AMAZING TURNOUT — More than 600 area residents attended last year’s benefit gala to support the Aim Women’s Center in Steubenville. The number of guests showing up in support of the nonprofit agency and its mission to help young women who are struggling and in need of assistance for their children or unborn child, was one of the area’s largest events of its kind in the area, officials noted. This year’s gala, to be held March 21 at St. Florian Event Center in Wintersville, is expected to draw a large crowd as well. Tickets or sponsorships can be purchased online by visiting supportaim.org. -- Contributed

STEUBENVILLE — For a young woman who finds herself staring down at a positive pregnancy test, the entire world can shift so suddenly that everything she thought she knew becomes a blur … like watercolor in the rain.

One moment she is simply herself — a daughter, a student, a friend — and the next she is carrying a secret, a truth, that feels far too heavy for her trembling hands.

Uncertainty settles into her heart.

Fear creeps into the quiet corners of her mind.

She feels overwhelmed, adrift and achingly alone.

THE SOUNDS OF JAZZ — Couples danced to the smooth, comforting sounds of live jazz music during the 2025 Aim Benefit Gala held at St. Florian Event Center in Wintersville. This year’s event will feature the same style of music throughout the evening to entertain the hundreds of guests expected. -- Contributed

It is as if she has slipped into the loneliest place in the world.

A place where she believes no one could possibly understand what she is facing, what she is going through.

But here in the Ohio Valley, loneliness does not have to be the end of her story.

She does not have to walk through the fear by herself, because right here in the city of Steubenville, is a door that she can open.

It is the door to the Aim Women’s Center on North Fifth Street.

ADDRESSING A COMMUNITY — Rebekah Cohen Morris, who leads the Mother of Mercy Home and serves as the executive director of the Aim Women’s Center in Steubenville, addressed last year’s audience of more than 600 community guests who attended the Aim Benefit Gala at the St. Florian Event Center. This year’s gala is scheduled to be held at 6 p.m. March 21 at St. Florian in Wintersville. Proceeds from the event will be used to help young mothers and their children seeking the nonprofit’s assistance during times of hardship and struggle. -- Contributed

And on the other side of that door, she will not find judgment waiting for her, she will not be met with a lecture or a cold shoulder.

Instead, she will be welcomed with a warm smile, a listening ear and the quiet, steadying relief at the realization she no longer has to carry her burden alone.

It is often in that first moment — when her eyes meet kindness instead of condemnation — that something inside her begins to soften.

This moment of grace, this gentle shifting from fear to hope, is the heartbeat of Aim’s mission.

It is the very reason its staff and volunteers pour their hearts into the work they do each day.

Executive Director Rebekah Cohen Morris and her team understand the fragile courage of a young woman whose life has changed in an instant.

They know that compassion, not criticism, is what steadies her steps. They believe deeply that every girl deserves a place where she can breathe again, where she can feel safe, where she can begin to imagine a future she once thought was slipping away.

Aim relies on grants, fundraisers and donations to keep that door open, to keep young women safe and off the streets, to keep hope alive.

And, for the nonprofit, its most important date of the year is now just weeks away — a night that serves as a lifeline for the women and families who feel they have nowhere else to turn.

Aim Women’s Center announced that tickets and sponsorship opportunities are officially on sale for the 2026 Aim Benefit Gala, a black-tie evening dedicated to celebrating life, sharing powerful stories of hope and raising the critical funds and support needed to expand its services for women and growing families across the Tri-State Area.

It is a night designed not only to gather the community together, but to remind every guest of the courage, resilience and quiet strength found in the women Aim serves.

It is a night where hearts open, where stories are honored, where hope is not just spoken … it is felt.

The gala, which will take place March 21 at the St. Florian Event Center in Wintersville, is the nonprofit agency’s largest event of the year.

The evening will begin as the doors open at 6 p.m., with cocktails and the smooth, comforting sounds of live jazz setting the tone. Music that seems to wrap itself softly throughout the entire room.

A formal dinner will follow at 6:30 p.m., offering guests a chance to connect and reflect, reminding them just why they came. At 7:30 p.m., the program will begin.

This heartfelt look at the real impact Aim has had in the lives of local women and their children will serve as a reminder of what can happen when love meets courage.

The night will conclude with a dessert social at 8 p.m., a sweet ending to an evening built on hope and a pause to consider the lives which are being changed because someone cared enough to show up for this event.

Guests will have the opportunity to participate in a silent auction, adding another meaningful way to support the mission.

Last year’s gala brought together more than 600 community members, making it one of the most well-attended events of its kind in the region.

The room that evening was filled with a sense of unity and purpose that could be felt in every corner of the event center, Cohen Morris noted.

Support from that evening helped the Aim center to continue providing free pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, options counseling, material assistance, housing and ongoing support, while strengthening programs that walk with moms long after the first appointment.

“We watched more than 600 people show up last year, and it was a powerful reminder that our community truly wants to stand with women in hard moments,” added Cohen Morris, who leads the Mother of Mercy Home. “That night didn’t just feel inspiring — it directly funded the services our clients rely on when they’re scared, overwhelmed, or unsure what to do next.”

The 2026 gala arrives at a time of growing demand for Aim’s services, a time when more women are reaching out for hands that offer some type of compassionate guidance.

Funds raised will support expanded capacity and continued wraparound care, helping to ensure the women facing unexpected pregnancies can have access to not only practical help, but a community that refuses to let them walk alone.

The center is exploring the opening of a children’s thrift shop this year to meet community needs and create more space at its busy location.

“Because of the community’s generosity last year, we were able to open a residential program for pregnant women, and there’s already a waiting list,” Cohen Morris continued, noting the gala historically funds nearly half of Aim’s operating expenses. “This night is about celebrating the courage of the women we serve — and inviting the whole community to be part of more ‘yes to life’ stories.”

Sponsorship tiers offer ways for local businesses, churches and community partners to show support while gaining visibility.

The Title Sponsor level at $10,000 includes two tables of 10 and recognition on three billboards in Steubenville and along state Route 7.

There are $5,000 sponsorships for the Bar, Live Jazz and Dessert levels, as well as a Platinum sponsorship at $2,500, Gold at $1,500 and Silver at $1,000.

Even a $500 Table Sponsorship for a group of eight can make a world of difference, she explained.

Individual tickets are $75 and couples tickets are $125, with every dollar raised going directly to the life-affirming services that help turn a girl’s fear into a mother’s confidence.

Organizers encourage early registration, saying attendance is expected to be high again this year and tickets and sponsorships may sell out quickly.

“The way our community showed up last year made a real difference for the women we serve,” Cohen Morris concluded. “I hope to see you there.”

Aim Women’s Center continues to serve the Lord by being the hands and feet of mercy right here in our backyard, offering counseling, parenting education, material resources, community support programs, housing and more, Cohen Morris said. All are designed to help women and families thrive during pregnancy and beyond.

To explore sponsorship opportunities or to purchase tickets, visit supportaim.org.

Checks can be made payable to Aim Women’s Center and mailed to: P.O. Box 4365, Steubenville, OH 43952.

To pay by credit or debit card, or to discuss how to help the center, contact Cohen Morris at (740) 283-3636 or by e-mail at rcohenmorris@aimwomenscenter.com.

It is the hope of those at the center that this year’s gala will be another successful event.

Because the next time a young girl feels all alone and afraid, when she is wondering what she should do, she will immediately know where she can go.

She will be able to visit a place where the lights are always on for her. A place where the door is open and welcoming.

And she will know that there is a community surrounding her, just waiting to love her back into having hope once again.