Abba’s House Ministry Walks Alongside Area Families
Story by Laz Denes

for parents.
Pastor Allen Usher has seen every kind of donation imaginable since founding Cheraw’s Maranatha Family Center with his wife, Glenda, in 1976. From cars, vans, and trucks to various goods and services, donations helped his ministry thrive for almost five decades.
One of Allen’s most recent undertakings, the Abba’s House Family Care Center, which opened in 2022, began when the ministry was given a late-1800s-era Victorian home that in its heyday was in one of Bennettsville’s finest neighborhoods.
Deciding what to do with the unusual gift was not difficult. The Ushers were well aware of the growing need for a pregnancy services center to serve women faced with unplanned or unsupported pregnancies who couldn’t easily travel to Charlotte, Columbia or Fayetteville for help.
“We just saw a need. And you know how it goes, if you see a need, you meet a need,” Allen says. “It took about $200,000— mostly through donations—and a tremendous volunteer effort to renovate the building and get it up and running. But it’s been a blessing. People really step up when it comes to touching other people’s lives.”
Joined by a second Abba’s House that opened in Cheraw last June, the ministry offers those facing unplanned pregnancies free confidential support, resources and assistance. For example, the ministry’s Baby Boutique provides necessities such as clothes, diapers, and formula. Its Baby Bucks program enables expectant mothers and fathers to earn credits to use in the boutique to buy items like cribs, car seats, bouncers, high chair,s and bassinets by completing educational courses on a smartphone app and attending wellness check-ins.
Providing Resources

“We’re here to make sure you’re aware of all the options, and then once you are, you’re free to make your own choice,” Abba’s House Director Jennifer Yates says. “Of course, our prayer would be that you would choose to have your baby.”
Jennifer says many expectant mothers share five major concerns— housing, transportation, employment, education, and child care. She says many expectant mothers are facing at least one of those concerns and many have all five. Through its involvement with the Marlboro County Coordinating Council, Abba’s House connects the various agencies that can help find realistic solutions to these obstacles.
Once a client opts to complete her pregnancy and participates in the ministry’s programs, Abba’s House supports the mother and child until the baby’s second birthday. After each monthly health and wellness check-in, the mother receives a gift bundle containing diapers, wipes, age-appropriate clothes, and occasional bonus items like blankets, books, socks, and shoes.
“We love it when our clients stop by with their babies and we get to cuddle with them or that big smile when they shop our boutique,” Jennifer says. “But the biggest blessing is just getting to know the girls and building relationships with them, hanging out in Bible study or taking them to a doctor’s appointment and just talking about what’s going on in their lives. That’s what it’s all about, connecting with the girls and letting them know people love them.”