ASHLAND — The Ashland Pregnancy Care Center has a new home on Claremont Avenue.
The pregnancy center celebrated the grand opening of its new care facility with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday at 2111 Claremont Ave.
“This is really an incredible moment that this day is here,” Executive Director Melanie Miller said.
The former location on Sloan Avenue provided less than 1,700 square feet. The new location is 12,800 square feet.
The organization previously worked out of a classroom at Ashland University and used spaces provided by Ashland Emmanuel and Compassion Church. Miller said the group envisioned a day when its services could be united under one roof.
“Today, we’re so excited to show you our new home,” Miller said.
The larger facility will allow the center to expand its medical clinic and provide more space for families receiving services.
The pregnancy center offers pregnancy testing, medical assessments, ultrasounds, mentoring and support for women and families facing unexpected pregnancies.
Medical Director Dr. Deborah Cowden said the center is looking for medically trained volunteers, registered nurses, medical assistants and people interested in learning ultrasonography.
They hope with the right staff, to eventually offer multiple clinic afternoons each week and expand their ability to diagnose and treat sexually transmitted infections.
“We don’t know exactly what this clinic will become yet, because that hasn’t really been revealed to us,” Cowden said. “But we do have a lot of opportunities for people with medical training.”
The new facility also includes space for parenting classes and educational programs.
Families will be able to learn about cooking healthy meals, infant CPR and first aid, breastfeeding, labor and delivery. Parents can participate in these classes while volunteers care for their children in the center’s nursery.
A boutique sits inside the center filled with diapers, food, clothing, toys, cribs and items parents will enjoy too.
They use an incentive system called “Boutique Bucks.” Participants can earn points through activities like Bible studies and completing educational assignments. Those points can then be used in the boutique for items for the whole family.
Miller said the goal is to make the center a welcoming place for people seeking help.
“We want the place where they feel welcomed walking through these big doors,” Miller said.
Donors and volunteers help grow the pregnancy center
The new building was made possible through years of support from the community.
Miller thanked Richard “Dick” Beal and Mona Campbell from the Samaritan Hospital Foundation Board for helping make the care center possible.
The building is valued at $1.1 million. With the leadership from Beal and Campbell, it was transferred to the Ashland Pregnancy Care Center at no cost to the organization.
The community helped turn the building into a functioning center through donations and volunteer services. Volunteers worked late into the night during the week leading up to the grand opening.
The support continued Friday when Bob and Jan Archer presented the center with a $500,000 donation.
Miller said the Archers were inspired by the vision for the facility’s community training room, where families can participate in educational programs.
“We all just want Ashland to thrive and survive because it’s a great community,” Bob Archer said.
Richard Beal helped facilitate the transfer of the building. He said the facility is the result of many donors and community members working together.
“We are just stewards of the foundation,” Beal said. “It’s the donors that really make this happen.”
The center marked its 45th anniversary this year. Miller thanks the former directors, board members, staff and volunteers who helped build the organization over the years.
Miller said the opening represents the culmination of years of work and a starting point for what comes next.
“Many hands have built and prepared this place,” Miller said. “But today, we recognize that the Lord has been building this house.”
See more images from the ribbon cutting Friday:
