Tomball Magnolia Potpourri - News
Admiral opens presgnancy counseling center
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| Retired Navy Rear Admiral Al Kelln explains the meaning behind some of his Naval gear, including his medals and model submarine. The Magnolia resident's latest endeavor is opening Tomball's Pregnancy Education and Resource Center. |
By ANNA SCHUMANN
After earning several honors and awards during an extensive career in the U.S. Navy, retired Rear Admiral Al Kelln can soon add a new accomplishment to his list: opening a pregnancy counseling center.
To many, it seemed an unusual choice for the man who has worked in several positions in Naval headquarters, founded the Naval Submarine League and provided his submarine and intelligence expertise to Washington, D.C., clients.
“I really don’t like anyone telling me ‘no’ or ‘it can’t be done,’” he said. “There isn’t anything that can’t be done if you pray and believe.”
After retiring from the Navy in 1980, it was his Christian faith that led him from his Virginia home to the Tomball area.
He lives in Magnolia and, with his wife, established the Pinehurst Regional Healing Rooms in The Christian Center in Tomball.
Just a few doors down from The Christian Center is Kelln’s most recent endeavor, Tomball Pregnancy Education and Resource Center, or PERC, at 934 W. Main St.
Stacy Lozano, the center’s executive director, said PERC, which plans to open its doors Dec. 2 and is to begin taking appointments Dec. 1, strives to prepare men and women for pregnancy, childbirth and child rearing.
Lozano said the center will provide “options counseling.”
“We’ll provide information on the three options: parenting, adoption and abortion, but we desire that they not abort,” she said.
For women who do choose to have an abortion, the center is to provide a healing class, which Lozano said is technically a Bible study, that aims to help women recover from what is often a traumatic experience.
Women who carry their children to term and continue classes at the center can earn vouchers to shop at the “baby boutique” where they can buy, at no actual cost, products including diapers, baby clothes and blankets. Lozano said the center is in need of new and gently-used items to go in the boutique.
The center is also to have an ultrasound room for women to see the viability of their pregnancies. The center is to provide free pregnancy testing as well.
Volunteers are needed to provide one-on-one counseling and to be class facilitators.
“It’s important to have one-on-one but also have a class to realize you’re not alone,” Lozano said.
The center seeks to partner with the college to provide GED, life skills and job skills classes to help both parents be able to provide for their new children, she said.
“We want to help men as well and teach them what it means to be a father and provider,” Lozano said. “I feel it is often left out of a lot of centers’ counseling today.”
For this reason, the center also seeks male volunteers and Lozano said all training is provided there. The only requirement for volunteers who interact with the clients is that they be 19 years old at least, so there are no confidentiality problems with high school students.
People may volunteer to sort clothes, work on the newsletter or do other tasks that do not interact with clients if they are not at least 19. Kelln said he believes PERC will be a great asset to Tomball and the surrounding communities and complement other ministries in the area.
The center is in need now of sustaining partners because it takes no money from the state or government. Right now, the opportunity is available to sponsor and name rooms, halls and the building.
It’s not money that Lozano, Kelln and the center’s staff work for, though.
“The reward of the hours we put in is seeing the girls come to Christ,” Kelln said. “The first lady that comes in and decides to carry her baby to term is all the reward I could ever want. Right now the only thing that can stop us is a lack of money.”
To many, it seemed an unusual choice for the man who has worked in several positions in Naval headquarters, founded the Naval Submarine League and provided his submarine and intelligence expertise to Washington, D.C., clients.
“I really don’t like anyone telling me ‘no’ or ‘it can’t be done,’” he said. “There isn’t anything that can’t be done if you pray and believe.”
After retiring from the Navy in 1980, it was his Christian faith that led him from his Virginia home to the Tomball area.
He lives in Magnolia and, with his wife, established the Pinehurst Regional Healing Rooms in The Christian Center in Tomball.
Just a few doors down from The Christian Center is Kelln’s most recent endeavor, Tomball Pregnancy Education and Resource Center, or PERC, at 934 W. Main St.
Stacy Lozano, the center’s executive director, said PERC, which plans to open its doors Dec. 2 and is to begin taking appointments Dec. 1, strives to prepare men and women for pregnancy, childbirth and child rearing.
Lozano said the center will provide “options counseling.”
“We’ll provide information on the three options: parenting, adoption and abortion, but we desire that they not abort,” she said.
For women who do choose to have an abortion, the center is to provide a healing class, which Lozano said is technically a Bible study, that aims to help women recover from what is often a traumatic experience.
Women who carry their children to term and continue classes at the center can earn vouchers to shop at the “baby boutique” where they can buy, at no actual cost, products including diapers, baby clothes and blankets. Lozano said the center is in need of new and gently-used items to go in the boutique.
The center is also to have an ultrasound room for women to see the viability of their pregnancies. The center is to provide free pregnancy testing as well.
Volunteers are needed to provide one-on-one counseling and to be class facilitators.
“It’s important to have one-on-one but also have a class to realize you’re not alone,” Lozano said.
The center seeks to partner with the college to provide GED, life skills and job skills classes to help both parents be able to provide for their new children, she said.
“We want to help men as well and teach them what it means to be a father and provider,” Lozano said. “I feel it is often left out of a lot of centers’ counseling today.”
For this reason, the center also seeks male volunteers and Lozano said all training is provided there. The only requirement for volunteers who interact with the clients is that they be 19 years old at least, so there are no confidentiality problems with high school students.
People may volunteer to sort clothes, work on the newsletter or do other tasks that do not interact with clients if they are not at least 19. Kelln said he believes PERC will be a great asset to Tomball and the surrounding communities and complement other ministries in the area.
The center is in need now of sustaining partners because it takes no money from the state or government. Right now, the opportunity is available to sponsor and name rooms, halls and the building.
It’s not money that Lozano, Kelln and the center’s staff work for, though.
“The reward of the hours we put in is seeing the girls come to Christ,” Kelln said. “The first lady that comes in and decides to carry her baby to term is all the reward I could ever want. Right now the only thing that can stop us is a lack of money.”
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