Heartbeat serves as the leadership supply line for the growing Pregnancy HELP Movement worldwide. We train and equip Christian community leaders in the establishment of life-affirming, Christian-supported pregnancy help centers, ultrasound-equipped pregnancy help medical clinics, maternity homes for women and children, and non-profit adoption agencies. Local pregnancy help ministries provide women and couples the help they need to choose life, prepare to parent, or place for adoption.
As new directors arrive to lead pregnancy help ministries, Heartbeat provides them with foundational management and leadership training as well as intensive leadership assessment, and equips them with specialized resources. For example, they return home with Heartbeat’s counselor training manual, The Love Approach. Pregnancy help ministry leaders use it to train their staff and volunteers to serve women at risk for abortion with sensitivity, care, competence, and confidence.
Heartbeat International is a recognized by the IRS as a 501 (c) 3 charitable organization. Gifts to Heartbeat International are tax deductible. Heartbeat International does not receive any government funding. All funding to Heartbeat International is through private donations and grants. We are grateful for the trust and sacrifice of every supporter.
Our Financial Pledge:Generous giving and hard work toward a high calling make for a sacred partnership. We are committed to managing donor resources to achieve maximum impact at a minimum cost. All staff of Heartbeat International receives modest salaries and benefits. Our financial goal is to win trust, work faithfully, report regularly, and therefore produce an army of “glad givers” committed to ongoing partnership in this Great Work.
 |
Jor-El Godsey, President Jor-El Godsey serves as President of Heartbeat International. He leads a staff dedicated to equipping, empowering, and encouraging the thousands of leaders and developing leaders of Heartbeat’s affiliated pregnancy help centers, maternity homes, and adoption services, in the U.S. and on every inhabited continent. He oversees Heartbeat’s core mission to be the leadership supply line for the growing pregnancy help movement worldwide by providing accurate information, training resources, leadership development conferences, programs, and daily support to help affiliates start, grow, and expand their services to women and couples at risk for abortion. Jor-El comes to Heartbeat having served in the pregnancy help movement since 1988. He first served as a volunteer at Hope, the pregnancy help centers in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Then he joined their board, served as Chair, then as Executive Administrator. In 1999, Jor-El became Executive Director of Life Choices in Longmont, Colorado. Six years later, in 2006, Jor-El accepted the call to help Heartbeat International meet the diverse and expanding leadership needs of the pregnancy help movement as Vice-President. Now serving as the second President in Heartbeat International's 44 year history, preceded only by Peggy Hartshorn, he continues to remind us all that we are better together. Jor-El met his wife, Karen, at a volunteer training meeting for the Hope Center in Ft. Lauderdale. They currently make their home in Columbus, Ohio, with their three children. |
 |
Cindi Boston, Vice President A long-time leader in the pregnancy help community at the local, state, and national levels, Cindi Boston was named Heartbeat International's Vice President in January 2016. Cindi previously served on Heartbeat International's Board of Directors from 2013-15, and was recognized as a 2011 Heartbeat International Servant-Leader honoree. She chaired the board for Missouri's Alliance for Life that played a role in passing a state resolution honoring the work of pregnancy help organizations, as well as directing funds for specfiic services covered under Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Cindi has worked in the business, education and non-profit sectors in Kansas, Ohio, and Missouri since 1985. She was first elected to the first Board of Directors for the initial setup of Pregnancy Care Center (PCC) in the winter of 1998. She oversaw the center's growth from startup through the first 15 years of service, where the ministry reached 285,150 local women and men. Cindi is a graduate of Evangel University. She is a certified Life-Affirming Specialist (LAS) and was selected as one of the top 12 non-profit directors of underserved populations in Missouri. Cindi is the proud mother of two sons, Josh and Caleb. |
Board of Directors
 |
Margaret (Peggy) Hartshorn, Ph.D., Chairman of the Board Margaret H. (Peggy) Hartshorn, Ph.D., currently Chairman of the Board of Heartbeat International, has served on the Board for 30 years, as Chairman previously from 1990-2004. She also served as Heartbeat’s President for 23 years (1993-2015). Peggy co-founded Heartbeat International’s Option Line in 2002. It is the only 24/7, bilingual, internet-based, pro-life call center in the world. Option Line handles about a quarter of a million calls for help each year, connecting callers to their community-based pregnancy help center for life-saving and life-changing help. Peggy and her husband, Mike, joined the pro-life movement in 1973, first working with the educational, political, and legislative arm of the movement. They housed pregnant women in their home (beginning in 1974), attended their first Heartbeat conference in 1978, opened the first pregnancy help center in Columbus, Ohio, in 1981, and Peggy joined the leadership team of Heartbeat International in 1986 (as a member of the Board, later Chairperson and President of Heartbeat). Peggy has traveled to 52 countries, teaching and training, visiting existing pregnancy help organizations, and helping to start new ones in Eastern and Western Europe, Australia, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. She has also appeared on television and radio as a spokesperson for pro-life and life-affirming alternatives to abortion, and she is the author of Foot Soldiers Armed with Love: The First Forty Years of Heartbeat International. Peggy is the recipient of many awards for pro-life work, including: President’s Volunteer Service Award under President George H.W. Bush, the J.C. Penney Golden Rule Award, the Defender of Life Award from Students for Life, the Cardinal John J. O’Connor pro-life award from Legatus International, the Norrine A. and Raymond E. Ruddy Memorial Life Prizes Award, the Sanctity of Human Life Award from Care Net, the Patrick Cardinal O’Boyle Award from the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars, the Founder’s Award from the Christ Child Society, the Catholic Woman of the Year Award from the Diocese of Columbus (Ohio), the Life Champion Award from Pregnancy Support Services of Asia, the Woman of Impact Award from WRFD Christian Radio, and the Praesidium Vitae Award from Aid for Women. Peggy has been married to Mike for 46 years, and they have two children, adopted as infants, and 5 grandchildren.
