Options for Women’s Story
Preg-Aid (1978)
Lakeland’s first pregnancy help center was founded in 1978 by Pat Buckler as Preg-Aid. With $40 and the support of her church, Buckler pursued her dream to have a resource where women facing crisis pregnancies could come to receive food, clothing, and spiritual guidance. This resource center briefly closed after Bucklers’ death in 1997. However, less than a year later, the Pregnancy Help Center of Lakeland opened as a continuation of Preg-Aid’s mission.
In September 2003, the board of directors voted to become a medical clinic to offer services a woman needs during the beginning months of pregnancy, free of charge. In January 2004, Focus on the Family provided an $18,000 grant for an ultrasound machine. This equipped the Pregnancy Help Center of Lakeland to officially operate as a medical clinic in May 2004.
New South Florida Avenue Building Plan
The Pregnancy Center of Lakeland changed the name of the organization to Options for Women in 2010 and has since expanded with three additional locations to serve the Lakeland community. It is currently in the process of replacing the Satellite Clinic with an upgraded facility on South Florida Avenue.
Explore our website’s “services” and “about us” pages for more information about Options for Women.