Care Net Pregnancy Center will be relocating in the near future, according to Executive Director Lisa Hyland. Due to an increasing number of clients, Care Net will be expanding to a larger space that can accommodate the agency’s growing clientele.
Currently located at 922 Triplett Street, Care Net will soon be moving to 425 E. 18th Street, right next to Gene’s Health Food, Hyland said. The agency, which offers free and confidential pregnancy and STI/STD services, will see their space grow from 2,700 to 4,500 square feet — hopefully by November, Hyland said.
“Our ultrasounds are up 81 percent since last year. Our STD tests are up 93 percent over the last year,” Hyland said. “We’ve had situations where we have so many clients, we don’t have room for them.”
Hyland said part of Care Net’s move to a new location will include some upgraded equipment as well, including a new ultrasound machine, new exam tables and new TVs for educational classes that members of the community participate in.
Donors who support Care Net have donated $200,000 toward the company’s relocation and renovation since the nonprofit announced they’d be moving in November 2018. While Care Net currently rents their space, they will own the building they move into on 18th Street.
“Donors have purchased the building. We’re thinking it’ll be about $300,000 to relocate and renovate,” Hyland said. “We only need $100,000 more. It should cost around $75,000 for the remodel and an additional $25,000 for the furnishings and equipment.”
Care Net is currently raising the remaining $100,000 needed to move in to their new location. Once the money is raised, Care Net will own the property debt-free, Hyland said.
Not only has the nonprofit seen more people come to them for ultrasounds, pregnancy guidance and STD examinations, they’ve seen younger people come in with a willingness to listen and learn more about their sexual health, Hyland said.
“The donors realize the work we do here. They see the impact we’re having on the lives of our clients,” Hyland said. “The conversations we’re having go far beyond the medical–we address the physical, yes, but also the emotional and spiritual. We’re empowering them by providing them with information.”
While Hyland said Care Net’s current location has been described as Owensboro’s best kept secret — partly, in that its located in a hard-to-see spot — she is excited for a future where Care Net will be easier to find, and better recognized.
“We’re hoping to help so many more people with our visibility, which is going to increase dramatically,” Hyland said. “These clients don’t need judgement — they need kindness.”
