Displaying items by tag: networking

As war rages in Eastern Europe, one thing is certain—women in those affected areas will still need the real support offered by the pregnancy help movement.

Life-affirming organizations are by no means immune to the damage caused by war, and yet, they often become rallying points in their communities for aid in addition to their normal functions. Affected pregnancy help centers, maternity homes, non-profit adoption agencies, and abortion recovery programs will need prayer and financial support in the weeks and months to come.

Heartbeat International offers you a way to help, through our Helping Affiliated Life-Affirming Organizations (HALO) fund.

Heartbeat affiliates help each other in many ways, including through our own affiliates’ generous donations. Please consider giving to the HALO fund today, as we come alongside our friends who will struggle to rebuild in order to provide women with the compassionate support they need in order to choose life for their unborn children.

As always, keep an eye on your inbox and check PregnancyHelpNews.com for the most up to date information.

Unless pregnancy help organizations are there to set the standard for true compassion and support for women, someone else will—namely, Planned Parenthood.

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Planned Parenthood arrived not with needed material aid, food and shelter, but with abortifacients, including the morning-after pill. Similarly, local Planned Parenthood clinics responded to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 by offering free abortions, adding to New York City’s death toll in the city’s darkest hour.

There is no better time than now to come alongside your brothers and sisters through the HALO fund. You can give online today at www.heartbeatinternational.org/fund-halo.

Heartbeat collects information on organizations potentially in need so that we might be able to direct resources, if available. If you are aware of an Heartbeat affiliated organization in need of support, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with their information and situation.

I have always been a planner, and the birth of my first child was no exception. I had been married for 7 years, graduated college, and had a high paying job in the IT industry.  We had remodeled a bedroom into the perfect nursery, and purchased pretty much every piece of baby equipment sold – we were ready!

After our son was born we felt so fulfilled by our little family that we weren’t really sure if we would have more children. Then 3 years ago, I was laid off from my job.  It was also the start of the recession that hit the housing industry hard and my husband’s remodeling business was suffering as well. As a result of the layoff, we not only lost income, but also our health insurance.

It was at this point that we decided we definitely were not going to have any more children.  We would not be able to afford it, and we had no medical care. So we sold the crib, gave away the baby clothes we had saved just in case, and instead spent the next years focused on trying to survive a very tough economy.

Last spring, our son was about to turn five and I had plans to enroll in a master’s program in the fall to help me pursue a new career - and I found out I was pregnant. At first I was in denial thinking this isn’t possible, this can’t be right.

Then the denial turned to anxiety.  How we could possibly afford a new baby?  With no insurance, the hospital bills alone could bankrupt us. I worried about how difficult it would be to go back to school with a newborn and felt dread about “starting over” again; waking up in the middle of the night, hanging diapers, hauling around a stroller. It all seemed overwhelming.

Without a doctor, I didn’t even know where to begin, but I was able to receive a free ultrasound at our local pregnancy help center to determine how far along I was in the pregnancy.

Then she said, “You are pregnant with twins.”  I just burst into tears!

The anxiety I felt before the ultrasound turned into complete panic. We couldn’t afford one baby, how could we possibly afford two?

I panicked over what it would be like to carry twins – the chance of medical complications, or having to be on bed rest, perhaps for months. I worried about the likelihood of twins begin born premature and everything that would mean – from extended hospital stays, to astronomical medical bills, to the possibility that a premature birth could lead to a baby with special needs.

I worried about everything.  Our house wasn’t big enough, my car wasn’t big enough, I couldn’t possibly go back to school with two newborns. How could we afford cribs, highchairs, car seats, everything times two!  Not to mention the cost of diapers alone? There was no way we could have two babies.  Without health insurance, it felt irresponsible to do so. I was unsure if we would be able to provide for them, and I knew we could not afford medical care for them.

I was so overwhelmed; my body was shaking, and seeing my distress the volunteer asked if she could pray for me. Then another volunteer came in, and another, and they formed a circle of prayer, and thanked God for the blessings of the babies. But, it did not feel like a blessing to me. It felt like an impossible situation with only one solution.

