Agape Pregnancy Resource Center - Round Rock

Agape Pregnancy Resource Center - Round Rock

Written by Administrator Tuesday, 18 March 2008

While sitting in the thick of morning rush hour traffic on RM 620, Jo Markham scanned the radio for a traffic report and found herself listening to a discussion about crisis pregnancy centers for young mothers. After dropping her children off at school, she continued to listen and decided she wanted to volunteer at a local pregnancy center.

Two hours later, she contacted the director of the Heidi Group, a non-profit Round Rock-based pregnancy center, and asked about how she and her women’s church group could help. To Markham’s surprise, the Heidi Group director encouraged her to start her own center.

“When she told us we needed to start our own pregnancy resource center, we thought she was crazy,” said Markham, Agape Pregnancy Resource Center director of development. “We had no money and no experience running a business. Just a couple weeks later, she spoke to our prayer group, and we decided unanimously to start a pregnancy center on faith alone.”

A year and a half later, Markham and a few members from First Baptist Church opened the Agape Pregnancy Resource Center in downtown Round Rock. Markham said she and the board of directors created the center in an effort to make positive changes to those facing unplanned pregnancies, and to foster a sense of God’s love. Markham said she strives to help young, frightened mothers feel valuable, loved and cherished, which is why the Greek word agape, pronounced ah-GAH-pay, was chosen for the center’s namesake.

“Agape is a term that means unconditional love,” Markham said. “Many of the girls who come here feel they don’t deserve that, so we show them unconditional love, no matter their background or the choices they’ve made.”

The center offers free, confidential pregnancy testing, counseling sessions, referrals for additional services and “Earn While You Learn” educational classes. Expectant mothers can earn “Mommy Money” after attending each class, which can be used to purchase new baby clothes and products. Some of the classes include financial counseling, infant CPR, GED preparation and Bible studies.

Markham said women of all faiths are welcome at the center. Although Agape is a Christian agency, Markham said attending Bible classes is not mandatory and everyone is treated with respect.

Those who finish the entire program will be given special graduation gifts.

“The ‘Earn While You Learn’ program has been so incredibly successful,” Markham said. “More than 60 percent of the girls come back and stick with us through the program during their pregnancies.”

When Agape opened four years ago, Markham said the board of directors had no idea how fast it would grow. Now, the center needs to expand to accommodate more classrooms, ultrasound rooms, counseling centers and children’s play areas.

Markham said a two-story building will be constructed behind the center. Construction is anticipated to begin in March.

“We have been very blessed with community support and the support from the city,” Markham said. “They were all wonderful to us.”

Ways to donate:

• Call 248-8200 or visit www.agapeprc.org.
• Join the Baby Bottle Campaign by picking up a baby bottle at Agape and filling it with spare change.
• Donate new baby items and new or used maternity clothing.
• Host a baby shower to benefit Agape Pregnancy Resource Center.
• The Donor Giving Tree will soon be a permanent display n the center’s main hallway. By making a donation, you can have your name or the name of a friend or loved one, engraved on a leaf.
• Donate new baby items at the World’s Largest Baby Shower, April 11 at Dell Diamond.

Agape Pregnancy Resource Center, 104 E. Main Ave., Round Rock, 248-8200, www.agapeprc.org