Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, October 26 , 2022 -- SEVEN
Pregnancy center celebrates start of third year
They also hope to find
Dinner planned Nov. 13
a bilingual director will-
Birthright Board members Janet Greenup and Marge Rolen in the Heppner Birthright’s
counseling room, a place for expectant mothers to find help, information and compassion.
-Photo by Andrea Di Salvo
By Andrea Di Salvo
One Heppner organi-
zation will be celebrat-
ing a special birthday next
month. Birthright of Mor-
row County, which opened
its doors Nov. 3, 2020,
will celebrate its second
anniversary with a special
dinner Sunday, Nov. 13, at
4:30 p.m. at St. Patrick’s
Catholic Church parish hall.
Birthright of Morrow
County started as an idea
more than two years ago.
The idea was to have a
place in south Morrow
County where women fac-
ing unplanned pregnancies
could go for help and sup-
port.
“There is a definite
need in this area because,
with our culture, pregnancy
is not popular with younger
people,” says Birthright
board member Janet Gree-
nup. “The terminology has
changed.”
Birthright isn’t a med-
ical facility, and there are
no paid salaries. Rather,
the “friend-volunteers,” as
they refer to themselves, are
trained to offer confidential
information, free pregnancy
testing and ongoing assis-
tance as requested by cli-
ents. For the last two years,
they have managed this
with four two-hour shifts
staffed by eight friend-vol-
unteers every week, as well
as a three-person board.
“We are here as friend-
ships in the community to
represent people who care,”
says Rolen.
Volunteers have helped
administer several preg-
nancy tests and shared in-
formation with communi-
ty members who wanted
information about giving
help to persons they knew
who were experiencing
unplanned pregnancies.
Though the organi-
zation is openly pro-life,
board member Marge Rolen
says they aren’t there to
push anyone into a deci-
sion.
“It’s non-judgmental,”
Rolen says. “We don’t push
anything. We don’t tell
them what to do. It’s the
mother’s decision,” she
adds, saying that their goal
is to take a lot of the stress
and pressure away from
the situation. “People need
information. There’s just a
lot of confusion.”
When asked if she
every thought Birthright
would make it two years,
Rolen at first hesitated.
“Maybe? Yes,” she added.
“Yes, because we had so
many good people.”
Original volunteers and
substitutes were Jean Cres-
wick, Julia Finch, Tayllor
Brannon, Marge Rolen,
Maryann Elguezabal, Anna
McElligott, Sandra Johnson
and Laurie Wood. Over
Heppner FFA holds
apple sale
T h e H e p p n e r F FA
chapter is again selling
apples and pears by the
box. The fruit is fresh from
Thomas Orchards in Kim-
berly and is available in
20- and 40-pound boxes
of all varieties, though the
supply of Jonagold apples
is limited. Box prices are
$30 and $55.
The fall fruit sale is
one of the Heppner FFA
chapter’s main fundraisers
for the year. Funds raised
are used for everything
from chapter fun events
like hockey games in the
Tri-Cities to helping cover
the registration cost for
members to go to the state
FFA convention in March.
With questions or to
place an order, email advi-
sor Beth Dickenson at dick-
ene@morrow.k12.or.us or
reach out to any ag student.
Neighborhood Center
bag sale planned
Canned food drive Nov. 7
The Neighborhood
Center is having its month-
ly bag sale on Wednesday,
Nov. 2, from 9:30 a.m. to
5:30 p.m. at 441 N Main
Street, Heppner.
Cost of the first bag is
$15, with the second bag at
a discounted price of $5, for
any clothing, shoes, books,
games, music and movies
that will fit in the bag. All
other household merchan-
dise is 50 percent off this
day only. Proceeds from
the sale help fund the food
pantry and other emergency
assistance programs.
The Neighborhood
Center canned food drive
will be on Monday, Nov.
7, at 5:30 p.m. Heppner
and Lexington residents
are asked to have their
donation of canned goods
left on their porches with
the porch light on to alert
the Heppner High School
students to stop by and pick
up the donation.
Finally, need a little
extra help from Santa this
year? The Neighborhood
Center Giving Tree program
helps families in financial
crisis provide Christmas
for their children. If anyone
has children who would
benefit from winter clothing
items or would otherwise
go without a present this
holiday season, they are
invited to sign them up for
the Christmas Giving Tree.
