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Pregnancy Centers Affected by Louisiana Flooding
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Heartbeat International’s leadership and staff have checked in on our affiliate network, both to offer these vital partners help through our H.A.L.O. fund—which meets Heartbeat-affiliated organizations damaged by natural disasters with needed funds to replace training materials—and to let you know how you can be supporting these friends in prayer.
If you would like to contribute to Heartbeat International’s H.A.L.O. fund, you can do so at www.HeartbeatServices.org/fund-halo. You can also give directly to the pregnancy help organizations below by starting a fundraiser page at www.YouSaveBabies.org.
Crossroads Pregnancy Resource Center – Thibodaux, Louisiana
Though Crossroads’ location was not damaged in the floods, the daughter of Executive Director Michele Beary was in the middle of moving into her college residence at Louisiana State in Baton Rouge when the storm hit. Her car was lost in the flood, but she was unharmed.
“The scope of the disaster is unreal and heartbreaking,” Michele, who formerly lived in Ascension Parish—which was badly damaged in the storm—tells us. “Please let everyone know how much their prayers for us are appreciated. God bless.”
The Women’s Help Center – Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Barbara Thomas, founder of the Family Values Resource Institute, which runs The Women’s Help Center, tells us one of her team members has sustained damage to their home over the past week.
Pregnancy Help Center – Slidell, Louisiana
Thankfully, this center was unaffected by the storms. When Heartbeat International called to check in on these friends, they were in the process of deciding how they could actively support any life-saving that was affected by the disaster.
Women’s Life Ministries Pregnancy Center – Amite, Louisiana
Though spared from major flooding damage, this outreach reports having lost some of their office equipment in a lightning strike. Because the center is located in a high place, it is fast becoming a key location for flood relief in the community. CEO Teresa Ragusa tells us her organization is busy receiving supplies to help distribute to clients and neighbors.
Iberia Pregnancy Center – New Iberia, Louisiana
Iberia Pregnancy Center’s staff reports that, though their street was flooded and flood waters came almost up to their doors, the center itself was untouched. Praise God for this wonderful protection, and please pray for clients and neighbors who have lost homes and property.
The following pregnancy help locations were also undamaged by the flood, though leaders at the centers did ask us to pray for their clients:
Hope Restored for Life (Houma, Louisiana), Community Center for Life (Gretna, Louisiana), Women's New Life Center (Metairie and Baton Rouge, Louisiana), Northlake Crisis Pregnancy Center (Covington, Louisiana)
If you would like to contribute to Heartbeat International’s H.A.L.O. fund, you can do so at www.HeartbeatServices.org/fund-halo. You can also give directly to the pregnancy help organizations below by starting a fundraiser page at www.YouSaveBabies.org.
UPDATE: Care Pregnancy Clinic in Baton Rouge Reports Severe Damage
Dorothy Wallis, president and CEO of Caring to Love Ministries—which runs an unaffiliated pregnancy help center, reports having sustained an estimated $425,000 in damages to its building.
Although the rebuilding effort will take several months at the absolute minimum, Dorothy tells us a local abortion clinic was unaffected by the flood and Care Pregnancy Clinic continues to receive calls from abortion-vulnerable women.
Knowing the opportunism of the abortion industry that offered free morning-after pills in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and free abortions to New Yorkers in the days following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, Dorothy knows there is no time to lose in reaching women with life-saving help.
Dorothy is asking for an RV (loan or donation) her organization can to set up as a mobile ultrasound unit as soon as possible.
To find out how you can help Dorothy and Care Pregnancy Clinic, click here.
Do you know of more pregnancy help organizations affected by the recent floods? Let us know at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
It's a Pleasure to Connect with You!
You can reach and rescue lives!
We are so excited to be able to connect with you! Heartbeat International is dedicated to reach and rescue as many lives as possible, around the world, through an effective network of life-affirming pregnancy help, to renew communities for LIFE.
With more than 2,500 locations in the U.S. plus 50 other nations, Heartbeat reaches well over 1 million clients every year with life-saving pregnancy help.
(That’s not including our 24/7 contact center, Option Line (1-800-712-HELP, www.OptionLine.org), which has reached nearly 3 million women desperately searching for help since we first answered the call in 2003!)
You can play a vital role in this life-saving mission by learning more about Heartbeat International and our partners all over the world.
We'd love for you to learn more about linking arms with us in this vital work. Please watch a short video message below to help you get a feel for Heartbeat and our mission, and you can always go to www.HeartbeatInternational.org to learn more on your own!
Watch a special message from Heartbeat Vice President, Cindi Boston!