|
|
|
Keith Armato Keith Armato is President of the Union Street Tin Co. based in Chicago, IL. Keith is the third generation of his family to carry on the tradition of decorative metal packaging since his grandfather Michaele came to the United States from Sicily and founded the company in 1908 manufacturing olive oil cans. Keith and Mary Armato have been married for 41 years and have two children and five grandchildren. Keith and Mary spent their honeymoon in Italy and have returned to the country over 50 times introducing family, friends and business associates to the culture and especially the religious heritage of Italy and particularly Rome. Keith is a Knight of Malta and a Knight of St. George. He has served two terms on the national Board of Governors of Legatus, the National Fund for Catholic Religions Vocations, and the Saint Pio Foundation. |
|
|
Christine Dattilo Christine Dattilo is a nonprofit technology strategist helping organizations connect and build relationships with an online generation. Chris has worked with churches, mission organizations, community groups, pregnancy help centers and Heartbeat International as a strategic consultant and web strategist. Chris and her husband Joe live in South Carolina. |
 |
Doug Grane In addition to his 20-year commitment to promoting a culture of life, Doug is an entrepreneur who recently co-founded a private equity and angel investing firm. Previous senior leadership positions include: pro-life non-profit, public relations/public affairs, transportation and commercial real estate. Doug and his wife Mary, married 18 years, live in suburban Chicago with their daughter and three sons. |
|
|
Chris Humphrey, Ph.D. Chris Humphrey, Ph.D., is a long-time pastor, writer, educator and pro-life leader whose most recent work in the life-affirming field is as co-founder and executive director of Vision for Life. Based in Pittsburgh, Vision for Life has partnered with national pro-life groups including Virtue Media, Online for Life and Heroic Media in efforts to connect women in unexpected pregnancies with local help. After starting out his journey in ministry with the Salvation Army in the late 1970s, Chris served as executive director for Coalition for Life, a pro-life lobbying group in Ottawa, in the mid-1980s. He has since served in a variety of writing, editing and educational roles, and currently edits a monthly magazine, The Word, which is published by the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. Originally from Ottawa, Chris and his wife, Edith, have three grown daughters and 12 grandchildren. |
 |
Derek A. McCoy Executive Vice President of C.U.R.E. (Center for Urban Renewal and Education), Rev. Derek McCoy has led non-profit organizations and initiatives that have stood to serve the advancement of the family and promoted righteousness and justice in our culture. He is also the Principal of TMG Management & Consulting which works on issue based projects to have an impact on the culture nationally. McCoy has been a consistent advocate in the building of coalitions, government relations, and media on key issues such as the protection of life, marriage, and the family. He served as Sr. Vice President of The High Impact Leadership Coalition and serves as Associate Pastor of Hope Christian Church. He has been instrumental in conducting Educational Summits with pastors, community leaders, and citizens on issues that are affecting the culture. His consistent, proven, and thorough work has allowed him to become a trusted resource for many elected officials, leaders, and pastors. McCoy has appeared as a guest on NBC, CBS, FOX, ABC, NPR , Gospel Today and Family News in Focus and has been in publications such as Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post and The Washington Times. Derek is married to his “girlfriend” Cathy for 23 years. They have 3 incredible children: Derek Jr., Justin and Cailin. |
 |
John Murphy John Murphy is an accomplished Silicon Valley serial entrepreneur and technology innovator. His project management, marketing and organizational skills resulted in his being appointed President and CEO of one of the largest personal computer peripherals manufacturers in the world. Following this he became CEO of a sophisticated real-time imagery software company working primarily with the Department of Defense and U.S. systems integrators to deliver very fast, high end reconnaissance solutions to each of the four branches of the armed services. As commercial applications for this technology developed, Mr. Murphy became the Sr. Vice President and General Manager of two IP based video surveillance software companies and is the founder of United in Purpose, a not-for-profit, non-partisan GOTV organization as well as several other non-profit (501c3) enterprises. Mr. Murphy has been married 39 years, has three adult children, two precious grandsons and an unquenchable passion for our nation's founding principles that have been pivotal in why he is pro-life and active on the issue! |
