Hi-Line Pregnancy Center helps mothers-to-be in need

Hi-Line Pregnancy Resource Center is offering more programs and helping more women, people attending the center’s annual banquet were told Tuesday night.

The second-annual banquet was held at Montana State University-Northern as a fundraiser to help Havre-area pregnant girls and women.

The second annual banquet is one of the center’s main sources of fundraising from Havre and surrounding areas.

Ronalee Skees, former director of Hope Pregnancy Resource Center in Kalispell and executive director of Mother’s Arms Crisis Pregnancy Center, was the main speaker of the event. She gave her personal testimony about being a pregnant teen and her tumultuous life leading up to her conversion to Christianity.

HPRC has been in existence for two years, since its opening in June 2011, and is a nonprofit agency.

“The generosity of the community allows us to be here,” Sally Loftus, the director of HPRC, said Tuesday. “We have more people coming this year than last year.”

Loftus said she believes HPRC will receive more than the $12,000 they had in donations last year, but will not know how much the amount is until the end of this week.

Services offered at HPRC include free pregnancy testing and counseling for different needs, including post-partum and post-abortion counseling. The center also offers adoption plans for pregnant women.

“We also have a program called ‘Learn While You Earn,’” Loftus said.

Learn While You Earn is a program in which pregnant mothers are given “homework” to do. For every chapter they read, they have a page of homework. “Mommy bucks” are offered to those who go through it, and they can spend these to buy supplies for their babies.

Another service the organization offered for the first time this year was a retreat for women who have undergone abortions. The first one was this September and one woman came to the TownHouse Inn of Havre, which donated one of their suites, to partake in the healing experience.

“We’re hoping to do at least one or two (retreats) a year,” Loftus said.

The HPRC is a faith-based organization that pushes for women to not consider abortion as an option. They have had 84 clients, administered 64 pregnancy tests, documented 46 babies born by women who have visited them and avoided three abortions since their opening in 2011.

“We’re here to support a ministry,” Skees said.”Not only to save lives and save babies, but to save the moms.”

The theme for the banquet was “Beauty for Ashes,” and the event saw a good turnout with most of the available seats taken. Many of Havre and the surrounding area’s pastors and preachers were in attendance to support the organization.

Scott Hamilton, a pianist who plays at St. Jude Thaddeus Church once in a while, played soft classical music for the attendants during the free, donation-based, dinner.

At the end of the banquet, a donation was taken from anyone who wanted to fill out the donation slip they were given at the beginning of the banquet.

Those who want to donate to the HPRC may do so by calling the center at 265-3255.