Grace House Ministries is celebrating its 30th Anniversary in Parker County this month and Executive Director Charley Rickey said the plan is to continue to expand and provide more services to people in need.
According to its website www.ghmtx.com, Grace House is a faith-based pregnancy resource center which strives to promote hope, life, and knowledge in the community through an Options Clinic, Grace House Pregnancy Center, and Pure Truth in-school training program
The organization celebrated its anniversary with a ribbon-cutting event and annual fundraising gala, and Rickey said he attributes Grace House' staying power to two things — providence and community spirit.
"The ministry has remained true to the original vision and heart," Rickey said. "It was founded to offer alternatives to abortion, and while we offer more services now, those additions are on a mission to protect unborn children."
Grace House held a Denim and Pearls soiree on Oct. 7 where they invited guests to come in “blue jeans and bling” to commemorate the occasion.
At the moment, Grace House has 30 parents participating in the final round of its core parenting class for the year, and from January to September of 2023, the organization has distributed 72 car seats, 1,719 sets of clothing, 660 bottles of formula and nearly 87,000 diapers.
"So far this year at least 42 at-risk babies have been saved when their parents chose life after visiting the Options Clinic," Rickey said. "Thirty-seven clients have made a new profession of faith in Jesus Christ. Last year, the Pure Truth in-school education program brought instruction to over 1,300 students in our area."
With 30 years in existence, Grace House has accomplished a number of objectives, but Rickey said what makes him the most proud is its growth and how the organization has been received by the Parker County community
"We see it as significant that the ministry has not only remained viable for 30 years, but it’s continuing to grow within its sphere of service, even having added a location in Mineral Wells last year," Rickey said. "And its repute in the community is very strong."
Grace House also has a new project on the horizon.
"At our gala, we announced the need for a new space for our Weatherford Pregnancy Center," Rickey said. “We have outgrown our current location, and we will be moving toward buying and remodeling to suit our needs, or possibly building.
“We need additional space to continue to offer our existing services to more clients, and we would like to be able to add new services like case management to increase our impact in the lives of our clients. More space is a necessity to see that happen."
As Rickey reflects on 30 years of service to Parker County, he hopes that his staff members and volunteers remember why they are doing what they do.
"They have been used by God to impact the lives of people in more ways than we can know this side of Heaven,” Rickey said. “Each of them have been and continue to be so important to seeing those lives changed."
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