PLC prepares for Walk for Life fundraiser

Pregnancy Life Center information

The Pregnancy Life Center announces its annual Walk for Life is coming up on Saturday, August 6, at Fountain Park in Van Wert.

Once again, there will be live music provided by the group Fortress and free refreshments donated by Van Wert Manor and Redeemer Lutheran, Trinity Lutheran, and Emmanuel Lutheran churches. The event features a 2-mile walk through and around Fountain Park.  The walk will start at 9 a.m., with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m. Depending on how quickly a person is able to walk the two miles, the event will take less than two hours of someone’s time, but make a lifetime change for someone else!

Aside from supporting the Pregnancy Life Center, there is another reason why some may want to come out this year. U.S. Representative Bob Latta has made tentative plans to be at this year’s Walk.

“We were thrilled to get the call from his office letting us know he is planning on attending,” said PLC Director Trina Langdon. “As long as something else work-related does not come up, he is registered and excited about coming.“

The Pregnancy Life Center has been servicing Van Wert and the surrounding counties since December 1999.  During that time, the center has expanded its services by offering longer office hours, more classes, and more staff to better service clients.

One of the biggest changes came two years ago when the center was able to take its services to teen clients through the Teen Support Program. This program allows the PLC to take classes to pregnant teens, at their home school, who are not able to get to the center.

In addition, a middle school-age abstinence group was created through the program PINK (Purity, Integrity, New ideas, Knowledge). The group operated in all three county middle schools (Crestview, Lincolnview, and Van Wert) this past year.

“This program has been a vision of the PLC’s for several years, and it has been amazing to see it finally come to fruition”, says Langdon. “Above all, we were delighted to see the success of it and the desire for young girls to be involved.”

Adding this programming to the PLC cost the center an additional $18,000 per year.

“So far we have been blessed to have the financing available for this program, however we know that could change at any time,” Langdon said. “We would hate to see a successful program only last for a couple of years due to funding.  This is a program that is needed and valuable to many in this area.”

Aside from the service to pregnant teens and the abstinence program, the PLC also offers free pregnancy tests, material support, spiritual guidance, and educational classes such as prenatal, baby care, parenting, etc.

The program works by allowing a mother to a baby store pass and baby bucks by attending classes at the center that can be used at the PLC’s baby store. The store is stocked through donations from individuals and churches in the community, and has items that include diapers, wipes, new and used clothes and blankets, baby hygiene items including wash, shampoo, and rash ointment, and baby furniture.

The PLC does not have any income guidelines. Anyone is welcome to use the center, and clients’ involvement is up to them. The Pregnancy Life Center will service approximately 300 women and their children in a given year, which includes doing about 140 pregnancy tests and intakes.

The PLC has proven to be a necessity to many in the area, which is why continued funding of this local ministry is important. The PLC does not accept any government funding, but operates entirely on local giving and fundraising.

“Nearly two-thirds of our budget runs off of how our Walk for Life does,” Langdon said. “Everything we do or don’t do will be dependent upon what happens with this year’s Walk.”

So far, the Walk has brought in close to $15,000 in corporate and church sponsorship, making that portion of the fundraising highly successful. The PLC is still looking to raise another $26,000 through sponsored walkers. There is also a goal to have over 400 walkers in attendance on August 6.

“Any time you have more people in attendance it adds a level of excitement,” says Langdon. “Plus, it is always nice to see everyone together, on one day, who value and appreciate what this ministry is doing on a daily basis.”

For those who would like to be involved in this year’s Walk for Life, walk sponsorship forms are available at most Van Wert County and surrounding area churches. Those wanting to participate can also visit the Pregnancy Life Center at 215 N. Market St. in Van Wert or obtain a printable form at its website: www.pregnancylifecenter.org.

“The theme for this year’s Walk is ‘Legacy’,” Langdon said. “We hope that you will come out and Walk for your own legacy and for the legacy of the Pregnancy Life Center.”