The Pregnancy Center of Oxford will put on their first-ever community yard sale on Saturday, March 23 at the Old Armory Pavilion in an effort to fundraise for a mobile unit.
With clothes for all ages donated entirely by the community, the pregnancy center aimed to provide a safe space for Oxford and surrounding areas to shop and give back.
The money raised will go directly towards getting a mobile unit that will travel throughout the county, specifically in rural areas.
“They don’t have access to prenatal care. A lot of our clients have to choose between groceries or gas to get here or they don’t have a vehicle,” Pregnancy Center of Oxford Director Kelly Bell said.
The organization also has hopes to provide services closer to campus in the St. Johns parking lot, allowing students accessibility and privacy.
The organization receives no government funding and relies 100% on community donations. By expanding services and options, The Pregnancy Center of Oxford hopes to encourage women to utilize their services. The center is located off of North Lamar near North Oxford Baptist Church.
“We do free pregnancy tests, ultrasounds and consulting,” Bell said. “We have the clothing boutique downstairs which is all donated, gently used newborn to 5T. It’s not just clothes, it’s everything a parent could need. We have cribs, strollers, car seats, you name it…our community is really generous.”
One of the most unique amenities the pregnancy center offers is classes for parents available from the first trimester until three years old.
“We do classes where they can earn gifts while they’re getting an amazing education for the first trimester, all the way through prenatal. Once the child is born, we offer parenting classes for moms and dads (of children) up to three years old,” Bell said. “Along the way after they complete each section, they get amazing gifts, everything that they need for their baby and more.”
In the future, the center hopes to make itself better known in the Oxford community and to help as many people as possible.
“I think the biggest thing is that people don’t know we’re here or what we do and (what) we are. We have open-door transparency. It is so much bigger than just a pregnancy test. We really want to know the people in our community. We are pro-woman, pro-family. It’s not political, and we’re trying to change that perspective of it and get more people involved,” Bell said.