 |
Zeke Swift Zeke Swift brings to non-profit work 23 years of global marketing, issue management and organization design experience at Procter & Gamble, the world’s largest consumer product company. Prior to P&G, Zeke had six years of commissioned service in the US Army. Zeke co-founded the Southern Africa HIV-AIDS Collaboration (SAHAC) and consults with for-profit and not-for-profit organizations in the areas of strategy, organization development and issue management. Zeke has been married to Beth for 43 years. They have three grown children and six grandchildren. He is an elder at Mariemont Community Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, and, with Beth, has an extensive personal discipleship, marriage, and small group ministry. |
|
|
Gary Thome Gary Thome brings his expertise managing multi-billion dollar businesses to Heartbeat International to help create a culture of life in our society. He is passionate about spreading the gospel of life to all. When not serving Heartbeat, Gary serves as vice president of strategy for a large multi-national technology company. He is also very active in several ministries at his local church. Gary and Pam, his wife of nearly 20 years, are the parents of five beautiful children. Each is a testament to the power of life. |
 |
John Wootton A graduate of Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri, John Wootton is an ordained minister with the Assemblies of God. He has served since 2008 as an executive officer of the Ohio Ministry Network in the position of Network Superintendent, and previously as Network Secretary. For eight years, John served as the district men’s ministries director, as well as the assistant to District Superintendent Robert Crabtree. Prior to that time, John was a minister on staff at two Ohio churches (Trinity Assembly of God in Columbus and Bethel Temple Assembly of God in Parma). His wife, Brigette is the Network Women’s Ministries Director and Silver Buckeyes Director. They have four children, Tyler, Clayton, Abigail, and Olivia. |
 |
Sherry Wright In 2008, Sherry Wright helped start The Open Door Pregnancy and Family Resource Center in Cisco, Texas. In 2011, The Open Door expanded into Breckenridge, Texas with another medical pregnancy resource center. Sherry has been the president of the board since 2008. In addition, Sherry serves on the prayer teams of Mountain Top Church and The American Renewal Project. She has had leadership positions in many local community organizations and had a board position with another national pro-life organization. Sherry and her husband, Billy, have been married for forty three years. They are blessed with two wonderful daughters Annie and Becca, who are married to Ryan and Brad respectively. Sherry and Billy have five grandchildren who are the joy of their lives. |
 Heartbeat International proudly serves over 3,800 pregnancy help organizations. All of Heartbeat International’s affiliated pregnancy help providers, whether they are pregnancy help centers, maternity homes, or adoption services, make a commitment to serve their community with:    |
 |
Affiliates adopt “Our Commitment of Care and Competence.”
 |
 |
Not all pregnancy centers offer medical services. If you have questions about the services offered at this pregnancy center, please ask to speak to a center representative.
On November 13, 1971, Dr. John Hillabrand, a Toledo, Ohio, obstetrician, and Lore Maier, a refugee from Nazi Germany, formed Alternatives to Abortion, a network of hotlines and pregnancy help services. Knowing that legalized abortion would spread rapidly around the world, they soon became Alternatives to Abortion International (AAI).
On January 22, 1973, the United States Supreme Court handed down its landmark decision in Roe v. Wade, reshaping the national landscape by legalizing abortion. This pivotal ruling not only nullified existing state abortion restrictions but also established a federally protected right to abortion, removing state-level regulatory power. This decision catalyzed an expansion of abortion access across the country, underscoring the urgent need for pregnancy help services to support women facing unplanned pregnancies.
By 1993, about 75 original contacts had grown to about 200 affiliates and AAI changed its name to Heartbeat International. More and more Catholic and Evangelical Christians felt called to help and start calling for help. We became the “go-to” place for start-up manuals, model programs, leadership training conferences, and a place to go for advice and prayer.
