Lighthouse Pregnancy Resource Center Inc

LIFE-ENHANCING SERVICES AND SUPPORT FOR THOSE FACING OR AT-RISK FOR UNPLANNED PREGNANCIES & RELATED CONCERNS.

LIGHTHOUSE OPERATED FOUR CENTERS FULL TIME IN 2021 WITH A STAFF OF 21, AND 150 VOLUNTEERS WHO DONATED A TOTAL OF 9,091 HOURS OF SERVICE. THE FOURTH CENTER, WHICH SERVES AS LIGHTHOUSE'S HEADQUARTERS, OPENED IN DECEMBER 2020. A NEW PROGRAM,"BIRTH OF A FAMILY" WAS LAUNCHED IN 2021 TO GUIDE PARENTS TOWARD MARRIAGE AND STRONGER FAMILIES. THE CENTER'S FREE SERVICES FALL INTO THREE CATEGORIES: PREVENTION, INTERVENTION AND RESTORATION. INTERVENTION, THE PRIMARY FOCUS, INCLUDES REACHING OUT TO THOSE WHO ARE FACING UNEXPECTED PREGNANCIES WITH COMPASSIONATE SUPPORT TO MAKE LIFE CHOICES POSSIBLE,AND ENSURE PARENTS ARE EQUIPPED TO CARE FOR THEIR NEWBORNS. THE CENTER'S SUPPORT TYPICALLY BEGINS WITH AN ULTRASOUND TO MEDICALLY CONFIRM PREGNANCY AND PROVIDE PARENTS WITH A LOVING FIRST LOOK AT THEIR UNBORN CHILD.INTERVENTION: IN 2021, LIGHTHOUSE PROVIDED 788 ULTRASOUNDS, ALONG WITH EMOTIONAL, SPIRITUAL, AND MATERIAL SUPPORT TO PARENTS PREPARING TO WELCOME A NEWBORN. LIGHTHOUSE CELEBRATED THE BIRTHS OF OVER 525 BABIES TO MOMS THEY SERVED, AND THE CENTER'S MATERIAL AID, EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT, AND MENTORING ASSISTED 469 PARENTS WHO WERE ALONE, YOUNG, UNDER-RESOURCED OR UNINSURED AS THEY FACED AN UNPLANNED PREGNANCY. THOSE COMING REGULARLY TO BECOME WELL-PREPARED PARENTS "EARNED" POINTS TO REDEEM IN THE CENTER'S PREP SHOPPE FOR BABY CARE ESSENTIALS SUCH AS DIAPERS AND WIPES, CLOTHING, AND CRIBS. THIS ONGOING SUPPORT LED TO A TOTAL OF 6,154 INDIVIDUAL APPOINTMENTS, IN PERSON AND BY PHONE DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. MOST OF THESE WERE WITH WOMEN AND MEN WHO FOUND LIGHTHOUSE ON THE INTERNET OR BY WORD OF MOUTH, WITH OVER 1,877 INDIVIDUALS REACHING OUT TO US THROUGH "HELP" CALLS, TEXTS OR EMAILS. NEARLY HALF OF ALL OUR SERVICES ARE PROVIDED IN SPANISH.OUR PATERSON CENTER- WHICH OPENED IN 2015 TO SERVE OUR STATE'S THIRD LARGEST AND ONE OF ITS MOST NEEDY CITIES- FEATURES TWO STRATEGIC COLLABORATIONS. THE FIRST IS WITH RENEW LIFE CENTER, A NONPROFIT THAT SUBLEASES SPACE WITH LIGHTHOUSE IN PATERSON IN ORDER TO EXTEND ADDITIONAL LIFE-TRANSFORMING SUPPORT TO PARENTS FROM POVERTY BACKGROUNDS. SINCE 2015, OVER 100 WOMEN AND MEN HAVE GRADUATED FROM RENEW'S "GETTING AHEAD" PROGRAM AND HAVE DONE JUST THAT-OBTAINING SIGNIFICANT EMPLOYMENT OR CONTINUING THEIR EDUCATION. OUR SHARED GOAL FOR THE CENTER IS TO HELP PARENTS THRIVE-NOT JUST SURVIVE-AFTER CHOOSING LIFE FOR THEIR CHILDREN. ANOTHER COLLABORATIVE PROGRAM IS YOUNGLIVES GREATER PATERSON, AN OUTREACH THAT SHARES THE HOPE OF THE GOSPEL AND PRACTICAL HELP WITH TEEN MOMS. