As Wilkinsburg's primary social service resource welcomes an organization with a highly targeted mission into its building, questions about collaborations with neighbors have surfaced.

The Women's Choice Network, a Christian ministry that focuses on abortion prevention, hosted its first open house for mothers at Hosanna House last weekend.

Formed through a collaboration between the Pregnancy Care Centers of Wexford and Monroeville's Crossroads Pregnancy Center, WCN targeted Hosanna House as part of its recently established Urban Initiative Program.

The goal of the Urban Initiative Program, said executive director Amy Scheuring, is to provide educational and material support in low-income areas to encourage women to carry pregnancies to term.

Its Baby Steps program commits to clients for two years, offers prenatal and parenting classes and provides opportunities to purchase baby clothing and furniture by earning points in classes.

"We were looking for a location for a new center and we made a commitment to expand services to areas in Pittsburgh that we felt were underserved," Ms. Scheuring said. "As soon as I went for a site visit, I knew this was the place for us."

With more than six in-house programs and 13 partner programs -- including the Pennsylvania Organization for Women in Early Recovery, Forbes Road East and a community health center -- the network hopes to join forces with other Hosanna House partners to further their outreach, Ms. Scheuring said.

However, concerns regarding federal funding guidelines and conflicting missions may prevent some partners from collaborating.

Andre Moore, of Hosanna House's Wilkinsburg Family Health Center, said the center would likely avoid collaborating with the network because of partial federal funding, as well as a desire to remain neutral regarding clients' choices.

The center, which provides gynecological services but not prenatal care, refers pregnant clients to Magee Women's Hospital of UPMC, in Oakland.

"I doubt we would be on an agenda for anything that is wholly for any one issue," he said.

Hosanna House Executive Director Leon Haynes said housing the network would not affect its federal funding. He also said the network has a place in Hosanna House because it is open to all sorts of social service missions.

"My hope is what they're doing for women in our community is getting resources and information in their hands, so people can make the best decision for themselves," he said.

Mr. Haynes said partners will have a chance to discuss potential collaborations at Hosanna's upcoming Partners Open House this spring.

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