Former Pregnancy Care Center to celebrate name change with ribbon cutting

Published 9:44 am Monday, December 17, 2018

NILES — The Pregnancy Care Center has changed its name to LifePlan.

The organization said the goal of the name change is to better reflect the care and services that they offer to pregnant women and their families.

To commemorate the change, LifePlan and the Four Flags Area Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony from noon to 2 p.m. Monday, Jan. 7. Those who attend can tour the building, meet the LifePlan team, hear about opportunities for ministry in 2019, and ask questions regarding LifePlan’s changes and services.

LifePlan will be giving away a LifePlan Celebration Prize Pack to one, randomly selected, qualified individual. Individuals that visit LifePlan until the open house date will have the opportunity to add their name to the drawing. One will be able to enter their name once for every visit they make to LifePlan. New clients may have two entries for their first appointment. The prize pack will consist of a pack and play, baby gym, three packs of diapers, dinner, and a movie.

LifePlan has been part of the Niles community since 1986 with the mission of providing support to pregnant women and their families. The faith-based organization provides parenting classes and baby care supplies.

The organization is also known for its community involvement, including the annual Baby Cakes Cupcake Contest, the 5K/10 Hero run, and the LifeWalk. LifePlan offers a variety of services for women, men, babies, and families that include, but are not limited to, medical services, relationship support, “Baby and Me” classes, prenatal/parenting classes, life skills training, men’s mentoring, fatherhood support, post-abortion support, leadership development, and material support. LifePlan is also working to offer screenings for sexually transmitted infections (S.T.I.’s) by the end of 2019. All services are free and confidential.

Since 2013, LifePlan has been discussing the change in branding. With the assistance of Churchill Strategies, the brand has been created to better define the organization, LifePlan officials said.

“We hope that our new name — LifePlan — helps the community know that everyone is welcome here,” said Lisa Smith, client services director. “We desire to equip all people with whatever resources they need to thrive as they navigate pregnancy and parenthood.”

In addition to the change in branding, the team has also been retraining volunteers and staff to better assist the community and is looking to grow within the greater Niles area. A new satellite campus is scheduled to open in Benton Harbor in January. This campus has been partially funded through the Lakeland Foundation and will provide the same services as LifePlan Niles.

“We are so excited about the future of LifePlan and the opportunities we have to serve our community,” said Cheri Gamble, the outreach ministries director at LifePlan. “We have a great team in place that is passionate about helping people and making a difference — one life at a time — and we are ready to take our organization to the next level. Our rebranding will help us do just that.”