Choices Pregnancy Center
Choices Pregnancy Center is a local nonprofit organization dedicated to providing pregnancy resources and counseling that align with Christian values.
The free and confidential pregnancy center is located at 790 North Main Street, Suite 102, in Clayton and offers many different classes free of charge for various stages of parenting as well as support groups for those in need.
More information about Choices Pregnancy Center is available at https://choicescpc.org/.
Business hours are Monday-Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday-Sunday by appointment, but the facility can be reached 24-hours by calling 706-782-0005.
The Mommy Connection
One way for moms and their babies to connect with one another and interact is through the new group, The Mommy Connection.
Do you need a mom tribe? Are you in a different season of motherhood than anyone else you know? Does your journey as a mom not look like what you thought it
would?
The group meets the second Tuesday of every month at 11 a.m. at Choices Pregnancy Center. The next meeting is Tuesday, July 8.
“It’s a great way to connect moms outside of the home,” said Beth Thomason, director of operations for Choices Pregnancy Center.
Thomason said it’s a great way for moms to learn from one another and gain parenting knowledge.
The class is for new and returning moms.
“It’s about connecting, supporting and encouraging,” said Elaina Hill-Hooker, administrative coordinator for Choices Pregnancy Center.
Hill-Hooker said that Choices staff found that the group came about because there was an increased need for moms to connect with one another in Rabun County.
The free class is open to everyone in the community and is a great networking opportunity. The goal is to make more services available to parents in the community.
Light snacks will be provided during the class.
Baby Bereavement Support Group
If you have experienced a miscarriage, stillbirth or infant loss, Choices Pregnancy Center wants to support you.
The nonprofit now offers a Baby Bereavement Support Group the third Monday of every month from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Choices Pregnancy Center.
The facilitator for the group is Tara Hone, RN, who has decades of experience working with families in grief counseling.
The July class will meet on Monday, July 14, due to a scheduling conflict on the regularly scheduled day. Classes will resume on the third Monday of each month in August.
Hill-Hooker and Thomason said the group is a safe place where women or men who have experienced loss can come together to talk, share their experiences if they feel comfortable, and support one another. They said the staff at Choices want to make sure everyone is supported through the grieving journey.
Raising Highly Capable Kids Workshop starts in September
Choices Pregnancy Center is working to empower parents and strengthen families in many ways including the upcoming workshop, Raising Highly Capable Kids.
The free workshop begins Monday, Sept. 8, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and meets every Monday for 10 weeks at the same time through Monday, Nov. 17. Participants will meet at Choices Pregnancy Center.
Hill-Hooker said the workshop provides resources to help anyone be a better parent.
“It’s beneficial to everyone,” Hill-Hooker said about those who have kids or work with kids.
Through the workshop, attendees will learn skills that result in better relationships; strong self-identity; accountability; resiliency; and emotional health.
Hill-Hooker said Choices held the first workshop last fall and it was very successful. “We had 100 percent say they really felt like they improved in knowledge,” she said.
Thomason added that the workshop is also “applicable to parents with kids of any age.”
One topic the workshop works through is truancy, or a student’s unexcused absence from school. It also gives an opportunity for parents who have kids struggling with behavior issues to connect with other parents.
Hill-Hooker and Thomason both agreed that truancy is a problem for students in Rabun County.
Those who complete the surveys and attend the 10-week workshop even have an opportunity to win a gift card.
About Choices Pregnancy Center
Choices Pregnancy Center is a nonprofit organization located in Rabun County that provides free and confidential resources and services to clients.
“Choices will continue to stand for the right to life for the unborn and will do so using forgiveness, compassion, education and love as exemplified by Jesus Christ our Lord,” according to the organization’s website.
Privacy is a priority at Choices and all information is confidential. They also offer a respectful and caring environment while providing accurate and honest information on an array of subjects including pregnancy symptoms, abortion, adoption, parenting, STDs and sexual health.
Free services offered include pregnancy tests; ultrasounds; STD/STI testing and treatment; pregnancy options education; abstinence training; material assistance; post abortion support; fatherhood program; adoption referrals; community referrals; parental training; bright course classes and pre-natal classes, among many others.
Choices Pregnancy Center is “here for you with support, information, and hope for the future.”