CEDAR RAPIDS -- A Cedar Rapids organization is celebrating a quarter century of service to the community.

Aid to Women started by passing out free pregnancy tests more than two decades ago. Now, it's transformed into a group that trains and teaches women skills that last a lifetime.

Aid to Women donates food, clothing and other supplies to hundreds of families every year.

When Julie Herny was pregnant with her daughter, Savanah, she turned to Aid to Women for help. She enrolled in prenatal classes and then moved on to parenting courses a few months later.

"We all kind of went through the trials and tribulations of being new moms together and got to discuss the problems we were having," Herny said.

Herny formed a bond with other new moms and learned techniques to raise her child.

"It helps a lot to come here and see that other people deal with the same problems. I'm not the only one that sometimes wants to pull my hair out, you know," she said.

The Eason family also gets lots of help from the group. But, the person who comes here the most isn't the children's mother.

"I said, 'Aid to Women?' That name speaks for itself. "Aid to Women," I don't think I could get anything there," Larry Eason said.

Eason moved to Cedar Rapids about a year ago with his five kids. Other groups said they only helped single mothers. Aid to Women was a last resort that ended up helping the family more than Eason ever imagined.

"Every time I came here to ask for anything, it was always given," he said.

He says it's tough raising five kids by himself, but parenting classes have taught him quite a bit.

"God won't put more on your plate than you can eat," Eason said.

Both parents come from much different backgrounds, but they're two examples of people who say they've become better parents and better moms and dads all because of Aid to Women.

Even though the group calls itself "Aid to Women," staff members also help about a dozen men every year.

All of the services are free to clients. The group depends heavily on donations.

Next month, the organization will host a celebration to honor and celebrate all of its achievements over the past twenty-five years.