In its 26th year in Vicksburg, the Center for Pregnancy Choices is experiencing a few choices of its own.

The center is looking for a new executive director after former director of seven years Stacy Tennison left to pursue a teaching position.

“She’s developed a lot of what we have now,” said Dianna Wolfe, who is on the board of directors.

The executive director is an administrative position that works “to direct a staff of four to five, to do fund developing, community relations, counseling, team building and staff supervision,” Wolfe said.

Currently, staff member Beverly White is filling in until a new director can be named.

The board wants to fill the position as soon as possible. Applications can be found on the Vicksburg Center for Pregnancy Choices Facebook page and are due by Mon. Aug. 31.

“We’ll hopefully be moving pretty quickly once we get applications in,” Wolfe said.

In a director, Wolfe is looking for “somebody that’s very self-motivated and has a lot of vision because there is so much potential that we can grow into.”

Being faith-based, the center is pro-life, but they educate expecting mothers on all their options. They want all parents to feel welcome no matter what they believe or choose, adding they have done post-abortion counseling.

“We treat all women equally making sure they have the correct information on all options in the hopes they choose to parent or adoption,” Wolfe said.

The staff is able to give ultrasounds under limited circumstances. Pregnancy tests, counseling and parenting, prenatal and foster parent classes are just some of the services the CPC offers to the community.

Parents who attend the classes can earn mommy money or daddy dollars to purchase clothing, diapers and other items from the center’s baby boutique, which is full of donated items.

There is another program called Earn While You Learn where parents who take 40 hours of classes within a year can earn a brand-new car seat donated by the Junior Auxiliary of Vicksburg.

Some classes discuss parenting information like tummy time, baby first aid, how to massage a baby, how to help a crying baby and more depending on the child’s age.

“We had a grandpa come in yesterday with his daughter, and even though he had had kids and was having grandkids, he still was learning some things to help her along too,” Wolfe said. “We’re there for the whole family.”

To Wolfe, the classes impact more than just families.

“It’s just going to be a trickledown effect, I do believe, because the better people can parent, the more qualified and better they are to parent, then you’re just going to have a lot better community, schools and everything,” Wolfe said.

The staff of the CPC also refers clients to other agencies, when needed, that can offer them help like the CAP Center or mental health assistance, among others. In return, those agencies and the Department of Human Services have also started referring clients to the CPC.

The organization is funded locally through Choose Life car tag revenue, individual donations through the Combined Federal Campaign program, fundraisers, private donors and local businesses. They receive no federal funding.

Currently, the CPC is greatly in need of volunteers to help answer questions at the parenting classes, Wolfe said.

The center will have a grand reopening and open house at their new location, 1401 Adams St., on Thursday Aug. 27 from 10 a.m. until noon.

“We’ve doubled our space, thank goodness, and we’ve also doubled our clients,” Wolfe said.

To set up an appointment to attend a class or to volunteer, call 601-638-2778 or visit the center Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“We’ve been in the community for 25 years, this is our 26th year, and we’re here to stay,” Wolfe said.