History Of PRC
25
Years (A Short History)
The idea began on the return
drive from a March for Life in Austin. What if our daughters got
pregnant and didn’t feel that they could come to us? Where would they
go? Dolores Wolff and her companions knew that a young woman facing an
unplanned pregnancy has a critical decision to make, one that will
have a lasting impact, not only on the very life of her child, but on
her own life as well.
They
wanted the community to have a place where women could go to stop,
think, listen, and receive help from volunteers in making that
decision. In October, 1981, Birthright of Rosenberg/ Richmond was
incorporated as a non-profit corporation in the state of Texas,
and chartered as an affiliate of Birthright International. The
three charter members were Rosalie Byrd, Iris Hrncir, and Dolores
Wolff.
Dolores Wolff was the first Director of Birthright of
Rosenberg/Richmond, and began operations with 10 volunteers and
the moral and financial support of several other friends. In the
first year of operation, there were 37 clients, the following year
136 office visits and 80 pregnancy tests. In our 2004-05 fiscal
year, there were 943 clients served, with 853 new pregnancy tests.
162 of our clients were considering abortion.
Debra Higginbotham became our 8th Executive Director in June 2006.
We have moved the center five times, with the last two moves
taking us from 1200 sq. ft, to 2400, and now 3600 sq. ft. Our
budget has grown as well. In the early 1980’s the budget averaged
$3- 3,500. In our last fiscal year, ending in Oct 05, our income
was $129,000, and we had invested over $97,000 in our program and
operating expenses. As the cost of materials, advertising, and
insurance increase, and as we move forward to open a second
location in Sugar Land, our budget will undoubtedly continue to
grow. It is only by the generous support of the community that
this growth has been possible, and we try hard to be good stewards
of the money that is entrusted to us.
After many years as an all-volunteer organization, the financial
support of the community allowed us to begin, in 2001, to hire
paid staff who are dedicated to our mission. While we continue to
depend on volunteers to provide direct service to our clients, as
well as help in many other ways, our paid staff members recruit
and train volunteers, give them the support they need, and develop
and administer new programs. In addition to our original program
of pregnancy test peer counseling, we have added our Learn/ Earn/
Plan program, post-abortion peer counseling, and the Sexual
Integrity program. One staff member administers the LEP program.
Our affiliation with national organizations who support pregnancy
centers, as well as attendance at conferences, has allowed us to
learn a tremendous amount from others around the country. In 1998
we separated from Birthright International and changed our name to
Pregnancy Resource Center of Fort Bend County. This change was
made only after much thought and prayer. We believe that our
current affiliation with Heartbeat International allows us to
better serve our clients.
Perhaps even more important than all the ways we have changed are
the ways we have remained the same. Our mission remains the same:
to prevent abortion by helping women who are faced with unplanned
pregnancies. We continue to reach out to help others the way we
would want someone to help us or to help our daughters.
