes, life skills and bible classes; and for each class a mother and/or father take, the more points they earn to get one of the bigger items mentioned.

“[Mothers] can come to class and earn that stuff. [They] earns points, and the father of the baby can come also and earn points,” Franke stated.

She added that attendees get to choose the classes they want to take, and they can earn 5 points, which equals $5 for going. They earn an extra point if they’re on time, and they earn five more points if they do the homework assignment and bring it back to the instructor.

“So that’s 11 points total for coming to class they can earn,” said Franke. “It’s like earning $11 an hour because the classes are an hour long. We want to make it worth their while to come.”

For instance, a package of diapers is 10 points, so families can earn a package of diapers every time they attend class if they want, or they can save up their points for something big such as a crib, which is 100 points. A mattress is another 50 points.

“They get something big along with a skill they didn’t have before,” added Franke.

The cribs and car seats people can earn are new because those items have to meet the current safety standards. The strollers and bouncy seats may be used because the agency accepts these items as donations if they have all the pieces and are in good shape. However, mothers and fathers can feel confident knowing the items they work for aren’t old and outdated.

Franke added that mothers don’t have to attend the same class every week either. They can pick and choose the classes that work for them and their schedules. The director said they do things this way because a lot of their clients have transportation and family issues.

“It’s whatever she can come to; and again, we would really like the father of the baby to come to class too," said Franke. “They can double their points if they both come.”

In fact, PHC started men’s classes last week. These classes teach many things. One volunteer teaches about fears of fatherhood, how that’s normal, and how they can step up to the plate and be a dad to their children. However, only a third of fathers attend the classes, noted Franke.

She said, “A lot of them didn’t have a father themselves, and their first instinct is to run. They’re just scared and don’t know what to do. We try to talk to them and encourage them that they can do this. They can be a better dad than their dad was."

The Increase in Need

Since PHC opened its doors in 1991, staff members and volunteers have witnessed an incredible increase in services over the years, which Franke said resulted from the agency expanding its hours. When the agency first started, PHC only served people when a volunteer could go in and run things. In 2006, the agency finally opened full time.

“We saw an immediate increase, and we’ve gone up every year since then," said Franke. “Right now, we’re at 3,900 clients for this year, so I think we’ll go over 4,000 this year. We usually do between 110 and 120 pregnancy tests a month."

Again, Franke noted PHC staff and volunteers will service anyone who walks through the door regardless if they’re from San Angelo.

Also, the primary age group that goes to PHC for services are 20-25, and the secondary age group ranges from 15-19. 

“But, our youngest client was 11, and our oldest client was 52,” noted Franke. “The 11-year-old’s test was negative; the 52-year-old’s test was positive."

That client definitely received a big surprise.

The Mission

Franke explained that a lot of pro-life groups are misunderstood because the media hasn’t always represented them in the best light. Although it is the staff and volunteers’ hope that the mother will choose to parent or place, their ultimate goal is to be there for the mom and to be a sounding board regardless of what choice the mom makes.

“We are a pro-life ministry, but we can’t make the choice for her; so we are going to give her all her options because she has to step up and make the decision," stated Franke. "We’re going to give her the information she needs, and we hope that after we have talked to her and given her the resources that are available, and the encouragement, that she’ll decide to either parent or place; but, if she doesn’t—if she chooses to abort—we’re still here for her. We also offer post-pregnancy support, post abortion support, post miscarriage support and post adoption support for someone who just needs a person to talk to after."

Another thing PHC counselors do is talk to women about healthier relationships. Franke said the gold standard of course is abstinence before marriage, but that’s not always realistic, so they try to help women make better choices.

“Sometimes, it’s the little steps we have to take,” stated Franke. “We really do try to talk to them about making better choices and about healthy relationships. Many of them have never witnessed a healthy relationship modeled.”

Franke said she tells these women they want to wait for the prince instead of settling for the frog.

The Funding and Volunteers

Franke said PHC doesn’t get any state or federal funding. The program is ran based on donations. The agency does get some grants from the Area and Health Foundations, but the Christian community in the Concho Valley community are the biggest supporters. PHC also hosts two fundraisers a year: a spring walk and a fall dinner. 

The agency also has 40 volunteers, but it can use more. Franke said though that volunteering is truly a commitment.

“It’s extensive training, but when [volunteers are] trained, they get a life coach certification,” she said.

Volunteers undergo six months of training because PHC has to make sure these people are fully trained and fully equipped to deal with a mother and her challenges so they can provide the resources and referrals she needs.

“It’s like being called to a mission field. It’s not for everyone. It has to be a calling," Franke added.

PHC would also love to have more men volunteers to visit with the fathers and see if they want to talk about something.

“The challenge is the men we want to mentor work," Franke noted.

However, for those men who may be interested in volunteering, they would have access to a desk, so they can bring their laptops and do their work as they watch the waiting room, which is visible from that desk. If a man comes in, they can go visit with him.

“So they’re not just sitting there twiddling their thumbs; they’re actually getting something done," Franke said.

Franke added that this would be a great opportunity for men who work from home. She would provide the training, and the visitations these volunteers would engage in would be more casual.

The Future of PHC

Franke said the PHC building was paid off in January of 2015, so now all the funds can go into the program. 

The goal, she said, is to expand their services and offer STD testing. There is a building behind their current location. Young Life is there now, but the agency is outgrowing the space and will be moving in the spring.

“We already have a space. It will be a different building; it will have a different address, but I really feel strongly about this,” Franke proclaimed. “We got four phone calls yesterday asking if we did STD testing. My dream is that we could do the STD testing; and we can talk to women about making better choices in that process so they don’t get pregnant. We really want to offer a redirection.”

By redirection, Franke said PHC could offer people ideas on how to live safer and make better choices. She feels it would be good way to catch things before they happen.