Sometimes, big ideas develop when least expected.

The seeds of what ifs were planted in the thoughts of several area residents after listening to Melissa Ohden, an abortion survivor, speak at an event in O'Neill in 2015.

For two years, a group of volunteers cared for and nurtured a vision resulting in the opening of Beginnings Pregnancy Resource Center, in O'Neill, in spring 2018.

The facility is housed at 203 West Douglas Street.

Mandy Chavez, director, said the non-denominational facility is an affiliate of Care Net, an established nonprofit that supports a network of pregnancy centers.

The center offers compassionate and non-judgmental care to both men and women.

The mission of the center is "to restore, equip and empower women and men to make choices regarding their reproductive health that are consistent with respect to all human life," according to the facility's website.

Services are free and confidential and include STD testing and treatment, post-abortion support, men's support services, pregnancy tests, limited OB ultrasounds, pregnancy decision coaching, sexual risk avoidance education, pregnancy and parenting classes and baby supplies.

The center is associated with the Nebraska Infertility Prevention Plus Project, offering testing and treatment for chlamydia and gonorrhea.

Chavez said pregnancy and parenting classes help clients discover needs of their child, while developing parenting skills.

"Classes equip people to become successful parents. We focus on positive skills and family relationships," she said. "When families are healthy, they tend to make positive contributions."

Beginnings Pregnancy Resource Center serves a wide geographical area, with clients from Burwell to the South Dakota border, Valentine to Norfolk.

Before Beginnings came to O'Neill, there wasn't a service specific to the needs of those who face unplanned pregnancy situations or were in need of post-abortion support.

Chavez said, "We offer a wide variety of services related to pregnancy and sexual health, but there is a centralized theme that encompasses them all: compassionate and non-judgmental care. We want to be known as a place where both guys and ladies can come, without fear or reservation, to receive the help they are looking for."

Volunteers primarily staff the center. Pregnancy decision coaches are available onsite, in addition to a nurse manager and staff nurse.

The center is a 501(3)c and relies on donations and fundraisers, including a baby bottle project in the spring and an annual fall banquet, which is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 13, at the O'Neill Community Center.

Toneia Mayes, of Care Net, will present the keynote address.

For more information, visit https://beginningspregnancycenter.com.