The Christian Coalition of Alabama, or CCA, has announced a new partnership with the Za’Darius Smith Foundation to expand access to prenatal care for expectant mothers in Greenville and Butler County.
Founded by Greenville native and current Atlanta Falcons defensive end Za’Darius Smith, the Za’Darius Smith Foundation seeks to improve the mental health and well-being of local at-risk youth, with a particular focus on single-parent households. According to the CCA, that emphasis on creating better opportunities for children in Butler County laid the groundwork for the organizations’ new partnership.
“Za’Darius Smith’s work has always been about kids, and prenatal care is where helping a child begins,” the coalition said in a news release. “A baby carried to term with good care starts life with advantages no program can hand back later. A mother’s care and a child’s life are the same work, and in a community like Greenville the practical obstacle is rarely willingness—it is distance, cost, and whether a mother can reach care early enough for it to matter.”
CCA President and Chairman Randy Brinson said the initiative’s goals align with the coalition’s anti-abortion values and advocacy.
“We have said for years that you cannot claim to defend life and then walk away from the mother carrying it,” Brinson said. “This partnership is that conviction put to work in one town. Za’Darius did not have to come back to Greenville. He did, and he brought something with him. We are glad to stand beside him.”
Smith also celebrated the partnership.
“Growing up in rural Alabama, it gives you the opportunity to appreciate the small things, and being able to bring people together to tackle a problem bigger than us is all the motivation I need!” Smith said.
According to the organizations, details about the program’s specific services, providers and locations will be announced in the coming weeks.
