FAITHFUL OBSERVATIONS

This Mother’s Day, May 13, more than 45 churches in the county will pass out empty baby bottles to church members. Baby bottles are taken and filled with loose change, paper currency or checks and returned to the church on Father’s Day. These funds are then given to Open Arms Pregnancy Care Center/Real Choices Clinic.

To find out more about this organization I sat down with Executive Director Janet Valov and asked about their mission and services.

Janet, in a few sentences can you explain the mission of your clinic and a little about what you do?

We are a nonprofit, non-denominational, non-political organization that is committed to helping individuals in northern Idaho make life-affirming choices through education, compassionate support and pregnancy-related services. Our services are confidential and complimentary, some of which consists of medical-grade pregnancy tests, limited obstetrical ultrasounds and parenting classes.

This must require employees with a medical background to provide the services? How many employees do you have?

Yes, we have a physician on our board of directors who serves as our medical director. Our staff consists of seven employees, including a Registered Nurse Manager. Additionally, we have three volunteer RNs and more than 20 volunteers.

You have a complete office here at 1800 Lincoln Way that is well equipped. Do you service a wide area from here?

We do, however we also have a mobile RV clinic that is fully equipped for pregnancy testing and has a portable ultrasound, allowing us to cover surrounding communities.

What pregnancy-related services do you offer?

Our clinic offers confidential pregnancy tests, limited obstetrical ultrasounds and referrals to medical physicians and community resources. We also offer Earn While You Learn parenting classes, where expecting parents can earn “Boutique Bucks” for diapers, baby gear, equipment, and clothing from our boutique. These classes prepare them for parenthood and cover a variety of topics. We often have mothers drop by if they need diapers and we provide those free of charge. We want to support the new mother and father in any way we can and also provide services for expecting fathers.

If you are providing services, including ultrasounds, classes and baby supplies, this can be expensive along with your staff. Do you receive government funding?

We do not receive any government funding. We are blessed with monthly supporters, churches and our annual fundraisers, like Baby Bottle Boomerang. We recently had one church that hosted a “baby shower,” providing us with new items for our Baby Boutique. Our volunteers and donors are critical and we could not operate without them.

How many people do you serve?

We served nearly 700 people in 2017. And we are on track for our busiest year yet in 2018. In the first quarter alone, we’ve had over 200 visits. We are running out of room in our current facility and have been blessed with property in Hayden on which we plan to build our own expanded center.

What is your ultimate purpose in this ministry?

We believe every mother deserves respect and support throughout her pregnancy. Our purpose is to provide compassionate support and pregnancy-related services, regardless of any circumstances. All of our services are offered free to our clients, but that does not mean they are without cost. Behind all of our services are generous donors within our community who care enough to provide the financial support that makes our ministry possible. The love and provision of our volunteer advocates and donors communicates to our clients that they are loved, valued, and not alone.

•••

When you see baby bottles at your church, you now know a bit more where the funds are going. If you want more information or want to support Open Arms or the Building Fund, call 208-667-5433.

•••

Robert Shillingstad is a Hayden resident who is voluntarily putting a spotlight on local churches, other religious organizations and spiritual activities in our community.