For Immediate Release

August 28, 2023
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.                    

New way to connect parents to those who can help them navigate their unique circumstance

COLUMBUS, OH - Prenatal Diagnosis Initiative (PDI), a working group of pregnancy support organizations, has launched its PrenatalDiagnosis.org website. This resource serves parents facing a prenatal diagnosis and gives them access to accurate information on prenatal genetic screening and diagnostic testing, support resources, various prenatal diagnoses, and pregnancy options. Contributors to the website include Heartbeat International and Option Line, Charlotte Lozier Institute, Her PLAN, Be Not Afraid, and String of Pearls. 

The website also links users to Heartbeat International’s 24/7 pregnancy-related helpline, Option Line, that connects parents facing a diagnosis to a Parent Care Coordinator (PCC) in their region. PCCs are trained to provide trauma-informed care to parents throughout the rest of their pregnancy and for one year following birth. This care includes help navigating medical options, advocating for their baby, developing a plan for birth and newborn care, offering grief support, and more.

PDI recognizes that parents who have received a prenatal diagnosis are facing unexpected challenges and they deserve care and support as they contemplate the next steps for themselves, their baby, and the rest of their family. The website was born out of a desire to provide medically accurate, trauma-informed information to parents or family members who may be searching after receiving a positive screening or diagnostic test result. Option Line and its connection to a PCC will help meet the needs of those parents with compassionate care and support.

 “After fourteen years of supporting parents carrying to term following a prenatal diagnosis, our organization recognized the need to develop a professional training program that was trauma-informed, research-based, parent-centered, and life affirming.  We feel blessed to support other organizations in the development of services which address the crisis of a prenatal diagnosis with comprehensive support, and we are very happy with the feedback we are getting from those who have completed the Be Not Afraid Parent Care Coordinator Training,” said Tracy Winsor, Be Not Afraid Co-Founder and Parent Program Director.

 “Upon receiving a positive prenatal test result, parents deserve to receive the best information available regarding carrying their child to term and an offer of support in walking the journey. I've seen firsthand the positive impact for children, families, and communities.” - Gary Thome, Heartbeat International board member and PDI founding member

###

 Prenatal Diagnosis Initiative is a collaboration of Heartbeat International, Option Line, Charlotte Lozier Institute, Her PLAN, Be Not Afraid, and String of Pearls. Learn more at PrenatalDiagnosis.org

Her Problem:

• She feels alone
• She encounters relentless marketing promoting abortion
• She feels forced to make a quick decision
• She knows few options beyond abortion
• She has medical questions and concerns

Her Solution: 

The Option Line contact center answers cries for help 24/7/365, provides bilingual service every hour, and connects with 1,100 abortion shoppers each day providing them with immediate care and connecting them to life-affirming pregnancy help. Since 2003, more than 5 Million women have contacted Option Line for help.

You have an opportunity to bring hopeful messages about options, resources, and the value of a child to key influencers.

• The average woman is uninformed about life-affirming pregnancy options when abortion shopping
• Help prepare her influencers with critical language that supports her and encourages life decisions
• We need to combat the increased selling of abortion by Big Media
• Potential Reach = Nearly 100M for each Cable-TV commercial and digital campaign

(If you need help setting up your Amazon Baby Registry, click here for a how-to guide.) 

Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, the champion of Dobbs, has rallied other pro-life Attorneys General who are eager to celebrate you and your life-affirming work. And your state's AG said yes! So, together, we are collecting Amazon Baby Registries from pregnancy help organizations in your state and eight others for a virtual baby shower.

if you live in Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota, or Utah, your Attorney General has said "yes!" to supporting this event! If your state's Attorney General is not listed in the form below, that means that they have not committed to participate in this year's donation drive event and therefore, you will not be listed on the main page with Her PLAN. We encourage you, still, to take this idea and create your own Amazon baby registry to share with your community. This is a great way to connect with your community and provide a tangible way for them to show support for your great work!

Simply complete the form below sending us a link to your Amazon Baby Registry by June 12, 2023. That's it! We want you to capitalize on this unique, multi-state opportunity!

