Local Realtors donate land to pregnancy center

Clarity Solutions for Women received a surprising Christmas present from two local Realtors.

Jill Pickett

Lamonte and Mimi Hornback, owners of Hornback Realty Co., donated the land and building at 105 E. Memorial Drive in Elizabethtown to Clarity Solutions for Women.

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Jill Pickett

One of the rooms in the building donated to Clarity Solutions for Women by Lamonte and Mimi Hornback, owners of Hornback Realty Co.

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Jill Pickett

One of the rooms in the building donated to Clarity Solutions for Women by Lamonte and Mimi Hornback, owners of Hornback Realty Co.

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Lamonte and Mimi Hornback, owners of Hornback Realty Co., fully donated the land and building at 105 E. Memorial Drive in Elizabethtown to the pregnancy center in December, deeding the property for future expansion of facilities.

Peggy Adams, director of development for Clarity Solutions for Women, said the donation came without financial strings.

“We might have paid the legal fees to get the deed transferred and the inspections, but it was minimal,” Adams said.

The property is on the same street as the center. Clarity has not finalized plans for the building’s use, but Adams said the medical portion of the center — ultrasound examinations and free pregnancy testing among its available services — likely will be relocated to the new facility.

“The new building will give us more space in which to do medical consults and counseling as well as freeing up some of our space to provide more teaching and mentoring services,” said Dr. Marquita Ball, director of the Clarity board, in a written statement.

Ball approached the Hornbacks and asked them to rent the property to Clarity at a reasonable price, knowing it had been vacant for years, but the couple decided the cause was worthy enough to give Clarity the location.

Lamonte Hornback said they approached local physicians and Hardin Memorial Health for input on where the greatest need stood.

“They told us that was it,” he said of Clarity.

After learning more about Clarity’s mission, they were compelled to help.

“We (recognized) that Clarity had a need, and we believe that is an ongoing need,” he said.

Hornback said the facility offers roughly 1,500 square feet of finished space and another 1,500 square feet or so of unfinished basement and storage space.

Adams said Clarity identified a new location as a future need but did not make it a high priority, nor did it plan for additional facilities in its current budget.

“God had other ideas,” she said.

According to Clarity, the structure was built for use as a private residence and renovated into a doctor’s office before the Hornbacks obtained it. The property remains in good condition and can be renovated for Clarity’s use with some “slight modifications,” Adams said.

Clarity is coping well with the space it has, Adams said, but its range of services has limited the amount of room in one building and a second location will provide more options.

Clarity officials plan to meet with a builder, who will evaluate the property and provide estimates on costs to determine what modifications are feasible. The center hopes for a late summer opening.

“We’ll have to work the (costs) in as we can,” she said. “We won’t just spend money we don’t have.”

Adamssaid Clarity “seeks to help women choose life” while assisting parents with the resources they need to care for their children, be it baby supplies, education or counseling.

Clients can enroll in Clarity’s Aspire Program, in which parents earn points for attending classes on topics ranging from infant care to marriage, Adams said. The points can be cashed in for donated items such as maternity or baby clothes, diapers and baby equipment.

Lamonte Hornback said the donation proved advantageous from a business standpoint and he hopes the area becomes a “nucleus of medical treatment centers” through similar donations.

“I hope it proves to serve this cause well,” he said.

Marty Finley can be reached at (270) 505-1762 or mfinley@thenewsenterprise.com.

For more information

Peggy Adams, Clarity’s Solutions for Women director of development, said the pregnancy center’s small staff and stable growth has created a need for volunteers.

Those interested in volunteering at the center can contact Megan Taul, client services director, at (270) 234-1122. The same telephone number can be used to schedule an appointment.