Here to Help

Heartline Pregnancy Center Offers Valuable Services to Wide Range of Groups

Writer / Matt Keating
Photography Provided

Michelle Episcopo, managing director of Heartline Pregnancy Center, 1515 Provident Drive, Suite 180, Warsaw, Indiana, says the organization has helped many people by providing numerous invaluable services to those who need them.

The center is a nonprofit organization that provides a professional, sincere and non-judgmental environment where clients can experience unconditional support during pregnancy and parenthood.

“Heartline offers many services, including pregnancy testing, first trimester ultrasounds, prenatal and parenting Classes, pregnancy loss support and fatherhood mentoring,” Episcopo says. “Every service we provide is also free of charge.”

Heartline Pregnancy Center also has a boutique to help parents.

“We have a wonderful boutique called BABE Boutique that partners with almost 60 doctors, medical groups, nonprofit and government agencies and local foundations,” Episcopo says. “Parents can earn BABE coupons and redeem them for many items, ranging from diapers, clothes and formula to even larger items, like cribs, car seats, strollers and more.”

Episcopo notes that Heartline Pregnancy Center wants to help people during trying times.

“At Heartline, our hope is that every woman and man who find themselves in a difficult parenting circumstance would feel safe, hopeful and free of judgment as they meet with our staff to find solutions,” she says. “We want them to know that we value their life and that their unborn babies are also valuable and worth protecting.”

Dave Koontz, executive director of Heartline Pregnancy Center, says the center began providing services in 1985.

“A group of concerned individuals saw a need in the community to help women experiencing unexpected pregnancies with services that would help them through their pregnancy and parenting,” Koontz says.

Episcopo added that Heartline Pregnancy Center offers services for mothers and fathers before and after birth.

“We offer free services to mothers and fathers during pregnancy and until their child’s 5th birthday,” she says.

Helping Families  

Koontz believes the organization has helped many families.

“The team at Heartline has been able to help women and men experiencing unexpected or difficult pregnancies by giving them the physical and emotional support that they often aren’t receiving from their support system,” Koontz says. “The staff has the opportunity to build relationships with clients that not only help them through the pregnancy and parenting challenges but will also help positively impact the generations that will come after them.”

Koontz added that it’s also an opportunity to do more to help people become better parents. “Many of these women and men haven’t experienced what successful parenting looks like,” Koontz says. “This is their opportunity to improve their ability to parent and provide their children with good examples of what appropriate parenting looks like.”

Koontz says he has thoroughly enjoyed his work at Heartland Pregnancy Center.

“I’ve been privileged to be able to be a part of the Heartline team over the past six years and watch their professionalism and compassion as they work with clients who often are in difficult situations,” Koontz says. “Those situations can become even more challenging when a pregnancy is thrown into the mix. I’ve watched our team give our clients the tools they need to navigate the pregnancy and become more confident and independent individuals and parents.”

Language Matters  

Episcopo is enthusiastic about a new program at Heartland Pregnancy Center.

“This year, in our effort to reach our Spanish speaking community, we started working with an organization called Language Matters,” she says. “We’ve really enjoyed learning about cultural differences and expanding our knowledge of the language. We also have staff available to provide services to parents who feel more comfortable speaking Spanish.”

Episcopo notes that Heartline is also involved with high schools.

“Many people are unaware that we are involved in our local high schools,” she says. “Heartline provides parenting classes in high schools for young parents. We also teach sexual risk avoidance through the Decide for Me program each semester during health class. We’re always looking to expand to other local high schools that may be interested in partnering with us.”

To find out more about Heartland Pregnancy Center, located at 1515 Provident Drive, Suite 180, Warsaw, Indiana, call (574) 267-5110, or check out their website heartlinepregancycenter.org.