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Our Vision: A world in which every child will be welcome.
Our Goal: To protect the person inside the mother's womb, to turn the hearts of parents to children, to reduce the demand for abortion in our society, relying on the Word of God and the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, to practice mercy, to convey truth, turning fears into confidence and confusion into the hope for the future.
Client Testimony: 
Baby Eva says:
“When I saw the light, it was hard for me to breathe. Something squeezed my chest, my lungs did not fully open. They put me under an oxygen pillow. Sometimes I heard my mother's voice, but more often strangers in white coats and masks. But soon everything changed, and I ended up only with my mother. It was very hot, stuffy, but my mother was there, and I felt more cheerful. I am very glad that new people are chirping around me, it's funny to watch and sniff them. I do not like clothes at all and am suspicious of water. Some familiar woman appeared, who consoles my mother all the time, sometimes they pray together, they envelops me in a kind of cloud. We also drove far away together, it was a pleasure. It's still interesting to live, although a little scary. Mom notices that I always want to see where, who is doing what, and does not allow me to be ignored. Mom thinks that I am afraid that I will not be forgotten. And it is true. The feeling that I might be unnecessary to anyone and the fear that they want to get rid of me. I am Eva and I am already 2.5 months old"
No one has ever heard the voice of a baby inside the womb, we do not know for sure what he feels and what he understands. His feelings, knowledge and voice in his heartbeat. The maternity center is determined to listen to this signal of life and pave the way for it.
All financial gifts received designated for our approved “alliance” affiliates will be forwarded to them in a reasonable timeframe (usually upon exceeding $250US). Heartbeat International deducts $30 plus 3% from the transfer, to help defray internal cost for money transfers, currency conversion, clerical costs, bank fees and any processing fees that might be charged. Should any funds be unable to be forwarded – primarily related to the recipient - they may be re-allocated for similar international work.
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Heartbeat International Launches YouSaveBabies.com
Personal fundraising site to connect U.S. pregnancy help organizations with local support
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday | April 19, 2016
Contact: Jay Hobbs, Director of Communications and Marketing
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
COLUMBUS, OHIO – Local pro-life pregnancy help organizations have a new way to grow the support of their community, with the launch of YouSaveBabies.com, a web platform that connects donors with the life-saving work of pregnancy centers, pregnancy medical clinics, maternity homes and nonprofit adoption agencies.
Launched by Heartbeat International, the world’s largest network of pregnancy help, YouSaveBabies enables groups and individuals to promote and raise funds for the life-saving outreach of their choice.
Ideas for starting a fundraiser—which can be promoted via social media channels—include races and other personal goals, birthdays, in memory of loved ones, or as a way to coalesce the support of local church groups around a local pregnancy center. Starting a fundraiser is as simple as selecting an organization and filling out a brief fundraising form. All donations—less credit card transaction fees—go directly to the organization of choice.
“We’re confident YouSaveBabies will play a vital role in what Heartbeat International is most committed to doing—advancing life-affirming pregnancy help at the local level,” Heartbeat International president Jor-El Godsey said. “Pregnancy help organizations are rescuing lives and helping to build strong families every single day. Donors and other supporters are invigorated to see that, and YouSaveBabies is a great way for them to connect.”
The giving platform utilizes FundEasy, web software by Ministry Sync that has helped faith-based nonprofits raise over $35 million since its rollout in 2010. Individual pregnancy help organizations can choose to embed a YouSaveBabies giving badge on their donor websites to raise awareness for newly unveiled platform.
Heartbeat International affiliates in the U.S. and those available through Heartbeat International’s 24-7 contact center Option Line (1-800-712-HELP, OptionLine.org) are automatically listed in the YouSaveBabies network, which includes over 2,000 pregnancy help locations.
“This is a great step forward for our friends on the local level, and it’s another way we can work together to build a culture where no woman ever feels so alone or coerced that she feels abortion is her only choice,” Godsey said. “Pregnancy help provides compassionate support and real choice, and these life-saving organizations have a new friend in YouSaveBabies.”
About Heartbeat International
Heartbeat International is the first network of pro-life pregnancy help organizations founded in the U.S. (1971), and the largest network in the world. With 2,000 affiliated pregnancy help locations—including pregnancy help medical clinics (with ultrasound), resource centers, maternity homes, and adoption agencies—Heartbeat serves on all six inhabited continents to provide alternatives to abortion.
