Olivia Balmert, Staff Writer

One can feel the spirit of the Notre Dame family alive and well on campus, within alumni gatherings, and at sporting events all over the country.  This spirit is not limited, however, to campus.  One place where Notre Dame students increasingly find this sense of the community is at the Women’s Care Center in South Bend.

Even without ND paraphernalia plastered on every available surface of the center, volunteers nonetheless find themselves feeling right at home among the people of the South Bend community who operate and visit the Women’s Care Center.  The sounds of friends chatting and children giggling accentuate a familial feeling reminiscent of the campus buzz on home football weekends.

The Women’s Care Center is a non-profit organization that offers support to young women who are in crisis pregnancies.  Counselors sit down with each client and listen to her unique concerns and challenges.  Although the staff of the Women’s Care Center does not have all the answers, the counselors are committed to giving unconditional love to their clients and promising to remain with the women every step of the way.

In a sense, the Women’s Care Center attempts to fill the role of supportive family member that some clients may lack.  The Center’s continued support allows women to find hope and to trust that they can still reach their goals and dreams despite the challenges of unplanned pregnancy.  Expectant mothers are encouraged to finish school so they can gain a sense of self-sufficiency, and those who are considering adoption can also pursue this option through the center.

Women meet with their counselors throughout pregnancy, but also after their children are born. The center provides ultrasounds, medical check-ups, and child care.  Each time a woman visits the center she earns coupons redeemable for strollers, baby clothes, car seats and other supplies at the “Crib Club.”  New parents can also earn bundles of diapers by attending various classes that present helpful information for new parents.

According to the 2010 Annual Report, Women’s Care Centers served over 16,700 women in a single year. The organization now has 19 locations in four different states and has grown tremendously since its founding in 1984. The founder, Janet E. Smith, was herself a Notre Dame faculty member, linking the center and the Notre Dame family from the beginning.

Today the university’s Right to Life club continues to support its kindred association by holding fundraisers, hosting baby showers, and sending students to volunteer at the Center.  Volunteers play with children during parenting classes, work at the Crib Club, and help manage the various donations that arrive at the Center daily.

As word has spread among students about this wonderful special service opportunity, the number of volunteers at the Women’s Care Center has doubled since last semester.  One reason for this increase is doubtless the sense of belonging tangible at the three branches of the Women’s Care Center located here in South Bend.

The Notre Dame Avenue location, just down the road from the golden dome, is itself a renovated home.  The lovely brick facade and cheerful flower beds are reminiscent of the quintessential “grandmother’s house.”  Inside, smiling faces and holiday decorations abound and one almost expects that a plate of cookies and a glass of milk will be waiting on the kitchen table.  The atmosphere fosters a familial sense that unites employees, clients and volunteers.

Many of the student volunteers also appreciate the opportunity to interact directly with the women of South Bend and support them in their decision to accept the joys and challenges that come with welcoming a new life.  In a recent interview, current volunteer Christiann Tavatis expressed her delight in actively participating in the Right to Life movement beyond attending club meetings.  She says of her involvement at the Women’s Care Center, “it is great to know that I’m helping an amazing organization that works to protect the sanctity of life.”

Student volunteers who are new to the Women’s Care Center this semester have had similarly positive experiences.  Teresa Laubacher says of her initial impressions of the center, “it was amazing to see the welcoming and encouraging environment at the Center, as well as the inspiring amount of resources provided for its clients.  Places like the Women’s Care Center are a blessing for the communities fortunate enough to have them, and I am privileged to have the opportunity to spend time [there].”

The Women’s Care Center is indeed a blessing to the communities of South Bend and Notre Dame. In fact, over the past three decades the Women’s Care Center has grown into the largest pro-life pregnancy resource center in the nation. Volunteers have the opportunity to learn from this wonderful organization and see how approaching each client with love and acceptance can change lives. After graduation, students can share this knowledge with similar organizations all over the country, spreading the culture of life, which is the aim of the Right to Life Club of the University of Notre Dame.


Olivia Balmert is a sophomore majoring in theology and biology. Her favorite things include raindrops on roses, whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles, and warm woolen mittens. She also likes to boast that she has already climbed every mountain in Northern Indiana. Contact Olivia at mbalmert@nd.edu.