Complete the form below by: June 12, 2023 
Event dates: June 19-24, 2023
Location: Online
​​​​​​​Questions? Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We are happy to help! 

by Lori DeVillez, Founder and CEO of Trotter House, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

When I think of “Be[ing] Still and Know[ing] He is God” – my first thought is FREEDOM. When we truly know who God is and who we are in Him, there is great freedom. The question is: How do we completely know Him and truly understand who we are in Him? 

Let’s look at the 5 points of the cross:

1. Be comfortable letting God gaze upon you and hear Him. Think of a happy memory place – that deep inner peace.  First, knowing Him and speaking His many different names invites Him into our hearts. Here are a few that have begun to stand out to me: 

• Elohim:  Mighty Creator – Genesis 1:1
• Jehovah Jireh:  God My Provider – Genesis 22:13-14
• Elohim Shama:  The God Who Hears – Exodus 2:24
• El Sela:  God My Rock – Psalm 31:3
• El Roi:  God Who Sees Me – Genesis 16:13
• El Shaddai:  The All Sufficient One, God Almighty – Genesis 17:1
• Jehovah Ezrah:  My Helper – Psalm 27:9
• El HaNeeman:  The God Who Is Faithful – Deuteronomy 7:9
• Elah Yerushalem:  God of Jerusalem – Ezra 7:19
• Elohay Selichot:  The God Who Is Ready to Forgive – Nehemiah 9:17
• Elohim Ahavah:  The God Who Loves – Jeremiah 31:3
• Georgos:  The Gardener – John 15:1
• Akal Esh:  Consuming Fire – Deuteronomy 4:24
• Jehovah Uzzi:  The Lord My Strength – Psalm 28:7
• Immanuel:  God With Us – Isaiah 7:14
• Basilei ton Aionon:  King Eternal – I Timothy 1:17
• Migdal Oz:  Strong Tower – Psalm 67:3
• Shaphat:  Judge – Genesis 18:25
• Uah:  Self Existence – “I Am” – Exodus 15:2
• Jehovah Gibbor Milchamah:  Mighty in Battle – Psalm 24:8
• Jehovah Geol:  Redeeming God – Isaiah 49:26
• Sar Shalom:  Prince of Peace – Isaiah 9:6
• Jehovah Nissi:  The Lord My Banner – Exodus 17:15
• Jehovah Raah:  The Lord Is My Shepherd – Psalm 23:1-3
• Jehovah Rapha:  The Lord Who Heals – Exodus 15:26
• Jehovah Shammah:  The Lord Is There – Ezekiel 48:35
• Jehovah Sabaoth:  The Lord of Hosts – Isaiah 1:24
• Hode:  Majesty – Job 37:22-23
• Maron:  Dwelling Place – Psalm 90:1

2. What is God’s grace? Understanding the grace of God is very valuable too. God’s grace. Amazing grace. Matchless grace upon our lives brings us freedom.

3. Put yourself into Scripture. I think of the woman at the well and meeting someone so amazing who knows all about me and still loves me, David and Goliath and the mighty battles we fight for LIFE, and Daniel in the lion's den and trusting God confidently and full of trust in no matter what we may face.

4. Learn to talk with Jesus as our best friend. Listen and be totally honest. I must know who I am in Christ!  When a negative thought comes to my mind, I must line it up with the Word of God (taking every thought captive). If it does not line up, then I cast that thought out and replace it with who I know I am in Christ.  Here are a few examples:

• I am complete in Him Who is the head over all rule and authority—of every angelic and earthly power (Colossians 2:10).
• I am alive with Christ (Ephesians 2:5).
• I am free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2).
• I am far from oppression, and will not live in fear (Isaiah 54:14).
• I am born of God, and the evil one does not touch me (1 John 5:18).
• I am holy and without blame before Him in love (Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:16).
• I have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16; Philippians 2:5).
• I have the peace of God that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

5. Always journal your experience. He speaks to us and it is always encouraging to look back and realize He is right here with us.

In Being Still and Knowing that He is God. . . we must truly take these examples above and put them into practice in our everyday lives. 

I have a powerful video I want to share with you here: This is powerful… life and love are beautiful...

