WADESBORO — Rebekah Carpenter finds herself Director of Hope Pregnancy Resource Center almost in spite of herself.
Comfortably sitting in the center’s welcoming waiting room, Carpenter takes a moment to share her story, speaking of a life built with grace and humility.
Carpenter often says, “At Hope Pregnancy [Resource Center] we really believe in meeting people where they are.”
It is more than a mission statement to Carpenter as she was once a pregnant teen unsure of her choices, terrified, and confused.
On her way to seek an abortion, Carpenter became hopelessly lost on the streets of Monroe. She decided to regroup, pulling over at a construction site. Her mind barely noticing the building under construction, Carpenter did what so many of us find ourselves doing at some point; she took out her phone and called her mom.
Reflecting back on the moment, Carpenter now realizes her life was as much under construction as the building where she had pulled over.
After briefly speaking with her mother, Carpenter pulled back into traffic and into the parking lot of HELP Pregnancy Center. Once there, she received so much love and support from the staff; Carpenter left with a completely different outlook and direction in life.
Hearing her baby’s steady heartbeat on the ultrasound, Carpenter knew she was keeping her baby. She was not sure how she would do it, but she knew she would. Carpenter went home that day with a developing fierceness inside her for not only the life of her own unborn child, but for the life of every woman who found herself faced with a decision to make.
For Carpenter, that day at HELP Pregnancy Center was not just about deciding to keep her baby, it was about the love, compassion, and mercy she felt from the staff. It was knowing she would have still been treated this way if she had decided to abort her child.
“The help they gave me changed my life,” states Carpenter, who now partners with the HELP Pregnancy Center. “I would not have a daughter today if it was not for the work that they do.”
When the idea for Hope Pregnancy Resource Center came to Anson County, Carpenter knew she had to be involved. Her chance to pay it forward had come and she was determined she would not miss it.
The center first started out of Cathedral Baptist Church, then an apartment, and now the little brown building at 101 Moore’s Lake Rd.
With the new funding obtained by Representative Mark Brody, Hope Pregnancy Resource Center hopes to use the $400,000 grant awarded to them to expand. The small building conducts ultrasounds, counseling, parental classes, and houses childcare supplies for families in need.
The center offers classes where parents, grandparents, aunts and anyone can learn about parenting techniques while earning credits toward much needed items for their baby, such as a high chair or a stroller.
“We rely a lot on donations but if someone needs something and we don’t have it we will go out and purchase that for them,” shares Carpenter.
One big difference between Hope Pregnancy Resource Center and a lot of other pregnancy centers is that parents can come by and pick up needed supplies once a month without having to take classes to earn the supplies.
“Parents can come in once a month to get diapers, wipes, and clothes. We really just want to meet people where they are, so you do not have to earn credits for these items, we don’t verify income… we just ask that you come, tell us what you need, and how many kids you have,” Carpenter said.
Showing off the center’s donation area, or the Hope Chest, Carpenter remarks, “We have volunteers that come in and sort through all the clothes that are donated, separating by size.”
Tubs of brightly colored baby clothes in all sizes are stacked, one on top of another, from the floor almost to the ceiling. They have long run out of room to sort clothes by season.
“Having ladies come in once a month really gives us a chance to get to know parents on a personal level, helping to develop a support system that a lot of them do not have,” she said.
Building a support system is important to Carpenter, as she believes passion for the person keeps the entire staff energized to continue the mission.
“Our clothing goes up to 4T because we want to be with that mom from the time she gets a positive pregnancy test until her baby gets ready to go into school,” declares Carpenter.
“If a mother has a need we cannot meet, we do outsource in the community… we partner with the Health Department, Partnership for Children, HELP Pregnancy Center, and many other organizations. It really takes a community coming together to make a difference,” says Carpenter, adding, “We also work with Christian Adoption Services in Indian Trail for those considering adoption.”
“We cannot advocate for the unborn if we do not first advocate for the life of the mother,” she concluded. “We have got to be what we say we are going to be for her.”