In 1995 a small group of passionate individuals started the Buena Vista Pregnancy Center in response to needs they saw in our community. Each week faithful volunteer staff would open the doors of the Center, located at St. Rose of Lima. They offered free pregnancy testing and confidential peer counseling. That first year they had only 11 clients walk through the door, but these faithful few did not give up.
When Amy Taylor took over as director a few years later, it was decided to rent space for the BVPC at the Buena Vista Square. The central location brought more clients, and it was soon evident that a larger building was needed. In 2004, Margaret Marx was the director and the BVPC purchased an 800 square ft. building on the south end of town in the Buffalo Peaks Center and had 85 client visits.
Since these beginning days of the BVPC, this ministry has celebrated Sanctity of Human Life Sunday and taken the opportunity to partner with our local churches to remind our faith community that every life is a gift from God. Throughout the years church reps from between 10-15 churches speak to their congregations about the preciousness of every human life, the services offered at the Center, and ways they can be part of the work to serve our community. The BVPC is a nondenominational organization and these church reps coming together for SOHLS has always been a powerful demonstration of our faith community coming together regardless of varied doctrines to proclaim life as sacred.
In 2005, Karol Flowers became the new Director, and the Center added the Earn-While-You-Learn program, which gave clients the opportunity to take video classes on pregnancy and parenting. Over the years the program expanded into over 200 classes, including group sessions with dinner and childcare, allowing the clients to meet each other, and form great friendships. By taking these classes, the clients not only gained help in their parenting, but they also earn points to “spend” on baby items, gas, food, and even help toward medical/household bills. The first client who ever signed up for the program earned so many points she earned a crib, car seat, and even a washing machine.
As a nonprofit organization fundraising is a vital part of the growth, vitality, and sustainability of this ministry. The main fundraising event consisted of banquets until 2007 when Celebrate Life, a Walk, Bike, Run event was created. This family friendly event brought the pro-life community together each year with a speaker, family entertainment, and BBQ. The Knights of Columbus have faithfully prepared and served the food each and every year.
By 2008, the Center had 705 client visits and once again had outgrown the space we were in. We were approached by a builder who offered to build to our specifications if we would buy the 1200 ft. space he had available. At the time we didn’t have the money, but God did! He placed a man on the board who raised the extra funds needed, and he did it within 5 weeks. We were able to sell the old building and purchase the 1200 square ft. building located in the same Buffalo Peaks Center. This gave us 1 private meeting room, a laundry room, a used baby items room, and a new baby items room, kitchen, and a director’s office.
In 2009, we recognized the opportunity to expand our programing by adding an ultrasound program. We didn’t have the financial means, so we applied for assistance with a large Christian organization. We were told we were too small of a community and wouldn’t be able to sustain the program long term. This new vision held many challenges to overcome but over time many individuals and corporate sponsors supported, prayed, and donated to the ultrasound program! Our medical program became reality with enough funds raised to buy a portable ultrasound machine and hire/train a nurse for the program
Having an ultrasound opened a whole new way to support the abortion-minded client by revealing images of their baby and his/her heartbeat. That year we were able to take our portable machine to other nearby pregnancy centers and do ultrasounds for them. After becoming a medical center, we were able to add STI testing for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea.
HRRMC’s birth center is the delivery hospital for the majority of families living in Chaffee County. For over 15 years the BVPC has offered newborn baby bundles for these families. Shortly after delivery a nurse provides a BVPC baby bundle to each mom with lovingly prepared diapers, wipes, blankets, and information regarding our services. Layette sets are also offered to our clients prior to delivery or at the first visit back to the Center after birth. Layette sets contain similar items to baby bundles but with a few additions to welcome baby into the world.
In March of 2012, God miraculously enabled the BVPC to purchase the adjoining 1700 sq. ft. building. During the negotiation process the price of the space went from $125,000 down to $50,000. Our Board Chair at the time, raised $25,000 twice in three week windows to place us in a position to fully cover the cost of our second unit.
This purchase added 2 private meeting rooms, a conference room, ultrasound room, kitchen, 2 bathrooms, office space, and reception area to the Center. Once official, 3 carpenters from the community repurposed the space by taking out walls and putting up new ones. Now we could have multiple families being served at one time comfortably.
