- April 24, 2024
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Krystle Cherry, director of the Alpha Pregnancy Center in Bunnell, hangs donated baby clothes in the "Mommy store." Photo by Jacque Estes
Zion had a healthy start to life thanks to the Alpha Pregnancy Center. Photo by Jacque Estes
Zion peeks around corner, smiles, and then darts down the hall at the Alpha Pregnancy Center in Bunnell. Zion’s mom, Chassity is finishing up a consultation visit with client consultant Connie French. The women know each other well; it’s been almost two years since Chassity (who preferred not to use her last name), first walked through the doors of the center in Bunnell.
Alpha has given something special to Chassity, the confidence to be a good mother.
“I was really nervous about what I was going to go through, and Alpha helped me,” Chassity said.” I didn’t know if I could trust them, but right when you come in they welcome you.”
She is lucky; she also has her mom by her side. Not every woman has that support.
Mothers in the program go through parenting classes and, instead of earning grades, earn Alpha dollars to spend in the “Mommy store.” They learn about childbirth, what to expect in labor and delivery, and breastfeeding. Some of the meetings are one-on-one with a client consultant like French, others are group classes.
“I have two children,” French said. “But as I am watching some of this stuff now, I wish I had these classes for mine.”
The “Mommy store” is filled with everything a new mother and child will need, from breast pumps to clothes, high chairs and car seats. Everything in the room has been donated. You can’t tell the new items from the gently used because Director Krystle Cherry and her mostly volunteer staff want their new families to start out with the best they can offer them.
Items come from donations left at the Alpha thrift store, and baby showers held by individuals, organizations and churches, to benefit the organization.
“The majority comes from the thrift store,” Cherry said. “Everything they get that we can utilize back here --we get it first.”
Across the hall, shelves line both walls of another room, leaving only enough room for one person to walk between them. On a good day, these shelves are filled with diapers and baby wipes. When donations of diapers don’t come in, the staff has to go out and buy them.
“Diapers and wipes are our greatest need. They are really expensive,” Cherry said.
Cherry spends a lot of her time telling people about the center and what it does, and looking for ways to raise funds.
“We want to let the community to know what Alpha is doing in the community on behalf of the mothers and babies,” Cherry said. “We are here to provide support and education.”
The first time a woman may come to the center, might be for a pregnancy test. The tests are free, and taking one does not mean they have to use the services, but Cherry hopes they will.
“We provide support materials and encouragement throughout their pregnancy and up until the baby is 12 months of age,” Cherry said. “They don’t have to stop coming after the baby is 12 months, we have some clients that have two and three year olds. We can still provide diapers, wipes and other necessities.”
The center is currently helping about 150 women from Flagler and surrounding counties.
Cherry is in the process of adding medical services to the team, with an ultimate goal of being able to offer sonograms. Until this becomes a reality, a mobile unit comes to the center from St. Augustine once a week so the mothers can have their sonograms, which are then sent onto their doctors.
Cherry said she wants to make more people aware of the center and the services they provide, and for more women to know they have a place to come to. There are no eligibility requirements; the services are available to anyone who wants them.
Chassity hasn’t forgotten what it was like to be scared and unsure, and encourages others not to go through their pregnancy alone.
“Coming here helped me to become a better mom, the videos teach you what to expect, and how to be calm with them,” Chassity said. “I would tell other women; don’t be scared, don’t be shy, they want to help you.”
The center’s biggest fundraiser will be the 17th annual banquet at The Chapel (formerly Crossroads Calvary Church) on Friday, Nov. 11. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 each, discounted prices for a table of 6 or 12. For more information and tickets, contact the center at 586-0210.
4751 E. Moody Blvd., Bunnell
Open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Accepts donations of all kinds, furniture, clothing, appliances and of course, baby items.
All proceeds benefit the Alpha Pregnancy Center
