One local opportunity available to donate for a good cause is to help the Care Net Pregnancy of Donley County purchase an $11,000 sonogram machine by taking your children to get their picture with Santa Claus.
Clarendon High School senior Matthew Williams will take the photographs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the old JAMZ building at Third and Kearney Streets this Saturday, December 11 or next Saturday.
A silent auction at the same time features a beef certificate from 3H Cattle for $250; a free spay or neuter from Clarendon Veterinarian Hospital & Supply; a free computer sweep for $125 from Panhandle CyberMedics; three free haircuts from The Hair Connection; items from Hensons, Every Nook & Cranny, and Sayes: as well as woodcrafts and quilting items.
“We will deeply appreciate any donations we can get,” said Care Net representative Karla Johnson. “This fundraiser will also to help the Clarendon Merchants Association keep shoppers here in Clarendon instead of going out of town to shop for the holidays.”
The Care Net Pregnancy Center is a free, outreach ministry established in 1995 by Billy Graham. According to Johnson, there is variety of things they do.
“We touch anyone’s life,” Johnson said. “We are able to do things that schools and churches are not able to do. We minister to children starting at eight years old to college. We teach them who they are in Christ, abstinence before marriage, and we let them know that God loves them and has a plan for their lives even though everyone makes mistakes.”
The center recently received a house in the country donated by Landon Lambert.
“This will serve as our new facility, like a doctor’s office or clinic,” Johnson said. “Since it is in the country, this help protects the identities of people and (provides) privacy.”
There are many classes and programs that the center will hold. Some of the classes taught by the two nurses on staff are over prenatal care, a five-week child birth class, and newborn care.
“We have a program, called the Benevolence program, where we give free formula, diapers and clothes to needy families’ toddlers,” she said. “We only ask that we have a Bible study when they come through the door. Women who say they take advantage of our program have also said that they gave their lives over to the Lord, and have thanked us for it.”
The center is against abortion and supports life.
“We have counselors to help people who have had an abortion, since one out of four women have had an abortion,” Johnson said. “It facilitates the pain and guilt women feel, and then the love of the Lord and His forgiveness. Those women grieve the child they never held. We are 100 percent against abortion, and we recommend adoption.”
Johnson said one reason they want to purchase the sonogram machine is to prevent abortions.
“About ninety-nine percent of women choose life for their babies when they see the baby’s heartbeat,” she said. “Our main goal is to share the love of Jesus and save lives of the unborn child.”
The center is still looking for committee people and more volunteers they can train.
“We have four openings on our steering committee,” Johnson said. “We’ll be meeting until we open our new facility’s doors. We’ll be doing all the things we need to do before we can open.”
If you are interested in making a donation of money, baby items or items for the silent auction, contact Lori Howard at the Clarendon Family Medical Center or Dr. Guy Ellis at the Clarendon Veterinarian Hospital.
“Most of all we just need prayer,” Johnson said. “We’re asking for prayer and financial support, but most importantly prayer for our staff, our center, and our future clients, men, women and their families.”
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