Published October 2004

Pregnancy Aid: helping mothers,
their babies
Agency offers emotional support, infant supplies to women in need

By John Wolcott
SCBJ Editor

Since opening its office in downtown Everett in 1971, Pregnancy Aid of Snohomish County has helped tens of thousands of mothers and their babies with emotional support, maternity and baby clothing, education materials and referrals to other community services.

Always an all-volunteer agency, including the program director and members of the board, Pregnancy Aid continues to offer those same free services to women in need, along with cribs, strollers and safety-checked car seats.

Photo courtesy of Pregnancy Aid of Snohomish County Pregnancy Aid Director Nadine Maychrzak and her volunteers provide free maternity and baby clothing, baby furniture, car seats, emotional support and referrals to other service agencies to mothers in need in Snohomish County.

Supported for over three decades by business, private and church donations — plus an annual fall auction for Pregnancy Aid supporters — the agency is a nonsectarian, 501(c)3 social service agency providing immediate, confidential help to any woman, married or unmarried.

Pregnancy Aid uses 98 percent of the donations it receives for direct client services, with only two percent used for office rent, utilities and operating expenses.

The clothing, cribs and other items provided to clients are generally donated items from supporters. A steady flow of those donations is always needed. Many clients not only return items they’ve used but also volunteer their own time to help in the office or sorting room.

“We are always in need of additional volunteers in the office or in support roles, such as making blankets or sewing baby clothes,” said Director Nadine Maychrzak of Marysville. “With more help, we could be open even more hours.”

A tally of services provided to mothers and their families by Pregnancy Aid during just the first five months of 2004 shows how valuable the agency’s help is in the community, Maychrzak said.

From Jan. 1 through May 31, volunteer hours just in the office totaled 568, plus nearly 600 hours donated by supporters, board members and others who contributed their time outside of the office, she said.

During that time, items donated to women in need included 81 layettes for newborns, 277 dozen disposable diapers (given for emergency needs only), 21 car seats, 11 cribs and bassinets, 39 miscellaneous pieces of baby furniture, 447 items of maternity clothing and 3,416 items of children’s clothing.

“We had 580 clients visit our office in those five months, including 242 who were new clients,” she said. “Including telephone contacts, we reached a total of 930. Our clients came from all over Snohomish County, most of them ages 18 to 34. We feel very privileged to be able to reach and serve those who need us so much.”

Pregnancy Aid’s Everett office is open from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at the Everett Multi-Service Center, 2731 10th St.

For more information about services, volunteering or contributing donations, call 425-252-6444 or write to P.O. Box 1317, Everett, WA 98206.

SCBJ Editor John Wolcott has been a volunteer with Pregnancy Aid for the past 33 years and serves on the board of directors.

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