Our Daily Show! Vitality Women's Clinic: Stephanie Stupperich and Jackie Duty!
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
GODFREY - Vitality Women’s Clinic is a faith-based, pro-life pregnancy center in Godfrey. Representatives from the clinic shared more about their work in the community.
Vitality provides free pregnancy and STI testing and ultrasounds. They also offer parenting classes and resources. They do not provide or refer for abortions. Executive Director Jackie Duty believes the center is a great support for new and expecting parents.
“Women walking into our clinic know that they’re not alone,” Duty said. “They’re going to find a group of women that have been through some stuff that are going to love them where they’re at. It’s a safe space. That’s the biggest thing. We have created a safe space where anybody can come in and know that there’s a group of women that love them, that are going to help in their moment of crisis.”
Duty emphasized that the clinic aims to provide hope. She shared that they are trying to “save every baby,” but also to support the parents. She hopes Vitality continues to connect with other organizations in the future to expand their reach.
“How are we reaching women? How are we helping them know that they have hope and that they can keep moving forward?” she said. “We’re striving so hard to save every baby that we can, but then beyond that, locking arms with the WIC program and all of these different organizations that help the babies beyond birth. How do we help women win as they move forward?”
Duty and Patient Service Coordinator Stephanie Stupperich explained that they have implemented a few new programs at Vitality, including the Grandma Gang and a men’s ministry. The Grandma Gang invites older women to write letters to Vitality clients, and Duty said it’s powerful to see clients read these words of encouragement.
They also launched the annual Baby Bottle Campaign. Vitality has distributed 3,000 baby bottles to organizations and businesses throughout the community. From Mother’s Day until Father’s Day, community members are encouraged to donate by dropping loose dollars or spare change in these baby bottles.
Duty and Stupperich expressed their appreciation for everyone who has donated so far, including students at St. Francis Holy Ghost School who raised over $21,000 for Vitality. As Vitality’s work continues to expand, Duty and Stupperich hope to welcome more donations and start new programs.
“We like to let things build organically, because it’s really God-led,” Duty said. “We’re not building a box around it and saying, ‘This is the program.’ Let’s put some things out there, let’s see how they build, and then structure it based on what the need is. The coolest thing is we’re having conversations.”
Stupperich added that Vitality’s parenting classes will start up again in June, and everyone is welcome to attend. She shared that they plan to offer an online version, making it easier for working parents or those who cannot attend evening classes. She hopes these classes inspire more parents to connect with each other and the team at Vitality.
“We’ll be able to reach more women,” Stupperich said. “Just having support and somebody in your corner, cheering you on — think about how much more you can accomplish.”
Vitality is geared to help individuals experiencing unplanned pregnancies, and Duty said they work with everyone from teenagers to trafficking survivors and many others. She emphasized that their goal is to provide faith-based hope and support.
“What I’ve seen happen over the last year is we’ve just leaned in to this message of hope,” she added. “Regardless of what anyone is going through, they have to have hope. They have to know tomorrow is going to be better than today.”
For more information about Vitality Women’s Clinic, visit their official website.
This Featured Article is sponsored by Vitality Women’s Clinic. To get your business or organization featured on www.Riverbender.com, contact us at sales@riverbender.com.