Be still and know. . . Listen for the Father’s voice and open your eyes . . . He is here and He loves you more than we could ever know. . . Blessings be upon you on this day!

What It Means to Be a Sister Center

Being a Sister Center will allow you the opportunity to participate in monthly calls with an international counterpart. These calls can be used to:

• pray for one another
• garner a fuller understanding of pregnancy help throughout the world
• share ideas as to how to connect with clients and potential clients

The Sister Center program is not intended as a fundraiser.

by Ashley Vance, RN, BSN, LAS, Heartbeat International Healthcare Team Manager

The saints will throw their crowns at His feet. The angels cry out “Holy, Holy, Holy!” Every knee will bow and tongue will confess.

He sits on the most glorious throne reigning over a kingdom so magnificent the streets are gold, and our human mind can’t even begin to comprehend it.

He is the ultimate power, love, truth, and righteousness.

But where is He?

He is everywhere, and He is with every single woman regretting her abortion. Imagine seeing all of them. From the beginning of time until the very last. Every single life lost from around this fallen world—He knows them by name.

He brought them into existence, lovingly knit them together, and cares so much for every single one.

He is with the woman in the bathroom desperately trying to throw up the pill, the one searching the internet from the parking lot of the abortion clinic, and the one who can’t sleep at night heartbroken over what she’s done.

He leads them, He guides them, He gives them eyes to see and ears to hear. He shows them love, mercy, and He guides them to APRN. The rescue, the hope, the second chance, and the network that loves them too!

Find yourself wondering what insurance is needed for maternity housing? What kind of insurance coverages are needed and what kind of company sells those policies? We dive a little deeper into the topic for you below.

Insurance

Some types of insurance are regulated, others are industry-standard, and others are optional. Getting the appropriate amount of insurance is a balance of risk assessment. Recognize that insurance companies are motivated to sell insurance policies that often represent worst-case scenarios. Likewise, organizations should protect and prepare themselves for challenging circumstances that may arise. Involving Board members with insurance experience in the conversation may help an organization find its “comfort zone.” Insurance companies are a great resource for advice on how an organization can reduce risk. Larger insurance companies may even have a “risk assessment professional” that can do a site visit to offer feedback and suggestions.

General Liability

General Liability insurance is related to accidents that may result in bodily or personal injury or property damage. The cost is determined by the insurer’s assessment of risk based on the number of people involved, the size of the facility, the activities of the organization, etc. In some cases, the organization may ask or be asked to be listed as an “additional insured” for specific reasons (i.e. an event held on a rented property). This is common and easily done by calling one’s insurance agent.

Property Insurance or Renter’s Insurance

Property insurance covers the expense of damage to or destruction of the building and its contents. Various factors affect how a property insurance policy is crafted (e.g. replacement cost vs actual cost). Renter’s insurance, used when a property is being leased, covers solely the contents (not the structure). Organizations must weigh the cost-benefit analysis of valuing the contents at replacement cost, even if donated.

Directors and Officers Insurance

Directors and officers insurance (commonly referred to as D&O Insurance) is insurance for lawsuits due to wrongful acts or mismanagement of the organization most commonly related to employment practices. Requiring the organization to have D&O Insurance is frequently an expectation of experienced Board members.

Automotive Insurance

Any vehicles owned by the organization will need to be insured. If the organization does not own vehicles, it may choose to have a “hired and non-owned” policy that augments the private insurance of volunteers and staff members who may be driving on behalf of the organization. Some drivers and/or vehicles are considered higher risk (i.e. young drivers, 15-passenger vans) and will have higher premiums. Homes are advised to avoid any language related to offering medical care as auto policies have been known to group maternity homes into the costly category of ambulatory medicine.

Professional Liability Insurance

Professional liability insurance addresses the liability related to the professional services of counselors, social workers, and other professionals. If the organization is hiring someone with a professional designation as an employee (rather than an independent contractor), it will need to assume professional liability insurance. The issues related to the scope of practice, covered elsewhere, are critical for this reason.

Life Insurance

Organizations may choose to take out a life insurance policy on a key employee(s) and name the organization as the beneficiary. This is done if the death of the employee would have a very substantial and immediate impact on the organization.