Heartbeat International Celebrates 2,000th affiliate, Option Line’s 13th Anniversary
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday | February 23, 2016
Contact: Jay Hobbs, Director of Communications and Marketing
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
COLUMBUS, OH - Less than two months into the calendar year, 2016 is shaping up to be a major marker in Heartbeat International’s history. The network is welcoming its 2,000th affiliated pregnancy help organization and celebrating the 13th anniversary of its 24-7 pregnancy helpline, Option Line.
Called into existence by local pregnancy centers in 1971 as the first-ever network of pregnancy help, Heartbeat International’s 2,000th affiliate is First Choice Pregnancy Center, a medical center offering free ultrasound scanning, STI testing, pregnancy testing and more in Weatherford, Oklahoma, home of Southwestern Oklahoma State University.
The center’s executive director, Kathy Gibson, whose journey to pro-life work began shortly after she experienced an abortion, attended Heartbeat International’s Pregnancy Help Institute in Dec. 2015, along with her executive assistant.
“In 20 years in this work, I have never experienced anything like it,” Gibson said of the Institute. “From there, joining Heartbeat International was a no-brainer. I feel like Heartbeat is in touch with who we are and where we are, and we love the personal touch that Heartbeat offers.”
Option Line (1-800-712-HELP; OptionLine.org) represents one of the central visions of Heartbeat International’s founding generation—comprised of pro-life ob-gyns and an unsung hero of the Holocaust—of a hotline connecting callers with help near them.
Since answering its first call in 2003, Option Line has responded to over 2.35 million contacts, including phone calls, live chats, texts and emails. The helpline answered over 243,000 contacts—650 every day—in 2015. Option Line also increased its web traffic in 2015 by launching a new iteration of OptionLine.org, and has expanded its capability of connecting contacts directly to local pregnancy help to over 500 locations.
Overall, Option Line refers to 2,250 pregnancy help organizations throughout the U.S. and Canada.
“It’s incredible to think of the children who are becoming teenagers this year who may never have been if not for Option Line,” Bri Laycock, director of operations for Option Line, said. “We are convinced now more than ever that local pregnancy help is what makes the difference between life and abortion for so many mothers. That’s why our energies have always been—and will always remain—focused on connecting callers and website visitors to pregnancy help people near them.”
At 2,000 affiliate locations worldwide, including a presence on every inhabited continent, Heartbeat International continues to be the largest network of pregnancy help.
Hosting its 45th Annual Conference March 29-31 in Atlanta, Heartbeat International announced a leadership transition in early January, as Peggy Hartshorn, Ph.D., the organization’s president of 22 years, took on new responsibilities as Chairman of the Board, promoting longtime vice president Jor-El Godsey as only the second president in the 45-year history of the network.
“I don’t want to have an abortion, but…”
It is just after 8am, and I sit at my desk with a hot cup of coffee waiting for the phone to ring. I’ve just logged in, and she is my first call of the day.
I clear my throat, pick up the phone, and say “Hi, this is the helpline, how can I help you?”
The anxious voice of a young woman responds, “My teacher told me about your number, she said that you might be able to help me. I just found out I’m pregnant, and I don’t want to have an abortion, but I don’t feel like I’m stable enough to raise a child.”
We hear this often “I don’t want to have an abortion, but…” It can be followed by almost any reason: my boyfriend doesn’t want to be a father yet, I don’t have enough money to raise a child, I’m afraid of what my friends will think of me, I’m afraid I won’t be able to finish my education, I don’t know anything about how to take care of a baby. Whatever the reason, these callers already know in their hearts what they really want; that is, to provide their child with the best life possible.
They are loving mothers who simply need affirmation that they are capable of overcoming whatever challenging circumstances they face by choosing life for their children. They are the reason we do what we do.
In the split second I have to consider the best way to encourage this young woman, her words resound in my mind “I don’t want to have an abortion...”
“Well, I’m so glad you called us today. I want you to know that there IS help available for women in your situation! Our local pregnancy help centers can offer a number of free services to help throughout the pregnancy, such as: parenting classes, material aid, community referrals, and mentoring. They can help you become the kind of mother you clearly want to be. Let me find a center nearby, what is your zip code?”
I can hear the relief in her voice as she tells me the zip code, and I locate a pregnancy center nearby that I know will offer the tangible, face-to-face support she needs to face her unique set of challenges.
“Thank you SO much!” I can tell she is smiling now. I offer one last word of encouragement,
“They will have a trained counselor available to help you sort through your pregnancy options if you are still unsure about what you want to do, but most importantly, I want you to know that there IS support available and you don’t have to do this alone. I wish you, and your little one, the very best!”
She giggles as she expresses heartfelt gratitude again, and we say goodbye.
