Main Street organization had July 17 ribbon cutting

Hosting its ribbon cutting on July 17, a pregnancy center in downtown Apopka is focused on serving women facing unplanned pregnancies with support, education, resources, and alternatives like adoption.

In a non-judgmental environment, the Above & Beyond Pregnancy Center provides free services such as pregnancy tests, educational programs, baby supplies, options counseling, ultrasounds and post-abortion recovery.

The center assists around three to five clients weekly, often homeless or living precariously.

“My heart is to help them navigate through it,” Teresa Sawyer, founder of Above & Beyond Pregnancy Center, said. “I’m not judging them. I’m not coming down on them. We all make mistakes. However, we want to make sure that they are well educated as to their choices. Not just one choice. They end up in an abortion clinic. That’s the only choice. If they end up here, at least they know that there’s support and education for being a parent.”

When a pregnant woman visits the center, the initial steps are explained to her and the filling out of paperwork to understand the client’s history and needs. Afterward, the center speaks to the woman about her situation and her options.

Sawyer has first-hand experience with the physical and psychological trauma accompanied with an unplanned pregnancy. At 16 years of age, she had a forced abortion, resulting in her inability to bear children even after she got married. Getting the abortion was due to a lack of education about the options that would have been available to her, she said.

Sawyer is now a married mother of three adopted children, all of whom were adopted from another pregnancy center, and one biological child through a fertility clinic.

“At the end, if girls leave here and are planning to go have an abortion, we just let them know that we’re still here for them, that there’s no judgment on them, because we have an eight-week course that is post abortion that they can go through, because there’s a lot that goes with that, a lot of heartache, shame, all those things come on and they don’t even realize it,” Sawyer said.

The center teams up with other pregnancy centers in the area, including Winter Garden and Sanford to provide comprehensive support to women experiencing unplanned pregnancies.

The center is affiliated with several organizations, including Heartbeat International, Walk for Life, Apopka Area Chamber of Commerce and the Orlando Christian Chamber of Commerce.

“Sometimes women come in here, and … there’s abuse,” Sawyer said. “I can get them connected with the abuse center.”

A benefit breakfast and a walk for life event are among the center’s upcoming community events, with the intent to organize one event per quarter to raise awareness in the community.

Sawyer previously worked as a director for the Apopka Pregnancy Care Center, also located in Apopka, that served a diverse clientele, including Hispanic and Creole-speaking women.

The Above & Beyond Pregnancy Center is located at 72 E. Main St., Apopka. For more information, visit ABPregnancyCenter.com.

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