A Knoxville, TN, pregnancy help ministry remains committed to serving women and families despite being displaced by a fire.
Catholic Charities of East Tennessee’s (CCETN) main office in Knoxville was a total loss after a fire on Sunday, Nov. 28. Aside from the administrative offices, CCETN’s Knoxville Pregnancy Help Center was affected, along with other CCETN programs Columbus Home Assisting Parents and Hope Kitchen.
The Pregnancy Help Center has been serving clients with virtual classes in the meantime, Program Leader Sandy Davidson said, and meeting clients in the parking lot with material items.
“We’re still serving clients,” Davidson told Pregnancy Help News.
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The Pregnancy Help Center lost its baby room, three offices, classrooms, a conference room, a lactation room, and a copy room in the fire, which has been determined to be arson. An investigation is ongoing.
Davidson was at home getting ready for work when she received word that the building was destroyed by fire.
Having been in the ministry for 20 years, and the Pregnancy Help Center of Knoxville being the first center of the now five-site pregnancy help outreach, Davidson said the news hit right at the heart.
“I was just so in shock,” she said. “The devastation was just unbelievable. It was just such a loss.”
Police were notified by a burglar alarm at the center around 10 p.m., according to the local NBC affiliate 10 News. When officers arrived on scene the building was on fire. It took another two hours to put the blaze out.
“The blessing if there is one is that a building burned down and that can be rebuilt,” said Lisa Healy, executive director of Catholic Charities of East Tennessee. “The blessing is that nobody got hurt.”
The Catholic Charities administrative office has moved to another of CCETN’s locations, while the Pregnancy Help Center’s program coordinator and case coordinator are functioning out of All Saints Catholic Church in Knoxville for the time being.
The Pregnancy Help Center is in search of a space to continue providing services in the area while they undergo what looks to be a 12-18 month rebuild on the building. While they have been able to continue providing for clients’ material and education needs, offering pregnancy tests will be an issue until there is a replacement location. There are interim operational needs and Davidson said things "change from minute to minute."
Healy affirmed the work of Catholic Charities and the Pregnancy Help Center.
“Our work is life-giving,” Healy told Pregnancy Help News. “The Lord’s got us. We really do the work that we’re supposed to be doing.”
Beth Diemert, director of Affiliate Services for Heartbeat International, remarked on the fortitude demonstrated by the Pregnancy Help Center team.
"In times of adversity and trial, pregnancy centers rise to the occasion," Diemert said. "Sandy and her team are no exception. They are determined, prayerful, and confident in clients remaining their focus and mission."
The Knoxville Pregnancy Help Center is one of CCETN’s five pregnancy help locations in the 36-county Knoxville diocese, with other centers in Chattanooga, Johnson City, LaFollette and Newcomb. Project Rachel is also among the services offered. Plans for the center prior to the fire included adding a sixth location, adding adoption back into programming, adding an ultrasound clinic and mobile ultrasound units. The hope is that with the rebuild the Pregnancy Help Center will be even better equipped to meet clients’ needs.
The ministry has been lifted up by the support and prayers of the local community, Healy said. Local entities and Heartbeat International have reached out to assist.
“God is love,” she said. “He makes good out of all tragedy. He makes all things good and right.”
"As we have seen with similar situations, when entire centers are destroyed, the pregnancy help community rallies with love and support," said Diemert. "Now is the time for the Knoxville center to experience that. I encourage and am blessed by the generosity of prayer and gifts that will be directed their way to rebuild. It is a testimony of our strength to stand together."
“We do appreciate the support of the community,” said Davidson. “It makes you feel like you have a support group when tragedy happens. So that’s a blessing.”
Amid the destruction are visible signs of hope.
Four items remained unscathed by the fire despite everything around them being destroyed. The items – which were made of wood - were two crosses and a rosary, which had been hung on a wall, and a statue of the Blessed Mother, which sat on a desk. Knoxville Bishop Richard Stika collected the rosary, which will be hung on the wall when the new building is dedicated.
Despite the setback, the work of serving women and families with pregnancy help goes on.
“That is our number one priority,” Davidson told Pregnancy Help News. “And we are going to continue to do that.”
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To assist with the rebuilding effort donations can be made online HERE, and checks can be addressed to Catholic Charities, noting the PHC rebuild, and sent to 119 Dameron Ave, Knoxville, TN, 37917.
Editor's note: Heartbeat International manages Pregnancy Help News.