We need your generous support to keep Option running each month.
For just $4 a call or $1,500 a day, you can ensure Option Line will be available 24/7 to reach and rescue lives from abortion.
Thank you for all you do to reach and rescue lives around the clock, every day!
Great commercial, Doritos!
Life Reach Global South and Central America
South and Central American International Partners
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Centro de Ayuda para la Mujer Latinoamericana |
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Bahamas GodParent Center |
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Life Reach Global Europe
Life Reach Global Asia
Asian International Partners
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Pregnancy Support Services of Asia (PSSA) |
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South Korea: Women's Hope Center |
Life Reach Global Africa
Teka Brown
Teka Brown
I am a small town girl from Oregon and I’m so honored to be representing StandUpGirl. I was a teen mom and StandUpGirl was there to help and support me through my pregnancy with my daughter. I was so fortunate to have had such encouraging support from the Pregnancy Resource Center in Coos Bay, that I am able to stand here today and honestly tell you I am a proud parent of three beautiful children: Tailor seven, Trae four, Tomas two and one on the way.
I am a 26 year old dedicated Military Wife, currently stationed in Okinawa, Japan with my husband Kyle, who is a Sergeant in the Marines. Kyle and I have been happily married for six years and we have been together for ten. I am not going to say that it was always easy but we did it and we continue to stay focused on our faith, to use our story as a testimony to others. Having a baby as a teenager isn’t the end of your life, it’s just a new beginning.
I was raised in a Christian home with strong morals and core values with high expectations from my family. I would go to church twice a week, work a job, manage a youth basketball team, as well as be actively involved in a youth group. I have great parents who I have an inseparable bond with. My wonderful mom Roxanne, who is my rock, instilled in me at a young age how to be strong and resilient. She went through a rough first marriage to my biological father, but the neglect and abuse got to be too much. She was divorced by the time I was two and we were living with my grandma while my mom provided for me. During that time I don’t remember ever seeing my biological father. Thankfully, my mom eventually met Wayne, my forever dad and they got married when I was 4.
Wayne is the epitome of an amazing dad and husband. He CHOSE to adopt me and keep me for his own. He has always been there by my side willing to teach and encourage me through life. He taught me to be responsible and independent. He also taught me right from wrong and how to treat others. I could talk for days about how amazing my dad is. Wayne is the type of father that any daughter would aspire to have. His choice to CHOOSE me, was one of the many reasons I chose to keep my baby.
As a child, I was homeschooled up until 5th grade and my parents enforced strict rules and discipline in our home. At the start of 6th grade, I was not only entering middle school, but beginning my educational experience in the public school system. Let’s just say, things began to change. Because I was homeschooled, I was unaware of what really went on in public school. For the most part, I drifted through middle school as an innocent and sometimes naive kid. I had no idea about some of the topics my friends were talking about or the sexual innuendos that were said. It was very odd to me that kids my age spoke this way. I did my best to keep away from those situations and focus on my school work and church.
Once in high school, I was teased constantly. The kids called me a “goodie two shoes”, and “the church girl.” The teasing hurt, though I never showed the pain. I was strong and independent. I slowly stopped vocalizing my Love for Christ. I kept it hidden. I didn’t understand why my so called friends would make fun of me. I was taught to treat others how you would want to be treated, and because the teasing continued, I thought I was in the wrong and it must not be the cool thing to do. It was all very discouraging. A few months into my high school career, I decided to start attending a local organization called Young Life. The mission of Young Life is to help the teens in our community who did not know Christ, or did not attend church. Through Young Life, I realized again why I loved Jesus, and where my heart needed to be. This is where I met my now husband, Kyle.
At first I just wanted to understand his life and let him know I was there to help in any way possible. Kyle had a tough childhood, much different than my own, but Kyle had an amazing smile, and a mature outlook on life. He had a way of making me laugh and his non-judgemental attitude made me feel good about myself. He genuinely wanted to get to know me. He showed interest in my passion for Jesus and would always ask questions, and even started coming to church with me. We started hanging out more and by the end of summer my sophomore year, we began dating. As I started to pay more attention to Kyle, and hang on every word and compliment he was saying, I slowly started to turn my back on God, and my Faith. I was so focused on how Kyle was making me feel, and thought he was the answer to all unspoken prayers. I was in love.
There is a song called “It’s a slow fade,” by Casting Crowns that pretty much summed up my junior year of high school. The Song talks about giving yourself away… Slowly. I felt as though my life was in a slow fade. Slowly going away from what I knew was right. Slowly my grades were declining. Slowly I was focusing less on my school and family. Eventually, I hit rock bottom.
