Page 178 - South Mississippi Living - December, 2021

FINAL SAY
SUSAN
KREMER JONES
Executive Director,
The Women’s Resource Center
For most of us, 2021 has proven to be another year of challenges. Over the past two years, many of us became weary and lost hope that our lives would ever return to some semblance of normalcy. But recently, hope seems to have returned, and I find myself singing the words to one of my favorite Christmas songs: “A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!”
Over the past 17 years, The Women’s Resource Center (WRC) has served thousands of families here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. We offer real help and real answers for expectant mothers in our community. Our services include pregnancy testing, limited ultrasounds, pregnancy support, counseling, pregnancy loss support, and education to ensure a healthy mother and baby. Every service we provide at WRC is confidential and completely free.
Each year, WRC serves over 500 women, many of whom have no idea how they can bring a new life into the world. Approximately 90 percent of the women we see live under the poverty line. Of those women, approximately 58 percent are minorities, 80 percent are single mothers, and at least two thirds of them have had no formal education past high school. During their initial visit at WRC, we encourage them to enroll in the many services we provide, and also connect them to various resources available within our community.
One of the most important services we provide to our clients is education. At WRC, the “Earn While You Learn” program offers online and in person classes that cover many prenatal and parenting topics. Subjects we cover include prenatal care, proper nutrition, newborn care,
safe sleep practices, healthy home environment, childhood illnesses, car seat safety, breastfeeding basics, postpartum expectations, toilet training, financial literacy and more. Through our classes, we are able to prepare mothers and fathers for the arrival of their baby and help ease the stress of becoming new parents. After completing the classes, parent(s) are rewarded with “Mommy Money” to spend in our on-site baby boutique. Items available in the boutique are essential supplies, such as diapers, wipes, and clothing, which are available for the first two years of the baby’s life.
We would not have this opportunity if it weren’t for our supporters, our community, and our partners. For every single pregnancy test, our supporters are there with us awaiting the result. For every ultrasound we perform, they are there with us, experiencing for the very first time the heartbeat of an unborn child. For every diaper we hand out to help a mother, they have been there with us providing the resources. Our supporters have been there with us for all of our critical steps and have helped provide for future generations.
COVID-19 has impacted WRC financially, but we have never lost hope, and have never stopped providing the critical resources and education to every single parent who walked through our doors. Last year alone, we had 1,574 client visits, gave away 23,964 diapers, administered 304 pregnancy tests and performed 84 ultrasounds. In partnership with our friends and community, we have been able to continue to help hundreds of women and men create strong family units which leads to thriving communities. That is the thrill of hope!
178 | December 2021
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