Family Life Center- Ashley Lindsey

1.      Family Life Center/ Silk Purse

2.      The Family Life Center is a non-profit organization that is there for unplanned pregnancies. Even though a baby is a wonderful thing at any time in life and can be a disadvantage for many people for a teen it can be a very big disadvantage. This is why the Family Life Center has the programs and information available that they do. The Family Life Center offers counseling for mothers or couples who are expecting or who have had their baby. During the sessions videos are shown about the babies development during pregnancy and after during the first years of life. They offer information about adoption vs. keeping the baby and about adoption vs. abortion. There is counseling offered for someone who is at any stage and information provided about each decision.

3.      For privacy reasons I couldn’t work directly at the family life center, but the organization is paired with a resale shop right around the corner called the silk purse. During the visits to the Family Life Center moms are given coupons called “Mommy Coupons” worth various amounts of money. With these coupons mothers can go to the Silk Purse and buy things for them or their babies. Some items at the store are clothes for the mothers or children, any baby items such as strollers, car seats, cribs, high chairs, many items for a house such as plates and cups and other things. It is just like a regular resale shop except the mothers can use their coupons to help pay for things. There is a room that they keep certain things such as cribs, strollers and other items for mothers to choose from. Everything in the store is donated and most of the workers volunteer their time.

3.      While working at the Silk Purse I helped the girls who came in find what they needed   whether it was for them or their baby. I cleaned the items in the back and prepared them to be put on the shelves. I got to talk to the other workers and learn why they volunteered and what other things they did within the organization. Many were retired and just wanted to help out in their community and the Silk Purse allowed them to do that.

4.      Having volunteers at the Silk Purse helps for various reasons. Everything that comes in has to be cleaned and it can’t be put on the shelves until it is so having volunteers that can get more things cleaned allows for more options when customers come in looking for certain things. It helps the people who work there, the people who come in and in return in some ways does help the communities because the people who come in get the things they need and in return are in some ways better people. The basic need of clothes is met.

5.     The girls who came in were from various backgrounds and had many different stories. Getting to talk to them and help encourage them that even if they were going through a rough time things would get better were very rewarding to me. My main focus in my career is going to be helping teen moms get through the obstacles that being a teen parent comes with. I was a teen parent and I faced many challenges and obstacles over the years finishing high school and continuing my education. Being able to help teen parents, and see them achieve their goals, like I have will make going to work every day enjoyable.