But I believe it was their prayers led me to the StandUpGirl.com website and what I read convinced me that it was possible and there was another alternative to abortion.

The stories that impacted me the most were from unmarried, teenage girls who hadn’t completed their education.  Here I was: 35 years old, college educated, happily married.  If these young girls could do it, we could too! I realized that we had to make this work; we had to make a new plan - one that included the lives of our two babies!

On Dec. 12th of 2011, I gave birth to identical twin boys; both very healthy and weighing over 7lbs each.  They are a blessing.

StandUpGirl.com and our local pregnancy help center played such an important role in the decision making regarding my pregnancy and I cannot emphasize enough how important I think it is for StandUpGirl.com to list and make available access to the local pregnancy help organization on their home page.

StandUpGirl.com shows us that we can stand up and say “no” to abortion, and the pregnancy help centers provide on the ground support in our own neighborhoods.

At one point it seemed impossible to imagine having twins in our life, but thanks to all the young women who shared their stories on StandUpGirl.com, I could never image our lives without them.

By Angela, devoted mom of 3!

Your source for pregnancy help ministry resources 

For a listing of Pregnancy Help Centers, see the Worldwide Directory--an online directory of life affirming service providers around the world.

Abortion

Abortion Facts
Abortion Pill Reversal
Center Against Forced Abortions

Abortion Recovery

The Alliance for Post-Abortion Research and Training
An Even Place
Arise Daughter
International Helpline for Abortion Recovery
Deeper Still 
The Elliot Institute 
H3Helpline
Hope For The Heart Abortion Recovery
Institute of Reproductive Grief Care
Lumina
National Memorial for the Unborn
Operation Outcry
Project Rachel Ministry
Rachel's Vineyard
Ramah International
Reproductive Loss Network
Restoring the Heart Ministries
SaveOne 
She Found His Grace
Silent No More Awareness Campaign
Support After Abortion
Surrendering the Secret
Your Abortion Experience

Adoption

A Lifetime Adoption
Abiding Love Charities
BraveLove
Choosing Hope Adoption
Hope For Families
Lifeline Children's Services
Love Basket Domestic and International Adoption Ministry

Books and Movies

The Jesus Film Project

Fundraising/Marketing

Cause Based Commerce, Inc.
Choose Life License Plates
Choose Life Marketing
Cornerstone Payment Systems
Extend Web Services
FundEasy
iRapture
Learning is Created
Life Advancement Group
Liliana Grace Media & Marketing
KarlaSutter.com
Keener Marketing 
Life Support, Inc.
Plans for You, Inc.
Secret Key Publishing - (407) 671-4208
Stewardship Technology
Stories Marketing
Pregnancy Help Institute - Development Track
Veritas Society

Hotlines

Option Line - 24/7 National Pregnancy Center Hotline
H3Helpline
National Abortion Recovery Hotline - Concepts of Truth, Inc.
National Safe Haven Alliance

Incentive Program

Earn While You Learn
Just One Mom to Another - Pregnancy Help Center

Insurance

for Insurance FAQs, click here.

Barnard Donegan Insurance
Care Providers
Insurance One Agency, LC
Johnson-Witkemper Inc.
Patriot Insurance

Legal

Legal Protection for PHOs

Marriage

Retrouvaille
Worldwide Marriage Encounter

Men's Ministry

Dadhood
National Fatherhood Initiative
Save One

Mobile Units

ICU Mobile
Save the Storks

Pregnancy Center Affiliation Groups - U.S.

