OUR SOLUTION
We believe that the answer for the lack of ownership and control so frequently felt by those facing pregnancy decisions is found in relationship with others—when their core community is willing to become inconvenienced in order to bring clarity and confidence to the decision process through tangible solutions and long-term support.
Family members, friends, neighbors, and peers may not be able to meet every need, but their compassionate presence in the life of a woman and her partner is a powerful means of restoring ownership. And the most pressing financial, material, emotional, and relational needs are often most effectively addressed by those already established in their lives.
OUR APPROACH
Since our inception, the driving principle that has shaped our approach and informed our service has been relationship—in essence, the value of people, a commitment to building bridges, to unifying communities, to coming alongside those in need and serving them in a way that reflects their innermost value and dignity.
WHY WE EXIST
We exist to restore ownership and confidence to those facing a pregnancy decision through a two-pronged strategy: connecting women and their partners to tangible solutions and to their core community.
THE PROBLEM
The world of pregnancy care is largely dependent upon professional agencies, medical providers, and government programs—all either working to prevent unintended pregnancies or to provide services related to pregnancy outcomes (parenting, abortion, adoption, birth).
While professional institutions play a vital role in caring for those facing pregnancy decisions, they cannot provide comprehensive solutions for all the complex, personal needs, pressures, and obstacles that cause women and their partners to feel powerless and without hope as they consider what to do.
When communities rely fully on this system of care, they miss the opportunity to take personal responsibility for the unique role that they play in the lives of those in their sphere facing a pregnancy decision and frequently leave the most pressing needs unmet.
OUR STRATEGY
In order to see ownership restored to those walking through the decision process of an unintended pregnancy, barriers must be removed between them and the solutions and people they need most.
And this is precisely what Viable Options exists to do through two strategic initiatives:
OUR MOTIVATION
Like many of the world’s leading nonprofit organizations, the central motivation driving our work has always been our faith.
As a Christian organization, we are compelled by our faith in Christ to care for those in need—both in our community and beyond—modeling at all times a commitment to love, serve, and value each person on the basis of their intrinsic dignity.
It is this posture that informs every aspect of our operations and is foundational to the identity and culture of Viable Options.
OUR VALUES
Originally from the southern fringe of the Adirondack park, Sierra relocated to the North Country in 2014, became involved with Viable Options as a volunteer in the fall of 2015, and was swiftly gripped by the mission and vision of the organization.
With a passion for writing, communication, and teaching, curriculum development and the crafting of a corporate voice was a natural draw. Coming on as a member of staff in 2016, she worked alongside the founding director in forming the approach, language, and strategy of the organization during its early years.
In January of 2021, she stepped into the Executive Director position and has since been working to take Viable Options to new spheres of efficacy within our local community and beyond.
Email: sierra@viableoptions.org
Executive Director: Sierra Smith
MEET THE DIRECTOR
OUR HISTORY
Viable Options® is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, formed by North Country community members with a vision to serve those in our area facing a pregnancy decision. Governed by a local board, we exist primarily to serve those in the greater St. Lawrence County region—though, since our inception, our organizational scope has certainly expanded. The initial idea came in 2009 when a group of local individuals came together to discuss forming an organization that could meaningfully advocate for women and their partners walking through an unintended pregnancy. With a central commitment to operate relationally, the groundwork for Viable Options was laid. However, it was not until 2013 that a board of community members was officially formed; and, in the following year, we held our first fundraising gala.
In the fall of 2014, the founding director, Josh McGrath, was brought on to make the initial vision for Viable Options a reality. It was under his direction that, in the early months of 2015, we secured our location at 11 Court Street in Canton, NY. Over the remainder of that year, developing the Viable Options brand, securing a staff, training volunteers, and coordinating marketing efforts became the primary focus. On January 1, 2016, Viable Options officially opened its doors and has been actively engaged in the community ever since. During those foundational years, the vision and approach of Viable Options truly began to emerge. As we thoroughly surveyed the world of pregnancy care, a significant, unmet need became apparent—the need for advocacy and relational support pre decision.
In the experiences of those who had walked through an unintended pregnancy, we began to discern a common thread: a lack of ownership and confidence, frequently heightened by a sense of isolation from their core community. As we sought a means of alleviating this need, it became clear that the tension and polarization surrounding pregnancy decisions had in many ways served to further alienate women and their partners from those they needed most—their family members, friends, neighbors, and peers. Not only that, the numerous and complex pressures they faced seemed often to become lost in the noise of political and moral discourse surrounding pregnancy outcomes.
While such discourse is important and ought not to be diminished or dismantled, we realized that it had effectively created a no man’s land in which many felt alone, powerless, and without hope as they grappled with the weight of an unintended pregnancy. From this realization was born a commitment to operate in a unique space within the world of pregnancy care. In order to bring clarity and hope to those facing a pregnancy decision, we would take our stand in No Man’s Land—establishing Viable Options as a voice and an advocate for those overwhelmed by the weight and complexity of an unintended pregnancy. And thus, we found ourselves perfectly positioned not only to offer vital support for women and their partners, but also to act as a unifying voice in this space, bringing together those from all backgrounds and beliefs who, despite their differences, shared a central desire to see fundamental needs met in their community.
Today, we continue to passionately pursue innovative solutions for those facing pregnancy decisions and to see bridges built within our local community and throughout the nation, partnering with all who share our vision to restore ownership and to ensure that no one faces a pregnancy decision alone.
DIRECT CARE
There are some vital needs that are best met by a professional agency or medical provider.
In those cases, Viable Options works to lessen the barriers between the individual and professional care by first identifying the most pressing needs and pressures in their lives then advocating on their behalf to secure solutions and resources specifically tailored for them.
Along the way, we operate as an ongoing support, walking with our clients as they receive social service and medical care and helping to build their support system by mediating between them and their core community.
COMMUNITY ACTION
Frequently, the most pressing, complex, and personal needs are most meaningfully addressed by those already established in a person’s life.
But because so much of cultural discussion revolves around the outcome of an unintended pregnancy rather than the decision process, many don’t know how to respond when someone in their life is facing one.
In order to secure lasting, holistic support for those facing a pregnancy decision in our community and beyond, we work to equip individuals, agencies, churches, and universities with the tools they need to provide tangible service and care.