Alternate Avenues Women’s Resource Center was established in 1989 to provide hope, help and healing to women in crisis pregnancies. In the first few years, the center was run by a handful of volunteers and had operating hours limited to 10-15 hrs a week. Pregnancy tests were offered, as well as information on fetal development, abortion risks, adoption, and resources throughout the community. Within the first few months, we were offering Bridges to Motherhood, our parenting support program, and we had five women enrolled in the program. Even in such humble beginnings, we were excited to be the voice of hope to so many who were searching for an answer.
In addition to our part-time Executive Director, we were able to hire an Administrative Assistant. The following year we added an Event Coordinator and a Client Services Director. We also began offering abstinence education in local high schools, middle schools, and church youth groups throughout the Pomona Valley. Our program, now called Reality Check, reaches ______ students each year with the message that abstinence is the healthiest choice.
Over the last twenty years, Alternate Avenues has grown significantly. 2003 was an especially significant year for us. Under the leadership of Dr. John Sharpe, we became a licensed medical clinic and we began offering limited obstetrical ultrasounds for pregnancy diagnosis. The result is that 81% of abortion-minded women who view their unborn baby make a decision for life.
Today our Bridges program serves 35 to 40 families each week and includes “Bootcamp for New Dads” and “Dads 24/7.” The program is so successful we now meet in two locations, one in Rancho Cucamonga and one in Montclair.
The launching of our new client-based website in 2008 also greatly increased the potential for us to reach women in unplanned pregnancies with accurate information about their options and to encourage these women to come to the clinic for help. Since the launching of this website, we have seen a 30 to 40% increase in the number of women who come in for pregnancy tests and counseling.
As we look forward to the next few years, we are still humbled by the challenges ahead. There are still so many in need of love and support, so many in need of truth and hope, and most of all, so many in need of a Savior. Our goal is to increase our impact on the community around us and to continually expand our services to meet the needs of families in the Pomona Valley.
Support for our Clients
The following is a list of some of the free services that our clients receive from Alternate Avenues:
- Free pregnancy tests
- Limited obstetrical ultrasound for pregnancy diagnosis
- STD/STI testing and treatment
- One-on-one peer counseling
- Post-abortion counseling
- Education on pregnancy, fetal development, parenting, adoption and abortion risks & procedures
- Bridges Parenting Support program which includes education and material assistance
- Abstinence education programs (Reality Check)
- Community resource referrals
For more information on our available programs, please see the programs drop down menu.