Heartbeat International
Maternity Housing Coalition
Care Net 
National Institute of Family & Life Advocates (NIFLA)
The Guiding Star Project

Pregnancy Center Affiliation Groups - International

Africa Cares for Life
Beautiful Feet International
Centro de Ayuda para la Mujer (CAM)
Pregnancy Care Canada
Heartbeat International
Pregnancy Help Australia
Pregnancy Support Services of Asia (PSSA)

Pregnancy Centers Software

eKyros
Next Level CMS
WayCool Software

Pregnancy Test

SMC Direct 
BTNX Inc (Canada) 
Heritage House
MediTests.com
Quick Medical
NPR Biomedical
PFLI 

Prenatal Development

The Endowment for Human Development
Little One Pregnancy Calendar

Prenatal Diagnosis

Be Not Afraid

Pro-Life Groups

40 Days for Life
AAPLOG
American Family Association
Americans United for Life (AUL)
American Values Coalition
California Nurses for Ethical Standards (CNES)
Feminists for Life
Focus on the Family
Healing the Culture
Life International 
Life Matters Worldwide
National Right to Life Committee
New Beginnings Home
North American Mission Board (NAMB)
The Obria Group, Inc.
PreBorn!
Priests for Life
Pro-Life Action League
Prolove Ministries
Revive Our Hearts
Sidewalk Advocates for Life
Students for Life
Trotter House

Pro-Life Resources

Abuse Recovery Ministry Services
Alliance Defending Freedom
And Then There Were None
BeCharityWise
Blessings International
Butterfield Foundation
Christian Counseling & Training Center 
Dollar Days International, Inc.
Embrace Grace
Envoy Financial
Five Stones Mentoring
Flutter-Effect
Focus on the Family
Frontlines
Heritage Community Services 
Heritage House '76
Hope for the Heart
International Bible Society 
Learning is Created
Life Call
Life Cycle Books
Little One Publishing 
Loving & Caring
Lutherans for Life
Medical Institute for Sexual Health
Operation Outcry, a ministry of The Justice Foundation
Pharmacists for Life
Priests for Life International 
Prolove Ministries
Psalm 51 Ministry
Reprotection
Respect Life
SperaVita Institute
Steno Institute
Students for Life
The Heart Share Group
True to Life Productions
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) 
Vitae Foundation
VirTru Training
Vision Video
WiLD Leaders

Pro-Life Speakers

Ambassador Speakers Bureau 
GOA Speakers
Human Life International
Kirk Walden
Pittsburgh's Essential Speakers
Premiere Speakers Bureau
Save One
The Pro-Life Speakers Bureau
The Love Chromosome - Derrick and Julie Tennant
You Don't Need Arms, LLC - Chet McDoniel

Research

Charlotte Lozier Institute
Family Research Council
Human Development Research Council
The Justice Foundation: Operation Outcry
Life Issues Institute
The Medical Institute for Sexual Health

Resale Shops

Metroplex Women's Clinic
Twice as Nice Resale

Sexual Wellness

Abstinence Educators' Network
National Abstinence Clearinghouse
Pure Freedom
Purity Works 
Relationships Under Construction
The Center for Relationship Education

STD Information

Medical Institute for Sexual Health

Teens

Ascend
The Center for Relationship Education
Jeffrey Dean Company
StandUpGirl.com Foundation

Ultrasound Equipment

ALPINION USA
Diagnostic Health Group, Inc.
Esaote USA
GE Healthcare
Northwest Ultrasound
Preferred Medical Systems
Probo Medical
Shimadzu Ultrasound (non-U.S. only)
United Medical Instruments

Ultrasound Resources

4US
Option Ultrasounds
Project Ultrasound 
Knights of Columbus

Ultrasound Training

LOVE Approach Ultrasound Clinical
Forget Me Not Ultrasound
Hope Imaging
Innovative Imaging Technology
NIFLA
Sound View Imaging
Sound Wave Images, Inc.

Website Design

Extend Web Services
iRapture.com

Worldwide Directory

Product Code: 10WWDIREC-14
Price: $25.00 (First copy complimentary to Heartbeat affiliates)

Listing more than 4,500 pro-life service organizations around the world, the annual Worldwide Directory is a must-have for offices and helplines, in order to refer clients to life-affirming services outside your community. You can also lead the charge and make sure your local libraries, doctor’s offices, counselors, and schools each have a copy.