Women who fear they may be facing an unplanned pregnancy can get help free of charge in Montgomery County, thanks to the newly established Uwharrie Women’s Center.

Services offered by the nonprofit organization range from pregnancy testing and ultrasound to counseling, medical information and parenting education. The center, at 206 N. Main St. in Troy, connects clients with resources in the community and also offers help with tangible needs. Women can use Tulip Dollars they earn from parenting classes to shop for baby clothes, diapers and other necessities.

“We know that some women and men in our community are struggling to envision how they could make life work with a new baby. What we want them to know is this: You are able to do so much more than you think, and we are here to support you every step of the way,” says Allison Medford, executive director of the center.

The UWC got its start a year ago this month when the Pregnancy Resource Center of Stanly County, which had begun extending its services to Montgomery via a mobile unit, held a meeting in Troy to find out if the community was interested in starting a center of its own. Within a month a board had been formed and by January 2023, the Uwharrie Women’s Center had obtained its 501(c)(3) status. In March, the organization welcomed its first client.

“The Stanly PRC has been amazing. Not only did they provide generous initial funding and give our organization all the donations that came in from Montgomery County churches during the Baby Bottle Boomerang, they continue to give us great advice and are providing ultrasounds for us until we are able to get our facility fully functional,” Medford says.

Numerous area churches, business-owners and individual donors as well as some state and local lawmakers have stepped up to support the center.

Plans are underway to upfit the building leased by the center at the corner of Main and Chestnut streets. The UWC held an open house at the location in September so that supporters could get an idea of what to expect. The PRC of Stanly County brings its mobile unit to the facility’s parking lot on Wednesdays to offer ultrasounds.

“This ministry does not belong to us,” says Tiffany Ward, chair of the UWC board. “God is using the entire community to come together to minister to women and their families. We are privileged to be a part of it.”

A golf tournament held at The Tillery Tradition Country Club in Mount Gilead was the organization’s most recent fundraiser. Board members are now turning their attention to the Baby Bottle Boomerang, which happens each January in conjunction with Sanctity of Life Sunday.

Local churches who would like to take part in the fundraiser by providing their congregants with baby bottles to fill with cash and coins for the UWC should call 910-974-0597 or email uwharriewomenscenter@gmail.com.

To learn more about the Uwharrie Women’s Center, visit uwharriewomenscenter.com or drop by the center on Nov. 22 during the Holiday Lighting Ceremony, set for 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. in downtown Troy.