Plans to open a fifth location in Wray announced at A Caring Pregnancy Resource Center's annual banquet on Jan. 29

A large crowd filled Phillips County Event Center in Holyoke on Saturday, Jan. 29, to support A Caring Pregnancy Resource Center of Northeast Colorado at one of four "Blazin' the Trail" fundraising banquets in the region last weekend.

The evening included a meal, entertainment, silent auction, guest speaker and an update on the center.

In 2021, the nonprofit served 183 women and 155 children and shared in the births of 29 babies. Over the last two years, the center has more than doubled the amount of women it's helping, said executive director Faye Barnhart.

She was excited to announce that the center is opening a new location in Wray at 305 W. 2nd St. Other locations include Holyoke, Brush, Sterling and Yuma, in addition to a mobile medical van.

"It does take a community to build a pregnancy center. Thanks for being our community," Barnhart told the crowd.

Those in attendance were treated to several songs performed by country singer/songwriter Heather Smith from Texas. Her husband, Russell Smith, also gave a testimony about how he's turned back to God after dealing with the hurt and pain when a dozen family members were killed in a pipeline explosion.

"God doesn't rely on your abilities; he relies on your availability," he said.

Guest speaker Joneen Mackenzie gave the audience a whirlwind Relationships 101 course, covering everything from parenting to wellness to suicide.

Mackenzie is the lead author of the REAL Essentials curriculum that's taught all over the world, including classes in 21 out of the 42 school districts in the counties that A Caring Pregnancy Resource Center serves.

She explained how adverse childhood experiences can negatively affect lifelong health. There's a lot of value to committed, loving marriages, she said, noting that parents are often the first department of education, department of health and human services and department of justice that a child will encounter in his or her life.

What is wellness?

Mackenzie took the audience through six things that contribute to a person's wellness.

- Happiness and life satisfaction. A 75-year study from Harvard shows good relationships keep people happier and healthier.

- Mental and physical health. Kids are isolated, Mackenzie said, which contributes to Colorado being No. 9 in the nation for teen suicide. She also said the risk factors are outweighing the protective factors - things like being connected, serving in the community, etc.

- Meaning and purpose.

- Character and virtue.

- Close social relationships. What makes a kid who seems to have everything go off the rails? Mackenzie said on average, teens only have 16 out of 40 "assets" that keep them connected to home, school, etc.

- Financial and material stability. Three ways to prevent poverty, in order, are to graduate from high school, get a full-time job and get married before having kids, said Mackenzie.

She commended pregnancy centers, saying, "They not only help when there's a crisis, they're trying to prevent it."

From confirmation of pregnancy to baby clothes and items for young mothers - and emotional support all along the way - A Caring Pregnancy Resource Center helps anyone during pregnancy, especially those facing extreme challenges or difficulties while pregnant.

The center is always looking for more volunteers and has training sessions coming up, including Feb. 25-26, Yuma, new board members; March 25, Brush, new women and men advocates; April 21-22, Yuma, new presenters for REAL Essentials; and May 7, Holyoke, new facilitators for after-abortion healing.

For more information about the center's services, to donate or to volunteer, visit http://www.acaringpregnancy.org, email [email protected] or call (970) 842-4324.