The Prairie Pregnancy Support Centre in Portage opened its doors to its first clients last week. Executive Director Mary Loewen says the services they provide are for anyone facing pregnancy-related decisions, noting they offer options counselling and free pregnancy tests. Loewen says in the event the woman is pregnant---or even if she's not---they can talk about what options are available and the kinds of things they will experience. She notes that would include carrying the child to term, putting the child up for adoption or choosing abortion. Loewen adds they can talk about the physical and emotional costs of all those options.

She says the Centre offers free and confidential peer counselling, noting they are not a medical facility but instead are there to support and walk alongside women and men who are facing pregnancy-related decisions. Loewen adds she and their administrative assistant are the only two paid staff members but they have a team of about ten volunteers who have been through training. She says the centre also has a closet filled with maternity clothes, diapers and clothing for infants and children up to two years old, and notes like all their services these items are also free.

The Prairie Pregnancy Support Centre is located on the corner of Tupper Street and Lorne Avenue. Loewen says they're open Mondays from 4 to 8 p.m., Tuesdays from noon until 5 p.m. and Wednesdays from 1 to 3 p.m. She notes as time goes on they hope to be open for more hours each week.

Loewen adds they're blessed to have many individuals and churches supporting the Centre. She says they held a fundraising banquet on March 10th which saw approximately two hundred people in attendance as well as representation from about sixteen area churches. Loewen notes they are a satellite of the Winnipeg Crisis Pregnancy Centre, so at the moment all money is being channeled through that group. She adds the Centre here in Portage has an application pending with Canada Revenue and should soon be able to issue their own receipts.