Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma
Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma
The building at 121-127 E. Hawthorne St. is being renovated inside for the Fallbrook Pregnancy Resource Center.
St. Peter's School student Cameron helps deliver supplies for the pregnancy resource center which were collected asa community service project by the school. (St. Peter's School student Cameron helps deliver supplies for the pregnancy resource center which were collected as a community service project by the school. ) (St. Peter's School student Cameron helps deliver supplies for the pregnancy resource center which were collected as a community service project by the school.)
In an update on the "A Home on Hawthorne" project, Fallbrook Pregnancy Resource Center (FPRC) executive director Carolyn Koole said, "We are thrilled to say that we are near the end of our permitting process with the County of San Diego for our building at 121-127 E. Hawthorne St."
Since the building dates back to the 1940/50's, the permits were needed for upgrading them, and for merging the two separate lots that the parking lot and building occupy, Koole explained.
From what she has heard, the building once housed the police [sheriff] station, then was a bank, before becoming a commercial property. There is a vault, or cell, with huge concrete walls, which will become a storage room when the renovation work is completed.
"It's been a fairly smooth process," she said, citing the "incredible" architect Michael Robinson who is handling the initial part of the project for the center. "We just have to be patient, " she continued. "We won't be able to proceed without money."
Koole said, "We are at the point in the campaign where major gifts are needed by individuals, businesses and foundations or investments with us to raise $400,000 to complete the construction."
Donations are FPRC's sole source of income for funding operations and programs. Center staff are looking for more monthly donors to provide a predictable cash flow. Anyone interested in becoming a monthly donor can call Melinda at (760) 728-4105.
Koole knows that "most people are giving money that is sacrificial," but "the great thing is that with the money comes the person's heart. We like them to be engaged with the work we do."
The center needs volunteers for a variety of positions for the building campaign committee, the event planning committee, the board of directors and advisors as well as 10 more client advocates to meet with the young mothers.
In 2016, over 2,600 services were provided free of charge to moms in the center's programs, almost 200 more visits than the year before even with the temporary move. The center is open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m.
For now, FPRC is housed at LifePointe Fallbrook at 221 N. Pico Ave. until the building on Hawthorne is finished. Its mailing address is PO Box 1588, Fallbrook CA 92088-1588.
Koole said that LifePointe's mission in 2016 was "to try to find ways to embrace the community...this is their way [of doing that]." She added that the arrangement "worked out extremely well."
In 2017, FPRC anticipates more than 800 client visits. At each visit the moms may earn Mommy Bucks to exchange for items in the center's boutique. In-kind donations help keep operation and program expenses down. Material resources needed at FPRC include:
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