The EWYL program took a completely new updated form when in late 2019, we transitioned to using Bright Course as our primary curriculum source. Individual parenting classes are now offered by picking from a list of over 300 lessons, sending the link associated with the lessons chosen, and client’s watching the lessons and completing the corresponding worksheets on their own time. Once completed, the client picks a time to meet at the Center to talk through the classes and receive their EWYL points.
Our outreach isn’t just for those who walk through the doors of our Center. We also take the opportunity to go into the schools and teach healthy relationship skills with Real Essentials. Starting in 2008, we have had varied degrees of access and time in the BV schools. Having 2 full weeks interacting with our teens brings great opportunity to grow relationships with these students while covering a fair amount of valuable content. We also teach a few days in a local private middle school and at South Park HS in Fairplay.
In 2018, a Christmas Store for clients and all community members in need was created. An abundance of lightly used toys were donated to the Center and the Christmas store took shape. Each Christmas season since, many families have been excited to partake in the offerings free of charge. With increased support in the form of generous local shops donating extra merchandise and significant grants, the BVPC Christmas store has grown and now contains mostly brand new items to be gifted to youth up through elementary school age.
The BVPC expanded their class offerings with a new format and content starting in 2019. Circle of Security is offered in the fall and Conscious Discipline in the spring as once a week, 8 week series. These group parenting classes have been very popular with our clients and community members. Parents share challenges and successes, learn new concepts with practical tools for everyday parenting, and support one another in the challenging roles of motherhood and fatherhood.
When COVID hit in March 2020, the Center saw drastic adjustments to our office hours and procedures just as the entire world experienced. The Center closed for 2 months and when our office hours returned to normal, we found mothers and families returning with a heightened desire for connection and a safe space to spend time outside of their homes.
Our Bright Course program was modified during this time to include discussing lessons on the phone for “no contact” connections. To continue meeting needs, clients could request needed baby items and we would place them outside at specified times for pickup. That spring we delivered May Day baskets to our regular clients with baby items, flowers, and gift cards. Our purpose was to remind them that their family was in our prayers and thoughts despite the distance.
Our dedicated leader of 17 years and dear friend Karol Flowers announced her decision to retire in May 2020. We are so grateful for her commitment to this ministry including adding the EWYL parenting education program, our medical programs, Celebrate Life fundraiser, and the fatherhood program.
In September 2022, Naomi Allen became the new Director of the BVPC. Previous to her new role at the Center, Naomi had volunteered as a client advocate starting in 2012 and has coordinated the annual Ever After middle school girls’ event since 2014.
Our faithful Medical Directors have played a vital role of overseeing our medical program from 2008-present. The first doctor to fill the role of Medical Director, Dr. Doug Johnson MD served from 1/2008-5/2017. Dr. Sarah McAlpine OD filled in for us after Dr. Johnson’s retirement and viewed ultrasound scans via email for approximately a month. Dr. Victor Adan MD became our new Medical Director in 5/2017 and remained with us for nearly 6 years until February 2023. Victor is a Emergency Room Doctor. During his time here, we started giving prescriptions to clients who had positive STI results.
Currently our Medical Director is an OB/GYN, Dr. Carlton Pearse, MD, MBA, DABOM. We are blessed to have him as well as all the doctors in our history who have volunteered their time and expertise to cover the BVPC in our medical endeavors.
Many other programs have been started at the BVPC over the years and have had significant traction in specific seasons. Surrendering the Secret is one of those programs consisting of a support group for woman seeking healing from abortion. Our meal program for families with newborns or families struggling with illness is another of these programs. In 2021 we offered a Mother’s Day Event with lunch and spa services to pamper our moms.
Over the last 30 years the BVPC has been a vital resource to our community offering valuable services to young adults and growing families. Our clients can be women who find themselves in an unplanned pregnancy, seasoned mothers looking for support through pregnancy and parenting, young families new to town seeking out resources, or young men open to mentor relationships with our male client advocates. Today our center’s staff, volunteers, and board members continue in the tradition of serving these young people in whatever place they find themselves in life.
BV Pregnancy Center
28350 CR 317 Ste. #12
Buena Vista, CO 81211
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