Bringing Love & Grace to Life since 1984
Lighthouse Pregnancy Resource Center traces its roots to 1982 when a loving grandfather encountered abortion advertisements while searching through the yellow pages of his local phone book. The stark contrast between these ads and images of his grandchildren at play planted a vision in T. Gray for a positive alternative to abortion. By 1984, Life Advocates, Inc., a non-profit organization offering free, life-affirming support to women facing unplanned pregnancies was incorporated and operating in Allendale. Over the years, the organization’s services grew and its name was changed to The Pregnancy Resource Center of Bergen County. In 2003, the Center relocated to Hawthorne and expanded its service area to Passaic County.
The current name of Lighthouse Pregnancy Resource Center was adopted in 2006. As a lighthouse symbolizes direction and hope for those in troubled waters, our name reflects our desire to provide hope and help to those in pregnancy-related turmoil. The practical, compassionate support we offer anyone facing an unplanned pregnancy or related concern is made possible by those who follow Jesus Christ — the light of the world.
In the last decade, Lighthouse has celebrated many major milestones. In March 2007, the Center moved into a brand new facility at 503 Lafayette Avenue in Hawthorne, just blocks from our previous location at Rea Avenue Reformed Church (which still houses much of our material support). In the summer of 2009, the Center began offering on-site ultrasound services to medically confirm pregnancy, under the direction of a paid nurse manager and volunteer medical doctors.
In 2010, Lighthouse stepped out in faith to launch a second center at 809 Main Street in Hackensack. Volunteers and resources from Turning Point Women’s Resource Center joined Lighthouse on this venture, after closing its smaller location. Lighthouse of Hackensack opened its doors on January 17, 2011. In the spring of 2011, Lighthouse began offering free testing for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea — two of the most common sexually transmitted infections, both of which can lead to infertility if untreated. At the end of 2013, Lighthouse added a full-time Student Outreach Director to expand the Center’s sexual integrity programs for teens and young adults. Our REALife Relationship & Love Training for Teens (REALifeNJ.org) provides presentations for students and parents in local schools, churches and other community groups.
In recent years, the need for a Lighthouse location in Paterson – our state’s third largest city – became evident. As we prayed about this, God opened up an opportunity to launch a pregnancy center for Paterson, in partnership with RENEW Life Center, a small non-profit organization with a heart to see parents thrive after choosing life for their children. This common goal led us to share staff and space with RENEW in our Paterson Center to multiply our life-enhancing impact on parents from poverty backgrounds. In the spring of 2015, Servant’s Heart Ministry and many other volunteers built a 2,600-square-foot center of life and hope at 75 Ellison Street. In August 2015, we began serving women and men in pregnancy-related need from this downtown location – which at the time, was our largest Lighthouse center and our biggest step of faith.
In 2018, Lighthouse partnered with Young Life to launch YoungLives Paterson, an outreach to teen moms in our area. YoungLives Paterson offers support, mentoring and unforgettable experiences to help pregnant and parenting teens become the best moms possible — while having fun! This program combines the encouragement and hope Christ offers with practical life skills to equip these young moms for a brighter future.
In the fall of 2019, Lighthouse took a big step forward with the purchase of a building in the heart of Hawthorne to serve as a main headquarters and expanded ministry location, increasing our capacity for serving families, saving and changing lives. A major renovation of the 10,000 square foot building began in January 2020, under the leadership of Servant’s Heart Ministry. Despite the challenges of COVID-19, the project was completed on schedule and on budget – thanks to the generosity of many volunteers, donors and vendors. On December 14, 2020, Lighthouse began providing client services at this new facility, and established a central material aid collection site. The headquarters offers ample space for hosting volunteer trainings, group programs for the families we serve, and includes two apartments for future ministry opportunities.
God continues to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20) to expand Lighthouse’s life-enhancing influence throughout Northern New Jersey. The prayers, financial support and volunteer efforts of those who value life are greatly appreciated as we seek to enhance and expand our pregnancy-related services.