Through a joint venture with CareNet, Option Line took it's first call in 2003. While it's no longer a joint venture, Option Line continues to serve as a 24/7 pregnancy help contact center open any time, to anyone reaching out for help, answering more than 1,100 connections each day via phone call, live chat, texting, and email.
Dr. George Delgado, founder of the Abortion Pill Rescue Network, was looking for a partner to enhance and expand abortion pill reversal. A year later, Heartbeat International officially took over the management of the APRN. Since then, we have had the opportunity to share these miraculous stories with legislators, reporters, and other pregnancy help organizations!
On June 24, 2022, Roe v. Wade, in its fiftieth year, was finally overturned. The Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling, written by Justice Samuel Alito, masterfully disassembled Roe’s deeply flawed legal footing, releasing each state to protect the lives of women and their babies from the predatory practices of abortion providers. Unfortunately, the ruling also allowed states to reaffirm or advance abortion practices and provisions.
Over 50 years later, Heartbeat International's story continues to take exciting and challenging turns as we develop leaders to supply a growing pregnancy help movement. From the underserved urban neighborhoods—so often targeted by Big Abortion—to the rural reaches, the mission field created by abortion calls us to impact more lives.
The best alternative to abortion is another person.
Today, Heartbeat International serves over 3,800 affiliated pregnancy help locations, maternity homes, and non-profit adoption agencies on every continent.
 |
 |
 |
 |
Our story continues as simply one of helping God’s people discover the life-saving, death-defying, soul-satisfying, and God-glorifying power of neighborly love.
Read more about our story in "The Power of Pregnancy Help," a history of the pregnancy help community by Heartbeat International Board Chairwoman, Peggy Hartshorn, Ph.D., and President Jor-El Godsey.
Follow along with us: Subscribe to receive weekly news in your inbox!
  |
Heartbeat's Life-Saving Vision is a world where every new life is welcomed and children are nurtured within strong families, according to God’s Plan, so that abortion is unthinkable.
Heartbeat's Life-Saving Mission is to Reach and Rescue as many lives as possible through an effective global network of life-affirming pregnancy help that Renews communities for LIFE.
To achieve our mission, we:
Even though little Emma Grace was conceived by teens – regularly a death sentence under the rule of Roe v. Wade – her parents, with the help of the Pregnancy Care Center, welcomed her, with all her inherent value, into their newly formed family. Ahna and Garrett Roney were seventeen and eighteen when they chose to marry and to make a family with the infant they welcomed.
The Roney’s story about Heartbeat International’s affiliate in Springfield, MO is a testament to how practical help and emotional support for a young couple can turn a difficult time into a much-welcomed blessing.
This is just one of the examples of the life-saving work of Heartbeat International’s compassionate network of care highlighted in “A Passion to Serve: How Pregnancy Resource Centers Empower Women, Help Families, and Strengthen Communities,” the updated report from Family Research Council (FRC).
 |
| You are invited to join this very special webcast! |
This report shines a light on the positive contributions of pregnancy centers, maternity homes, adoption agencies and pregnancy help medical clinics. These faith-based nonprofits brighten a woman’s future with the support she needs to bring new life into the world.
While tracing the history of concern and care for pregnant women, this report focuses on the positive ways pregnancy support organizations are strengthening their communities. It describes the impact of the pregnancy help movement by detailing, through statistical summaries and case studies, the extraordinary ways centers are meeting the needs of women, youth, and families.
Pregnancy centers served over 2.3 million people with pregnancy assistance, abstinence counseling and education, community outreach programs and referrals, and public health linkages. A conservative estimate of community cost savings for these serves during 2010 is over $100 million, according to the FRC report.
The report also includes endorsements from public figures like this one from U.S. Rep. Daniel Lipinski, (D, IL-3):
“The success rates and national expansion of these pregnancy care centers are a testament to their invaluable work in the lives of communities and individuals over the years. These networks provide services that are often unavailable elsewhere to expectant mothers.”
The pregnancy help network is one of the greatest volunteer service movements in the history of our country with around 71,000 volunteers performing an estimated 5,705,000 uncompensated hours of work in 2010.
Click here to download your copy of Passion to Serve.
Heartbeat International works to inspire and equip Christian communities worldwide to rescue women and couples from abortion through the development of neighborhood pregnancy help centers, maternity homes, and adoption services. These ministries provide life-saving help in a truly life-changing way by assisting women who are at risk for abortion with the life-affirming, practical support they need to choose life, then prepare them to parent or to place for adoption. Heartbeat serves as the leadership supply line for the Pregnancy HELP Movement worldwide.
'
