The Advice and Aid Pregnancy Center is marking its 26th anniversary of helping women who are pregnant.

A fundraising dinner and fellowship at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta are scheduled for Friday, Jan. 21. The event begins with Mass at the Cathedral at 6 p.m., followed by 7 p.m. refreshments and dinner. Father Neil Dhabliwala will be the guest speaker. As part of the event, raffled prizes will be offered to the participants.

Noreen Coughlin, the executive director, said the event is to thank the donors and volunteers for their efforts in serving the center’s many clients.

The poor economy is driving additional women to consider abortions, she said. Women are evicted from their homes, cannot pay their rent or are moving in with relatives, she said.

“Because things are tight, we do see these additional pressures,” she said.

The center provides support, guidance and practical assistance for women facing a challenging future with their unborn child. No discrimination is made in providing a broad range of services; all faiths are welcome.

In 2010, the center served 552 individuals, with 358 of them new clients, said Coughlin.

The center, based in Hapeville, operates from a Catholic perspective in the respect for the dignity of life shown by its staff, volunteers, and board of directors, who come from many local church communities. However, it is not a part of the Catholic Church structure or a program of the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

The center offers programs for clients, such as an ultrasound machine to facilitate the needs of expectant mothers, clothing for new mothers, newborns and toddlers, and a wide range of classes and video presentations on chastity, abstinence, parenting and neonatal health care. Coughlin said the clinic hopes to expand its services by offering more medical assistance, with having a nursing manager available for clients. Currently, the clinic is run with just one full-time worker and a part-time worker.

A number of local churches and institutions aid the clinic in its fundraising, from student groups and parishes to charitable organizations. The Knights of Columbus completed a makeover at the center to turn it into a more welcoming facility.

For information on the center or the dinner, call (404) 763-4432. Tickets, which are $50 a person or $350 for a table of eight, may be purchased at aapctickets@bellsouth.net.