Beyond Pregnancy Care Center, a nonprofit that provides counseling, support, and practical help to local parents is approaching a decade since its start in 2017. (Photo/Ming Henry)
Beyond Pregnancy Care Center (BPC), a nonprofit that provides counseling, support, and practical help to local parents is approaching a decade since its start in 2017.
Beginning with the opening of its first office in Kissimmee, it’s worked tirelessly to support parents throughout Florida and recently, expanded operations into St. Cloud.
BPC founder Ivette Rodriguez said support of the community has been key to doing what can be done to help those in need.
“We have a responsibility to help each other because we were placed in this community, she said. “We don’t want our clients to be stuck. We want them to be self-sufficient, to thrive.”
BPC began when Rodriguez envisioned a place where mothers and fathers who are struggling with support could come to a warm and welcoming environment to be heard, taught, and supported. Driven by both her own life experiences and the needs of those around her, Rodriguez began the nonprofit after many restless nights of journaling about the support she could offer with a pregnancy care center.
“There were people who felt hopeless, who felt abandoned, single moms, people who had secrets within them that couldn’t share, much like me,” Rodriguez said. “There I was, having the opportunity to work in this center to help so many families.”
BPC clients meet with a client advocate who determines which resources would best support them. Afterwards, parents receive a selection of classes to choose from, from breastfeeding to basic parenting classes. Next, they get the opportunity to explore the center’s free baby boutique, which includes donations like baby clothes, bottles, maternity clothing, and more, all run by volunteers.
Outside of volunteers, both centers accept donations such as boy and girl baby clothes to size 2T, diapers, cribs, strollers and the like. The goal is that with support given, the center will be able to eventually expand operations to provide more support to men and women from resume building and job search support to a full-time men’s group that provides counseling and support to fathers.
“We’re listening to them. We listen to know how we can help them and what resources we can offer to them from the community,” Lorraine, a client advocate said about the impact of her work. “Just knowing that they can come here, that we’re available to them just makes it even better for us, and for me as well.”
To learn more information, visit https://linktr.ee/beyondpcc to learn about volunteer and involvement opportunities.
