As Care Net of Schuylkill County opened its doors to a second location, several volunteers gathered Monday in support of the nonprofit group, which offers free services to expectant and young mothers and their families.
Real Options Pregnancy Medical Resource Center opened about six weeks ago just off the Gordon Nagle Trail at 171 Red Horse Road, Suite 3, Pottsville, according to Care Net Executive Director Cheryl Cresswell.
Cresswell and Teen Health Director Sarah Hahner offered a tour of the 864-square-foot center. It includes free parking, a reception area, a great room for training, an “Earn While You Learn” room, an options counseling room and two offices for staff and volunteers. The Walk-In Arts Center may consign some items to finish the decorating process, according to Cresswell.
Hahner said in the “Earn While You Learn” room, expectant mothers or couples can watch educational DVDs developed by medical professionals on a range of topics and can earn “Baby Bucks” after watching them. The bucks can be redeemed for baby clothing, or diapers and wipes. Training topics range from fetal development through each trimester, labor and delivery, breast feeding and newborn care, to childhood nutrition and development.
Hahner showed a copy of the “Before You Decide” magazine that was available in the learning room. She said a recent grant enabled Care Net to purchase an iPad, so clients could view the magazine with a special app.
Cresswell said the new site became possible when Dr. David P. Krewson and Dr. Robert M. Zimmerman, of Comprehensive Women’s Health Services, volunteered to serve as medical directors. The center, however, is a separate entity from CWHS, she said.
“We had been looking for space, and when we met with them they told us this space was available here,” Cresswell said. The center is located in the lower level of the same building that houses the Comprehensive Women’s Health Services, facing the Gordon Nagle Trail.
“This is ideal,” Hahner said. “The nurses upstairs can say there’s someone downstairs who can talk with you.” On average, 40 to 60 clients are served each month by Care Net, according to Cresswell.
An anonymous donor offered to pay Care Net’s rent for three years, Cresswell said. The group operates solely on donations from businesses, churches and individuals.
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia had previously operated a National Children’s Study out of the facility where Care Net has now moved into, according to Hahner.
The new site is open from 12 to 4:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday; from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday; and from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday. The facility is closed Friday, but staff will take phone calls and handle administrative duties. There are no hours Saturday and Sunday.
Since obtaining the second center site, the Care Net original location at 110 S. Centre St., Pottsville, will remain open, too, and will become The Care Net of Schuylkill County Parenting Center, with its New Life Boutique.
On Monday, Denise Breslin, North Manheim Township, was leading a training session for volunteers in the great room. Among those slated to take a 24-hour training course were Sue Weaver, Pottsville; Teddi Cunningham, Minersville; and Vanessa Minnich, Melissa Kapushinski and Brenna Good, all of Schuylkill Haven.
Cresswell said Care Net was offering the training through the American Association of Christian Counselors/Light University in “Crisis Pregnancy Coaching.” Volunteers pay for their own workbooks and certification, she said. There is no time limit set in which a volunteer has to achieve those 24 hours, according to Cresswell. Some volunteers have taken a year or more to finish.
“I’m a board member, and I just have a heart for the young teens in our county,” Weaver said.
Breslin, a retired teacher, explained why she became involved with volunteering for Care Net. “I taught for 30 or more years and God gave me the gifts to be a teacher, so I said, ‘Where’s my next adventure?’ ”
Cunningham thought she’d volunteer to be a receptionist, but then decided to take the additional training. “When you think you’re giving — you’re receiving. I can see how much I received,” Cunningham, who volunteered for years with the county’s Meals-On-Wheels program, said. “I learned how to be a team player.”
On average, a volunteer coach may spend three to four hours each week at the center, Cresswell said. Volunteers are needed at the new facility.
For more information about the center’s services, or to volunteer, call 570-728-2135; email carenetofsch.co@comcast.net; follow Care Net of Schuylkill County on Facebook and Instagram; or visit www.care-net.org for national information.
Care Net’s mission is to “provide compassion, hope, and help to women and men facing pregnancy decisions,” the national website states.