By Thea Jarvis

Guess what Birthright of Atlanta is getting for Christmas. Stumped? Well, here are some hints.

It’s lime green with white shutters and a spray of pine branches in deference to the season. It’s warm and cozy and smells of Christmas. It has rooms for lots of people and was made from lots of prayer.

You guessed it. Santa left Birthright a new home.

If you want to nit-pick, the gift came early. Around August. But this hasn’t stopped the Birthright crew -- some 30 volunteers who counsel women in crisis pregnancies -- from sharing their long-awaited present with the rest of Atlanta at this gift-giving time of year.

Summer Hill, named for Birthright International’s founder Louise Summerhill, is tucked away on a little street in Chamblee that’s close to major thoroughfares and a MARTA stop. Its quiet, discreet location allows for compassionate direction and help without unnecessary embarrassment or inconvenience. Summer Hill is not a residence for pregnant women, but a place of support, encouragement and refuge.

“It’s homey, not a pretentious place,” says Terry Weaver, Birthright Atlanta’s founder who has been directing the outreach for 17 years and serves as Birthright International’s regional consultant.

Mrs. Weaver, mother of seven and unofficial “godmother” to countless children who have known life because of Birthright, admits that “After so many years of struggle, (the house) has really been a blessing.” She describes the Atlanta Birthright budget as “a shoestring tied in about four places.”

Looking around Summer Hill at donated sofas, lamps and chairs, remembering hours of renovation undertaken by Birthright friends and church groups, Terry Weaver sighs, “It’s just like God meant for this to be.” She cited Knights of Columbus Council 660, private contractor Gordon Tuttle and an anonymous “Uncle Joe” as just a few of those who stepped in when they were needed.

“Just all of a sudden it seems like all kinds of people have been coming out to help,” she said, a sense of wonder in her voice.

Birthright’s road has not been an easy one. Because the organization deals solely in pregnancy services, foregoing the political arena and abortion debate, it receives little public notice. The Birthright stress on a supportive but low keyed approach toward clients is generally not the squeaky wheel that gets oiled.

“We assume from the start that a baby will be born,” Mrs. Weaver explained. At the same time, “If we do our job right, the woman who ultimately decides to have an abortion will feel just as comfortable coming back to us as she would had she delivered the baby.”

In fact, she said, it is not unusual for women who have had an abortion to bring their friends to Birthright. Having gone through the trauma and grief associated with an abortion, they are often the best one to encourage the prolife alternative.

This Christmas, Birthright volunteers are thankful that they are welcoming more women at Summer Hill than they did at their old offices near Lenox Square. The easy to reach locale of the new complex and the hospitality offered by a home seems an unbeatable combination.

Every bit of space is arranged to insure that clients feel at home. The front door opens directly into a living room furnished traditionally except for a modest desk that is the only hint of officialdom. There are end tables to hold coffee cups and soft cushions to welcome weary bones. In back, two offices warmed by comfortable loveseats, wall hangings and table lamps are designed to dispel apprehension and anxiety. A third office serves double duty as storage area and newsletter headquarters. The full bath and kitchen decorated simply but carefully allow Birthright workers to offer clients simple amenities.

“The whole theme is happy and upbeat,” Terry Weaver pointed out. Experience has taught her that the woman in a crisis pregnancy has so much to deal with -- gossip, moving, finances, and family pressure -- that reducing part of that stress by providing a homespun environment is a priority.

Those who look to Birthright for support during a pregnancy may not fit the mold most would cast as “average.” According to Atlanta Birthright’s most recent statistics, nine percent are under 16, eight percent are over 30 and the majority of women fall in the 21-30 age group. While 65 percent are single, a surprising 29 percent are married and undertaking a pregnancy that spells financial, marital, social and/or career difficulties for themselves and their families. Five percent are divorced and facing similar circumstances.

On a porch just beyond the Summer Hill kitchen sits a bevy of car seats, playpens, cribs, highchairs and baby swings. Above the central hall is a full attic that holds baby and maternity clothing. Birthright doesn’t just talk a good story; it deals with the practical. Clients needing the basics are not disappointed.

“We furnish pregnancy testing, furniture and maternity clothes for our clients. Layettes are given out the month before they deliver,” explained Mrs. Weaver, adding that the Birthright arm reaches into the larger population as well.

“Each year, we are invited to participate in the Family Living courses of the Decatur City School System,” she related. Other schools Birthright volunteers have visited include Walton, Lakeside, Stone Mountain and Paulding County high schools, the Buford City schools and St. Pius X Archdiocesan High School. Churches and Sunday school classes of all denominations have welcomed the Birthright presence and its open, ecumenical spirit.

“That’s the joy of being in Birthright, the sharing,” smiled Terry Weaver.

When Canadian Louise Summerhill, the founder and head of Birthright International, was invited to Atlanta for the local Birthright Christmas party last week, she had no idea she was to be feted with a house named for herself. Her surprise and pleasure were only surpassed by Terry Weaver’s delight in bestowing the honor.

As for the house, modeled after similar Birthright office space in Toronto, Louise Summerhill’s enthusiasm was unbridled and seasonally merry.

“I love it,” she said. “It’s just exactly what every Birthright should have.”