Participation is limited to
families who live in South
Morrow County and receive
food boxes from the center.
Community members select
a tag from the tree and bring
the unwrapped presents to
the center to be given to the
parents.
Stop by the Neighbor-
hood Center to pick up an
application. Deadline to
apply for the program is
Wednesday, Nov. 16. The
Giving Tree will go on
display at Heppner Market
Fresh on Tuesday, Nov. 22.
time, the pregnancy care
center has lost and gained
volunteers, but has contin-
ued to reach out through
community celebrations,
parades, Morrow County
Fair, and other gatherings
and open houses at its office
at 128 West Willow Street
in Heppner.
In an effort to further
reach out to the commu-
nity, Birthright of Mor-
row County will introduce
the Mom Connection next
month. The program will
offer newly pregnant girls
and women and new moms
a time to share and learn
from one another. The first
meeting will be Thursday,
Nov. 17, followed by a
second meeting on Dec.
15. The meetings will take
place from 5:30-6:30 p.m.
at the Birthright location,
128 West Willow Street.
They say they hope to con-
tinue the Mom Connection
throughout 2023.
The organization will
also have a diaper donation
drive and giveaway during
December in anticipation
of the needs of families for
Christmas. Those who wish
to donate may bring dona-
tions to the Birthright office
or ask a volunteer to bring
them. Families needing
baby supplies are asked to
pick up diapers in Decem-
ber during Birthright office
hours: Mondays 10 a.m. to
3 p.m., Thursdays 5-7 p.m.
or Saturdays 1-3 p.m.
Burn ban lifted
for the City of
Heppner
The City of Heppner
Fire Chief has lifted the
city-wide burn ban effec-
tive last Saturday, Oct. 22.
Residents are reminded
to purchase a burn permit
from Heppner City Hall
and remember to call the
sheriff’s office at 541-676-
5317 before burning. Burn
permits are $5 and are good
through the winter and
spring fire months up until
the next fire season.
Residents can also re-
quest the fire department to
burn natural vegetation and
debris piles. A signup list is
available at Heppner City
Hall or by calling Heppner
Fire Chief Steve Rhea at
541-980-4232 or assistant
fire chief Eric Chick at
541-701-4910. It is illegal
to burn petroleum products
at any time.
ing to operate an office in
Boardman.
Volunteers say the din-
ner on Nov. 13 will be both
a celebration of the past two
years and a fundraiser to
help keep Birthright’s doors
open. Jerry Conklin, Mor-
row County Health District
Hospice Chaplain, will be
the main speaker. Stuart
Dick will be moderator for
the evening. Tickets are $20
per person or $35 per cou-
ple. Tickets are available at
the Birthright office, at the
Heppner Gazette-Times,
or at Murray’s Drug, or by
calling 541-676-0530.
Aside from financial
support, Birthright also
asks that people consider
volunteering, even if only
a few hours a week.
“Families are really
struggling,” Rolen says.
“Information is needed to
support them.”
“We are here, and we
are ready to help with any
questions, any informa-
tion,” Greenup adds. “All
of the recent things that
have been happening lately
just make you realize how
precious life is.”
Do you graze your livestock?
Crop insurance can help Protect your Pasture,
Rangeland, Forage (PRF).
PRF is an area-based plan that covers
for lack of normal rainfall.
Sales closing is just around the corner, December 1st.
For questions or quotes,
contact Stacie at Wheatland Insurance, 541.422.7410.
FREE HALLOWEEN EVENT
Heppner Trunk-or-Treat outside &
Halloween Activities inside
Where: Corner of Church & Gale
Street – Hopeful Saints Ministry
When: Halloween Night
from 5:30 to 7:30pm
Serving: Hot Dogs w/ Chili,Warm
Cocoa, Cider and Hot Coff ee.
All are welcome to join us
for a free Spooktacular evening!
Funded by MCURD.
COLUMBIA BASIN ELECTRIC
ANNUAL MEETING and LUNCHEON
FREE PICKUP
Bagged clean leaves
NO WALNUT
Leave message at
(541) 989-8117
with phone number & address
Will pick up at curb
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DEADLINE:
Thursday, November 3, 2022
American Legion Hall – Ione, OR
Registration 11:15 a.m.
Lunch 12:00 p.m.
Meeting to Follow - Door Prizes
Free to all members in our service territory
MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.