1st Way holds annual fund-raising dinner

Agency hopes to expand services, bring awareness to parenting programs

MOSES LAKE — Zonia Cline knows there are many who still don't know what 1st Way is.

That's why Cline and longtime volunteer, Shirley Sandberg, are inviting the community out for 1st Way's annual fund-raising dinner this Friday.

"It's just an opportunity for people in the community to learn about what we do here," Cline said.

And after volunteering for 25 years with 1st Way, Sandberg remembers when 1st Way, a nonprofit that offers pregnancy support services to mothers, only took up half the building at its current site.

Today, Sandberg sits surrounded by piles of infant clothing and blankets which she keeps folded and ready for mothers to come pick up.

1st Way also provides maternity clothes, pregnancy testing, counseling and a parent program.

The parent program teaches mothers how to administer first aid, breast feed and hold their babies.

Memories of the many mothers, including young teenage girls, who have come to 1st Way, remind Sandberg of the continuing need for 1st Way services.

"I feel that if you want to see change we have a responsibility to help find a solution or an answer," Sandberg said of helping women cope with crisis pregnancy situations.

Educating mothers and young women about what abortion is and other options available to them is a need in the community that both Cline and Sandberg want to see more of.

Just the other day, Cline had a woman call 1st Way and say thank you for the services she received 18 years ago. The woman's child just graduated from high school this year, and 18 years ago she was considering having an abortion, Cline said.

While telling mothers they shouldn't have an abortion is not what Cline or Sandberg believe their role is, they do want expecting mothers to know the options available to them and the potential side effects of having an abortion.

"We just say you need to know those facts before you make a decision," Cline said.

In the future, Cline hopes to increase the size of 1st Way's facilities and attain enough funds to purchase an ultrasound machine.

1st Way will also be changing its name in 2006 and become an affiliate of Heartbeat International, Cline said.

Heartbeat International is a nonprofit, interdenominational Christian association of faith-based pregnancy resource centers, medical clinics, maternity homes and nonprofit adoption agencies.

This will allow 1st Way to have access to more resources and programs in order to help the community, Cline said.

Guest speaker Trudy Johnson from Focus on the Family will be speaking at the dinner. Sen. Joyce Mulliken, R-Moses Lake, and Rep. Janea Holmquist, R-Moses Lake, are expected to be in attendance as well.

The event begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Grant County Advanced Technologies and Education Center at Big Bend Community College.

Call 765-4425 to reserve a seat.