The summer before my senior year, I found out I was pregnant with my daughter, Tailor. I was devastated! I was mad at Kyle, but mostly I was disappointed with myself, because I was suppose to know better. We made the choice to not use protection, which made the choice to possibly get pregnant. Becoming pregnant does not just affect you, it affects your whole family; the people you care most about.
I was ashamed, embarrassed and extremely distraught for days to say the least and to top it all off we had to tell our parents. We decided to have both families over to my house, and Kyle and I told them together. My parents took it really hard, and my dad blamed himself, thinking he didn’t raise me right. When in reality, I was the one who chose to go against my values and discipline. They were sad and disappointed. We were all worried about the future, and at that point, who isn’t?
Kyle and I had plans of our own. He wanted to play football in college and I wanted to go on to be a nurse. Our goals suddenly took a drastic turn. Our social lives also took a turn for the worse. Some of our friends were understanding and supportive, while others turned their backs on us when they heard that we were expecting. We had to face the truth that from this moment on, our lives would never be the same.
After much consideration, prayer, and my revived faith in God, we chose to keep our baby. Despite what our friends and some family thought; there was no way we could ever “get rid” of our child. A baby is a miracle of life, who am I to decide to take it away? I mean, I may have lost my way in the mist of love and lust but I wasn’t going to punish my unborn child for my bad decisions. Of course Kyle and I were scared. We had no idea where to start to plan for a kid, as we were still kids ourselves. We didn’t know where to turn for help. That is where StandUpGirl came in.
A close friend of mine had been a part of StandUpGirl for a long time. She encouraged me to find the forums and get to know girls that were going through the same situation. The girls online were nonjudgmental. They knew how to answer the tough questions and be there on those tough days. Through the StandUpGirl website I also found a local Pregnancy Resource Center in Coos Bay, Oregon. I was able to go there, hear my baby’s heartbeat, and talk with a counselor about my fears and struggles. They let me hold a life size image of my baby at that moment. I was 11 weeks. The baby I held in my hand had its own tiny feet, and had a already formed a cute little face. It really put things into perspective. I had a baby. I was in charge of this Tiny human. I bawled right there in the room. The PRC volunteer held me as we all cried together. I left with amazing resources, and I met some amazing women both online and at the center. I read some wonderful testimonies and blogs about how they overcame their fears and found ways to keep pressing towards their goals. I was able to find encouragement and support through this small organizational network ran by volunteers.
Later, I was asked by Gayle Atteberry to take part in StandUpGirls mission of reaching out and helping young girls in crisis pregnancy. Of course I said yes! All of the support I received from StandUpGirl while I was pregnant gave me the courage to stand up for what I believe in, and I have been blessed beyond measure helping the girls who contact us! It is so satisfying to see an email that has an attachment that says, “Here is my baby!” or “Thank you StandUpGirl! I couldn’t have done it without you!” We are making a difference in the lives of the next generation. Although we are few, we all strive to send a message to women that “You CAN do this!” and it is possible to still achieve your goals in life. In the past few years, I have taken on the task of posting and managing our Facebook page. In this time, we have seen an 860% growth in the number of followers on our Facebook page and we are reaching out to millions of women in crisis worldwide with a life-affirming message of hope and courage!
I stand before you today, thankful and humbled, because without my sin and shame, I wouldn’t be here. I realized that the sin was in the act and in not the child that I was blessed to have. Without StandUpGirls support, I would not have been able to make it through like I did; and for that I am forever thankful. I was able to graduate high school, and finish getting my CNA license. Presently, along with being a devoted mother and wife, I volunteer with Navy Marine Corps Relief Society, which helps support our Marines and Sailors financially. I am the president of the base football team, the ‘Okinawa Bulldogs’, I am a Tiny Mite cheerleading coach, as well as manage my own at home business.
Kyle was able to graduate on time as well and joined the military soon after. He has done an amazing job in taking care of our family, despite our many setbacks. He is still an avid football player as well as coach to the Tiny mite football team. He was just recently promoted to Sergeant and is a strong Godly leader for his men and our family. Kyle is still the love of my life and I am eternally grateful to God for giving me such a wonderful man and father for our children.
I try to always remember that, no matter what anyone thinks, you DO have a choices in life and there are other women who have faced similar situations that I want to help and support just like I was. The decision I made to keep my baby was the best decision I have ever made and I’ve never regretted it. My daughter and sons are my reason for living. Given the chance to go back in time, I wouldn’t change my decision because it, along with StandUpGirl, made me the strong, confident woman I am today.
