Our History
The Women’s Resource Center was founded in 1989 as a non-profit 501c3 organization to offer services, assistance, and guidance to women facing difficult life situations, most often due to unplanned pregnancies. Through the years, the WRC has served thousands of women and children with services, education, training, and support at no charge to the clients. Services are available to women of any age regardless of ethnic origin, educational level, socio-economic status, or religious orientation.
In 2006, the WRC become a Pregnancy Help Medical Clinic. While our mission never changed, many new services were added to assist women. In addition to material assistance, we began offering limited obstetrical ultrasounds, prenatal education, breastfeeding assistance, and postpartum follow-up. Because of the generous giving of individual supporters, organizations, churches, and businesses, we continue to offer excellent services without charge. The women we see are often young, experiencing unplanned pregnancies, and needing guidance and alternatives to abortion.
The health of women and children is of utmost concern. Through our educational efforts, literature, and services, we make aware to the younger population the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases and the lack of medical care. We help them to take ownership of their health and future by making life-affirming choices.
We are staffed almost entirely by trained client advocates. Our Medical Director, Dr. Martin Aviles (OBGYN), donates his time to oversee medical issues of the WRC. Our client advocates include two registered nurses, a childbirth educator, a breastfeeding educator, and women who commit themselves weekly to help improve the future of the next generation. Many others volunteer their time in numerous ways to enable the funds raised by the WRC to be used to meet the needs of our clients. Each quarter more than 600 hours of volunteer time are recorded.
We also serve as an important liaison between our clients and local social services, physicians, educational institutions, and any other services available in this area.
Each year approximately 430 women are seen totaling over 4,000 points of service. We are within walking distance of Northwestern State University and see women from all over the central Louisiana region. Our statistics show that women, children, families, and communities are benefited from the WRC, not only from Natchitoches, but also from other parishes including Sabine, Winn, Rapids, Red River, DeSoto, and Caddo.