New Eden opening in Rangely

RANGELY I New Eden Pregnancy Care Services, which opened in Meeker in February 2011, will begin seeing clients in Rangely this January and is seeking donations for its new center.
Between 16 and 20 women visit the Meeker center each week, New Eden board member and Meeker center director Krystle Dunton said. Many of those clients are from Rangely and Vernal.
“Our numbers have shown that we really need something like this,” Dunton said. “There is an amazing need (in Rangely). We’ve had lots of requests from clients in Rangely who couldn’t come to Meeker. With the college there, we see where there could be a need.”
Dunton said that, while it took some time for women to come to the first New Eden center, Rangely may be a different story.
“I don’t see that (happening) in Rangely,” Dunton said. “Women are already calling our center, asking when Rangely is going to be running. People are calling, saying “I need help.’”
Kristen Thayn will head up the Rangely office.
“Having support through such an important time in a woman’s life is essential,” Thayn said. “It’s great to be able to help where there’s a need.”
It takes roughly $1,200 per month to run the Meeker center, all of it funded by donations, monthly pledges and fund raisers. Though New Eden organizers aren’t sure yet what the Rangely office’s costs will be, monthly estimates are in the same range.
A letter explaining volunteer and donor opportunities and outlining the center’s needs will be included in the November Town of Rangely bill. Along with one-time and regular funding, startup requests include equipment donations, from a telephone and laptop to office supplies and furniture. Starting Dec. 3, the Rangely center will also accept ongoing donations of emergency supplies, including new car seats, gently used baby clothes up to 2T, cribs, swings and consumable items like diapers and formula. The letter also asks for church liaisons to help plan baby showers, promote the center and assist with fund raising.
Though the list of needs may seem long, Dunton is optimistic about the community’s support of the new office.
“In Meeker, we’ve had a really good response back from local businesses, the community, people wanting to do what they can to support us,” Dunton said. “It’s been really nice. I’m hoping to see the same thing in Rangely.”
Services offered at New Eden include classes on pregnancy and child care, guidance by trained volunteers, emergency supplies, pregnancy tests, post-abortion support and referrals. All services are free to women.
Like Meeker, Rangely will rely on volunteers to staff the center. Requirements for volunteers include a background check, three-day training session, and personal interview with the center director.
“Confidentiality is extremely important,” Dunton said. “Volunteers need to be kind-hearted, non-judgmental, and understanding. They need have a heart for the ministry and be strong followers of Christ. These are fragile situations, so I don’t have a lot of volunteers, but the ones I have, I trust.”
Even though New Eden will soon have two directors and two offices, the non-profit organization is overseen by a single board of directors, with members from Meeker, Rangely and Vernal. The Rio Blanco Council of Churches provides additional guidance for the board.
Rangely’s New Eden office will open on Jan. 7, 2013. Hours will be Mondays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Suite 173B of the Early Education Center (EEC) building (402 W. Main St., across from the school board office). The tentative move-in date for the organization is Nov. 1.
Tax-deductible monetary donations can be sent to New Eden Pregnancy Care Services, P.O. Box 472 in Rangely. Donors can also bring supplies to the Rangely Center during regular hours starting Dec. 3. For more information about volunteering or to get an application, email [email protected].