Good Things Happening at PPSC

Grandparents Day seems to come and go each year without fanfare, have you noticed? According to my calendar, it fell on September 8 this year. The special day didn’t exist when I was a little girl learning the grandmotherly art of crochet from my grandmother. Now she is long gone, and I am the grandmother. Still crocheting.

In honor of Grandparents Day, I decided to finish my nearly completed baby afghan in variegated shades of purple and pink. I enjoyed shopping for a few baby-girl items to go with it and carried the whole package to our local Prairie Pregnancy Support Center.

When she greeted me, Executive Director Mary Loewen gratefully accepted my gift and offered me a tour of the facility. Although I’d attended their fundraiser banquet last spring, I’d never seen the inside of their Tupper Street premises. I was impressed!

What first captured my eye was a warm, inviting reception area with plenty of space to relax, talk, read resource materials, or just hang out. I also caught a glimpse of their modern office, where Mary and the center’s only other paid staff member, Dawn, accomplish their administrative work.

Next came a large, beautifully appointed room used for various purposes such as guest speakers, volunteer training, and educational or social opportunities. One wall displays photos of all their volunteers, including board members and client advocates. Off this room await two small, cozy rooms used for counselling and prayer sessions.

Perhaps most impressive is the larger room used to store and display items like the ones I brought with me—including maternity clothes, baby and children’s clothing neatly organized into sizes, and all manner of supplies needed for outfitting a little one.

PPSC provides services to our Central Plains area. Its primary mission is to offer compassion, hope, resources, and support for anyone facing pregnancy-related decisions. This non-profit volunteer agency is affiliated with the Canadian Association of Pregnancy Support Services. Its volunteers receive rich training from leaders in the field and bring their compassionate, caring hearts to our community with professional candor. They provide pregnancy testing, options education, and ongoing support in the form of peer counselling, maternity/baby clothes and supplies, peer support groups, infant loss support, post-abortion recovery, referrals to community agencies, sexual education, and sexual integrity discussions.

With 5 grandsons, it was fun to shop for a baby girl!

The organization receives no government funding but relies on donor support to be able to offer all their services free of charge. Their desire is to answer questions, present options, and provide support through the decision-making process and beyond. PPSC is not a medical clinic and does not refer clients for abortion. These volunteers work and pray hard to offer hope and to empower lives in our community, behind the scenes and with strictest confidence. They serve clients regardless of age, gender, sexual identity or orientation, race, or religion.

For those experiencing post-abortion stress, whether their symptoms are emotional, physical, behavioral, or spiritual—and no matter how long ago the abortion occurred—help and healing are available through one-on-one counseling or a post-abortion support group. Both are a safe place to talk about your thoughts and feelings with others who understand because they’ve been there. This service extends beyond women who’ve chosen abortion, including anyone who may be affected but often overlooked, such as fathers and grandparents.

If you need to talk, or if you’re interested in donating or getting involved in the Prairie Pregnancy Support Center, you can do so by calling or texting 204-240-4357 or emailing info@prairiepregnancy.ca . For more information or to read some inspiring stories, visit their website HERE.

Happy belated Grandparents Day!