Behind the Scenes
History
In July of 1999, three Kalispell women and a local pastor felt challenged that if they wanted to make an impact in the lives of unborn babies, they needed to offer their mothers an alternative to abortion. With this heart they started Hope Pregnancy Center in a small office at Easthaven Baptist Church. With the generous outpouring of the community, baby supplies began pouring in, and it quickly became obvious that Hope Pregnancy Center needed a larger facility. After months of prayer, in September of 2000 a new home was offered by Central Bible Church. They owned a residence on the east side of Kalispell, adjacent to their church, which they desired to use for a local ministry. Through the blessing of volunteers, churches, families and community organizations the house was remodeled, redecorated and beautifully furnished. This location at 940-1st Avenue East offered a reception area, counseling room, conference room/community library, baby store, learning center and executive offices.
In July 2001, the material assistance program was converted from a hand out to a hand up with the Earn While You Learn program. Clients would now attend parenting classes, complete lessons on prenatal care and parenting, and utilize other valuable community services in order to earn credit to spend in the baby store. Today the program, now called Xtend, is thriving. The mentorship program is vital in establishing a relationship that emphasizes education in the areas of healthy pregnancy, parenting, positive lifestyle choices, spiritual growth and many other areas. Clients are blessed for their efforts with the provision of material resources that assist them in providing for the needs of their child.
Teen Mothers of Preschools, a part of MOPS International, Inc. was launched in October of 2001, and continues today. This program was designed to help teen mothers become more self-sufficient and confident. The weekly meetings offer fellowship, discussion, leadership training, creative crafts and encouragement, and currently take place at Easthaven Baptist Church.
By October of 2001, Hope Pregnancy Center had grown to a point that additional training and support was needed. This need was met through membership with Care-Net, the largest pregnancy center affiliation organization in North America, with a network of more than 1000 Christian pregnancy centers.
In September 2003, it became evident that the growth and sustainability of Hope Pregnancy Center warranted it obtaining independent nonprofit status. At that time, HPC left the umbrella of Easthaven Baptist Church and become an extension of all the churches in the Valley. In September 2006, the corporate name of the ministry was changed to Hope Pregnancy Ministries.
In February 2006, the Board approved adding a medical clinic in an effort to reach more women who were at risk for an abortion. In the spring 2006, HPM applied for Focus on the Family’s Option Ultrasound Program. This would provide 80% of the cost of the ultrasound machine for the medical clinic. Arrangements were made to purchase a building at 1281 Burns Way, in the heart of the medical district, and on December 17, 2007, after almost two years of planning, training and preparation, the medical clinic opened. Clear Choice Clinic offers pregnancy tests, limited obstetrical ultrasound, and options counseling, all at no cost to the patient.