My Volunteer Work

Happy Me Monday! I thought I'd share with you what I do every Monday morning from 8:30 to 1:00. I volunteer at the Choices Pregnancy Center in answer to the call God placed in my heart last August. You can read about that here.

I finished my training and have been a peer counselor to women for almost three months now. When I'm there, I feel like I'm right where God wants me to be. I'm doing something that makes a difference and helps women who are at a pivotal point in their lives.

Many of the gals who come in just want verification of their home pregnancy test. They're happy to be pregnant and look forward to parenting. For others, news of a pregnancy isn't good. They may be in school, unmarried, financially strapped, or in a bad relationship. We offer them support and educate them in their three choices: parenting, abortion, or adoption.

Parenting
Some women want to parent their child, if only their circumstances were different. They don't like the idea of losing their baby to adoption or abortion. CPC connects them to resources that can help them financially and support them emotionally. Our center also provides Earn While You Learn classes that allow women and one other person who attends with them to earn baby bucks to spend in our baby boutique. They can each earn up to four baby bucks every time they come to class, while learning about pregnancy and parenting skills. The baby boutique contains brand new baby clothes, diapers, blankets, and lots of other things moms will need for their babies. This is one of many ways CPC supports women who want to parent their babies.

Abortion
CPC cares about the health, safety, and well-being of women. Because of this, we educate women about abortion procedures and risks, both short and long-term. Pregnancy is a big deal to women. If it weren't, the decisions associated with it wouldn't be so hard. That's why it's important women receive all the information about all their choices. They deserve to know the truth. Abortion isn't a quick and easy procedure with no emotional effects. The trauma that accompanies it is real, as most post-abortive women will attest to. We support whatever decision women make, including abortion. But at least they know that we told them the truth. We also offer post-abortive classes for women who choose abortion, to help them in their recovery process.

Adoption
There are lots of outdated ideas about adoption still floating around out there. The truth is, it's just another positive way to provide for your baby. The birth mother can call the shots in how open or closed they want the adoption to be and how much contact they want to have with their baby in the future. CPC provides women with referrals to adoption agencies and supports them emotionally through this difficult decision.

Most of all, CPC offers a non-judgmental listening ear to women and helps them work through the pros and cons of their pregnancy choices. There are even male mentors available to chat with the fathers of the babies. It's a caring, supportive environment where parents can come regardless of their plans for their pregnancy. We pray they'll feel safe, loved, and more informed because they came.

I'll be walking in the CPC Walk for Life in April. If you'd like to sponsor me with a one-time tax deductible donation, please click here. Thanks!

So that's my Monday work. I absolutely love it and the women I talk to. I love supporting them and sharing Christ with them when opportunities arise. Because that's where true hope and healing begins.

Linda