The Adirondack Pregnancy Center Board of Directors would like to thank the village of Saranac Lake for welcoming the APC to the community. The early March site plan review meeting was not the place, nor did it afford us the time to share the totality of who we are, what we believe and what services the APC will provide.

When opened, the APC will be a nonprofit organization that provides compassionate support to women and men faced with difficult decisions in the event of an unplanned pregnancy. The APC will provide services that empower a woman’s pregnancy choices. We will support women and men throughout the Adirondack region by providing accurate, complete information on pregnancy-related topics, to include parenting, adoption and abortion. We will provide a safe, confidential setting for clients to navigate the decision-making process. And we will recognize the emotional consequences accompanying every pregnancy choice (parenting, adoption and abortion) by offering post-decision counseling and resources.

We received our Certification of Incorporation from the state of New York last year. We chose to affiliate with Heartbeat International and made a commitment to serve our community with honesty, integrity and equality. We adopted Heartbeat’s Commitment of Care and Competence (https://www.heartbeatinternational.org/about/our-commitment). We published our first quarterly newsletter in January, and we will have a website soon. We can currently be reached at info@adkpregnancycenter.com.

Our trained client advocates will provide women faced with unintended pregnancies practical help, emotional support, and information about all pregnancy options. As a non-profit community organization supported primarily by charitable donations from individuals concerned with helping medically under-served women, we will charge nothing to clients. Services will include: consultation and education on all pregnancy options; pregnancy testing, limited obstetric ultrasounds, practical material support (diapers, clothes, baby items); community referrals and advocacy; post-decision support (parenting classes, adoption and post-abortion); and a 24-hour help line. Women desperately need emotional support and practical resources during an unexpected pregnancy.

Our limited obstetric ultrasounds will be conducted by a certified ultrasound technician under the supervision of a board-certified medical doctor and will serve to confirm pregnancy and gestational age. Regardless of a woman’s eventual choice, our role is not to replace her prenatal care but rather to refer a woman to her medical provider. We will not refer women for abortions or provide contraceptives, both of which are readily available through other sources.

We are thankful our support is growing and includes churches, businesses and individual donors that love our Adirondack community, believe in our mission and recognize the need for the APC. Our focus will be placed on meeting a woman’s need in her time of crisis, in which most instances are faced alone. We will provide non-judgmental support to women, regardless of a woman’s decision when she leaves the APC. Our belief is women are most empowered to make the best decisions for themselves and the life inside them when given all available information, services, resources and support.

–

Board of Directors, Adirondack Pregnancy Center:

Jennifer Hunt, Saranac Lake

Julie Valentino, Malone

Lisa Tubridy, Saranac Lake

Gary VanRiper, Camden

Sara Ashley, Saranac Lake

Rich Loeber, Tupper Lake

Craig Seaman, Long Lake

Sheri Ducatt, Lake Clear

Emily Trudell, Saranac Lake

Laura Trudell, Saranac Lake