On September 24, 2021, Bishop Gregory Parkes and Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Petersburg held a Ribbon Cutting and Blessing Ceremony for the new Mobile Medical Unit in front of the Foundations of Life Pregnancy Center on Armenia Ave, Tampa.

This new pregnancy center on wheels will extend the reach of the four pregnancy center locations operated by Catholic Charities and make services more accessible to women throughout the Diocese of St. Petersburg, but primarily in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. The goal is to serve low-income, uninsured women who are either pregnant or believe they may be pregnant.

The custom-designed Mobile Medical Unit will offer an array of services and assistance at no cost to those experiencing an unplanned or crisis pregnancy. These services include FREE on-site pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, life options counseling and referral services (e.g., Medicaid, WIC, etc.).

For more than 25 years, Catholic Charities has provided free pregnancy services to underserved women within the Diocese of St. Petersburg. Beginning in 2000 in St. Petersburg as Pregnancy Services Plus, the centers subsequently expanded to Tampa, Dade City and Spring Hill. In 2016, the Knights Women’s Center was opened in Tampa.

“Establishing a Mobile Medical Unit shows our unwavering commitment to serve the most vulnerable in our communities. We never lost sight of the impact that a mobile medical unit would have for those in need of our services who could not easily travel to one of our existing pregnancy centers,” said Maggie Rogers, Catholic Charities Executive Director.

The Mobile Medical Unit features tinted windows and privacy shades, 360-Degree security monitoring, multiple seats for counseling, a cushioned sonogram table, a restroom for pregnancy testing, and even a 42” TV to display ultrasound images.

“It meant a lot to have Bishop Parkes bless the Mobile Unit. We want to carry the Gospel with us, to bring help and hope to those in need. The blessing is a big deal this way. Without it, the Mobile Unit would not carry that message of hope, community, and help to women with unplanned pregnancies,” said Ramos.

Foundations of Life Pregnancy Centers strive to reach women who are being targeted by the abortion industry; socioeconomically challenged minorities, students, migrants, and others in the primary age range of 14 to 32. In the past year alone, over 9,000 innocent preborn children lost their lives to abortion in the Tampa Bay area. Within Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, there are eleven abortion facilities.

“When we say we want to help women, we mean we want to help women for life. Through the Mobile Medical Unit, women will be able to join our programs, receive free services, and be referred for housing and medical assistance. We are the bridge that connects our diocese to these women,” said Ramos.

Support for this initiative was made possible by the Knights of Columbus and generous individuals.  To learn more about the free pregnancy resources provided by Foundations of Life, click this link.