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH YOUNG LIFE, LIGHTHOUSE HOSTS PREGNANT AND PARENTING TEENS ONCE A MONTH FOR A YOUTH GROUP-LIKE CLUB, AND FOR MENTORING AND OTHER SUPPORTIVE ACTIVITIES. OUR GROUP HAS HELPED BIRTH TWO OTHER GROUPS THROUGHOUT THE TRI-STATE AREA. FATHERS ARE NOT FORGOTTEN AS WE HAVE TWO FULL-TIME STAFF AND A NUMBER OF FAITHFUL MALE VOLUNTEERS TO MENTOR AND ENCOURAGE THE YOUNG MEN WHO WANT TO LEARN HOW TO BE INVOLVED, RESPONSIBLE DADS. THE CENTER'S HACKENSACK LOCATION IS UTILIZED UP TO 5 DAYS A WEEK, SERVING A SIMILAR NUMBER OF MEN AND WOMEN TO PATERSON, BUT IN HALF THE SPACE! LIGHTHOUSE ALSO PROVIDES PREGNANCY CONFIRMATION, PARENTING AND STD SERVICES IN WAYNE USING DONATED PROFESSIONAL OFFICE SPACE ON HAMBURG TURNPIKE.PREVENTION: LIGHTHOUSE PROVIDES FREE SCREENING FOR TWO OF THE MAJOR STDS (CHLAMYDIA AND GONORRHEA) THAT ARE MORE PREVALENT AMONG YOUNG ADULTS. IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING SEXUAL HEALTH AND SEXUAL INTEGRITY COUNSEL AT THE CENTERS, THE CENTER'S REALIFE RELATIONSHIP AND LOVE TRAINING PROGRAM PROVIDED INTERACTIVE PRESENTATIONS IN LOCAL SCHOOLS AND CHURCH YOUTH GROUPS, GUIDING OVER 2,975 STUDENTS TO HEALTHIER RELATIONSHIPS.RESTORATION: AFTER-ABORTION HEALING GROUPS AND INDIVIDUAL PEER COUNSELING SESSIONS HELPED WOMEN AND MEN OF ALL AGES RECOVER EMOTIONALLY AND SPIRITUALLY FROM PAST ABORTIONS. IN 2021, 167 INDIVIDUALS BENEFITED FROM THIS SUPPORT.NEXT STEPS: LIGHTHOUSE HAS BEEN UTILIZING ALL ITS NEW HAWTHORNE HEADQUARTERS, INCLUDING A SECOND-FLOOR APARTMENT, TO EXPAND THE PROGRAMS AND SUPPORT AVAILABLE TO UNDER-RESOURCED FAMILIES AND YOUNG OR SINGLE PARENTS TAKING ON THE CHALLENGE OF RAISING THE NEXT GENERATION. OUR NEWEST PROGRAM, "BIRTH OF A FAMILY", BRINGS TOGETHER VOLUNTEER FAMILY COACHES AND LIGHTHOUSE PARENTS IN OUR HAWTHORNE CENTER EVERY WEDNESDAY FOR A MEAL, CHILDCARE AND DISCUSSIONS ABOUT HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS, MARRIAGE AND PARENTING. WE CONTINUE TO RESEARCH ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS WHERE OUR CONFIDENTIAL, COMPASSIONATE SERVICES AND SUPPORT ARE NEEDED FOR THOSE FACING UNEXPECTED PREGNANCIES. WE WANT TO DO ALL WE CAN TO BUILD HEALTHY FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITY!