Heart of Texas Pregnancy Resource Center

Our goal is to steadily reach more women facing unplanned pregnancies in the poorest neighborhoods in Austin, across the street from the primary high school serving that area. We began taking clients in October of 2012 and officially opened our doors in January of 2013. In the fall of 2016, we opened a second center in suburban Austin; in January 2018, we relocated our original center to a site more accessible by prospective clients and large enough to serve a case load that grew from 265 visits in 2013 to 2,636 visits in 2019.

The Heart of Texas Pregnancy Resource Center employs these seven broad strategic approaches :

1. Raise our profile in the area we serve: Our prospective clients need to know we are located in their neighborhood, within walking distance or a short bus ride, and know we have services they need very badly.

2 .Expand our corps of volunteers so we can better serve our clients at the center.

3. Expand our donor base to include more mid-level and recurring donors, so we can augment the donations of material items with supplies we buy in bulk; obtain more sophisticated teaching materials; and add a mobile pregnancy center and a bus to pick up class participants.

4. Institute the Earn While You Learn program for our clients' care and needs pre- to post-pregnancy.

5. Increase the number of area churches with which we have relationships.

7. Increase our efforts to earn grants from private foundations.

In order to function properly, a pregnancy resource center needs a few physical assets: an ultrasound device to show clients images of their babies and let them listen to their heartbeats; a room large enough to house a boutique filled with baby and maternity clothing, and several smaller rooms where client advocates may speak to clients confidentially. Our offices offer those resources. Private donors and churches frequently provide consumables like diapers and formula. Everything we offer comes at no cost to our clients.

Our income, which reached $423,576 in 2019, allows us an executive director, six part-time staff members, two operations directors, rent, utilities and other necessities – as well as supplies for clients.

Our organization has grown by leaps and bounds since we opened. Our number of client visits increased from 265 at the original center in 2013 to 2,636 at both centers in 2019. For 2020 through December 1, we have handled 2,442 appointments, and we expect by year end our total will exceed 2,500. Most of that growth is being seen at our east Austin center. Even during the pandemic, services did not stop. The way we handle clients has changed to keep employees, volunteers, and clients safe.