MAHONING VALLEY 'Walk for Life' to help unwed mothers

Most young mothers keep their child.
YOUNGSTOWN -- About 50 churches will help raise funds for a local program that helps hundred of unwed mothers a year.
CareNet Pregnancy Center, 5385 Market St., Youngstown, is sponsoring "Walk for Life" at 9 a.m. May 1 at the Chester V. Long Pavilion in Boardman Park.
The group provides pregnancy testing and aid ranging from diapers, formula, bedding and cribs to Bible studies.
The center draws clients from Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties.
"We're the only pregnancy center in this area," said Bethann Valantine, the church relations director for CareNet. "We get clients from all over."
In 2003, the program had 374 new clients and 1,871 client appointments for its various programs.
Most of the women are age 19-24, and the next-largest age bracket is 15-18.
Statistics
There were 52,250 births by unwed mothers, or 35 percent of all births, in Ohio in 1992, according to the latest numbers from the Ohio Department of Health. The number and percentage of unwed births in local counties are: Mahoning, 998, or 40 percent; Trumbull, 930, or 39 percent; and Columbiana, 431, or 33 percent.
The majority of the mothers keep their child, although the program has expanded its program on adoption, especially for very young mothers, she said.
Many of the mothers are poor and school dropouts, Valantine said.
But at CareNet, mothers get some items for free, and other items such as car seats by getting points for activities such as going to parenting classes, completing their high school education, or going to church, Sunday school or Bible study.
The point system is designed to help parents become responsible. In the real world, said Valantine, "Nobody is going to give them anything."
The parenting classes can include the father.
"We want to make sure they have a strong family," Valantine said.
CareNet also networks with governmental and other agencies that provide money, food and post-natal care. CareNet's support ends with the child is age 2 to 3.
The classes, she added, teaches parents "how to find a way to improve their lives."
CareNet also has an abstinence program that reached 1,600 students last year.
Other details
CareNet is funded by both Protestant and Catholic churches, and a number of pastors will take part in the walk.
This is the 17th year for the walk. CareNet is trying to increase participation to raise about 20 percent of its $120,000 annual budget.
Valantine said there are new pledge forms with questions and answers. CareNet will collect the pledges by mail if the walker does not want to.
And, said Valantine, it's a 2-mile course that most people can walk. People who can't make the walk can even walk at some other time and collect the pledges, she said.
XFor more information, call (330) 788-4000, or visit www.pregnancycarenet.com.