Crisis pregnancy centers and nonprofits in southern Denton County that help expectant mothers are already seeing an increase in interest and need for their services following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in June to overturn Roe v. Wade.
“We are busier than ever,” said Randy Bollig, executive director of Loreto House in Denton. “It shows women need our services and we’re the place to deliver the best model for it in a post-Roe Texas to help women.”
Texas’ ban of abortions after six weeks went into effect 30 days after the Supreme Court’s decision, causing many local women who may have considered abortion to instead carry the baby to term. Many of these women will need assistance and are turning to local support groups.
“The number of abortion-minded women who have come to us has gone up 145% compared to the 90-day period before Roe was overturned,” Bollig said. “The number of women coming to us for parenting classes has gone up 34%, and the number of sonograms we’ve administered has gone up 30%.”
Now, these organizations are preparing for a sustained increase in demand for their services, and will need more donations and support from the local community.
“We’re there to provide alternatives to abortion and to help women be the best parent possible,” Bollig said. “It’s something that God has called us to do, to serve the most vulnerable in our society without a voice, that’s the unborn, and additionally to support women in a loving environment.”
Loreto House offers services ranging from parenting and pregnancy programs to prenatal education, pregnancy testing, non-diagnostic ultrasounds, community referrals and more — all free of charge to women who are pregnant or have a child younger than 36 months.
Construction has just begun on Loreto House’s second location, on Morriss Road in Flower Mound, which is expected to open this winter. With expectations of serving 8,000 women in the first year and more demand for its services, the Flower Mound grand opening can’t come soon enough. For more information about how Loreto House can help you, go to loretohouse.org. Visit loretohousebenefactors.org for information about how to support Loreto House.
Pregnancy centers oftentimes come under criticism from those who are pro-choice – Loreto House and the Women to Women Pregnancy Resource Center in Denton were vandalized in May, after the Supreme Court draft opinion leak — but they are going to be invaluable resources for Texas women who need help during and after their pregnancy. They also have the support of many local and regional elected officials, including Denton County’s representative in Congress.
“I value our local pregnancy centers and the services they provide to underserved communities,” said U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, TX-26. “These centers are places of opportunity that supply mothers with clothing, diapers, health screenings and more. Unlike how some politicians in Washington seek to portray them unjustly, pregnancy centers seek to bring hope to those in our communities who need a helping hand.”
The Lewisville-Flower Mound chapter of YoungLives, a faith-based relational ministry that supports pregnant teens and teen parents, was on break when Roe was overturned and will resume operations in September. The chapter’s coordinator, Melissa Gomez, said she’s been receiving more calls from girls who are worried and want to know what services YoungLives provides.
“It’s hard to be a child and have a child,” said Gomez, a Highland Village resident who was 15 when she became pregnant with her daughter. “We are able to meet these teens where they’re at and build a relationship with them, to encourage them through the hardship of being so young and being a parent.
“We hope they know there are places to help support them and they’re not alone in this.”
In addition to true supportive relationships, YoungLives provides free diapers, wipes, other supplies and some meals to expectant teens. It is 100% dependent on donations from the local community. You can support YoungLives at linktr.ee/lfmyounglives.
“My hope is that the community rallies to help these young parents,” Gomez said.
Another Denton County nonprofit, Blue Haven Ranch, helps single pregnant women who already have other children with the support of community, gospel discipleship and farm therapy. Blue Haven Ranch offers everything from housing and meals to assistance with bills and rent, using nature to work through past traumas and emotions, and offering developmental guidance to help them get back on their feet and act. The organization focuses on helping bring women out of their crisis and giving them hope.
“In Texas especially, we will see more people wanting to know what else is out there, searching for another way,” said Brittany White, chair at Blue Haven Ranch. “These women with existing children want to know what’s best for their family. They want to know their options.”
The organization is planting roots in Krum, and with a growing waitlist and a cost of about $15,000 to serve one family for about six months, the organization will need financial support from the community.
“It will require a lot from the community, if they truly hope to see a change and be a helping hand,” White said. “We have some big dreams and when you change the life of one family, you change everything, because it ripples from there.”
For more information about Blue Haven Ranch, go to bluehavenranch.org.
There are many more pregnancy resource centers and support groups providing different services to expectant mothers in Denton County, including some brand new ones.
A new ministry called Embrace Grace is being launched at Garden Ridge Church of Christ in Lewisville, starting August 17. The 12-week program provides emotional, practical, and spiritual support for single, young pregnant women who find themselves faced with an unexpected pregnancy. Embrace Grace aims to make the church a safe, non-judgmental place for young women. It will meet each Wednesday from 6:30-8 p.m. and end with a baby shower for the expectant mothers. Go to embracegrace.com for more information.