Worker’s Compensation

Worker’s compensation provides coverage for job-related injuries and illnesses and may be required by law depending on jurisdiction and the number of employees.

Life-Affirming Insurance Companies

Heartbeat has a list of preferred insurance companies that have worked well for pregnancy help organizations for years. Click here to learn more.

This and more amazing resources for homes are included in Maternity Housing Essentials - Heartbeat's key resource for anyone starting or maintaining a maternity housing program.

by Cindi Boston-Bilotta, Vice President of Mission Advancement, Heartbeat International

You are incredible change-makers in your community. You plan, follow through, inspire, sacrifice, lead, and come alongside women who will make life-and-death decisions. Their lives are changed forever because of what you do!

But how do you communicate success to your financial partners?

A 2022 Stanford Social Innovation Review study gave a comparable view with metrics shifting donations from charities with only a good pitch to those with supportive results. When combined with a good pitch, including “features” of an organization, metrics create a winning combination. More than 70 percent of surveyed donors said they care about metrics.

Interesting! Donors desire an emotional connection to their giving and want data-driven investment. The goal of donor care is to respect the interests and passions of donors. But how do you communicate the success so your financial sponsors so they can grasp the storyline in statistics? We show change through storytelling and relevant metrics to show return on investment.

When storytelling and statistics are combined in publications, articles, thank you notes, public relations, and conversations, your donors will grow a stronger connection to your organization as you show evidence that their investment makes a difference.

With a healthy donor care plan, several critical components must be in place to create strong donor relationships and trust. The Donor Loyalty Cycle, created by Veritus Group, gives us a glimpse:

In every stage, metrics complement storytelling to assist a donor in understanding the mission and the donor’s role as a change-maker. Here are a few examples:

Create Awareness – share the need – use community health department data to prove the need of the population you serve – the number of pregnant women, an estimate of women using chemical abortion, the long-term impacts of fatherless families or under-educated single moms, etc. Prove the need and then show how your programs will impact for the better.

Ask – match the interests of your donors with your programs. After showing the need, use data to predict your impact if you were to start or upgrade a program. Inspire a donor by matching their interests to a program growth goal. If they love the Ultrasound program, give stats showing a greater rate of life choices after an ultrasound. Then, share a moving story to bring in the emotion of a powerful story.

Acknowledge and Affirm – contact financial partners early and often about how their investment changes lives. Donors want to know how metrics reveal a conversion for your clients. Statistics open the eyes of a donor to the relevance of their gifts. They can see the impact on your clients. They are helping create a hopeful future for families.

Report – communication reminds sponsors that their monthly gift, quarterly pledge, or donation to a specific need or program will give them a sense of purpose and create an in-depth view of what their funds have accomplished through quotes, stories, pictures, and return on investment.

Motivate – inspire so donors are moved and consider giving again. They will see the impact of their gift and, as you give them new opportunities to provide again, will likely re-invest in your programs.

A written and verbal report can balance emotional stories, quotes, and incredible outcomes. Recently, a Heartbeat donor cried as he related to the desperation of a client's story. The stories and stats reminded him that we are creating safer spaces for moms, dads, and babies. We are preserving the branches of family trees. We share the love of Christ on behalf of donors who may never meet the clients they help. Change, shown through stories and statistics, inspires and motivates our generous donors.

Stories and statistics are a dynamic duo used to create interest, develop loyalty, and inform our financial sponsors that they are vital to our mission.

Many a well-thought-out strategy under-delivers its potential because there is no continuing framework for implementing it…no workable plan. How do we go from the choices of the ends and means of strategy to the steps and tasks of execution?

If we’re like many, we fail to see planning as distinct work in its own right. Rather, we think planning is something to rush through so we can get on with the work. Not so. Planning is a creative act, using the imagination God gave us to see something in our mind’s eye that does not currently exist and determine how to bring it to life. It’s parallel to God’s process of creation, except He can speak things into existence and we have to work things into existence.

How do we begin? Here’s an illuminating comment from a perhaps unexpected source. “The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and starting on the first one.” Mark Twain

As an aside, in most cases working as a group will yield better plans than working on our own. Why is this? First, each member of the group brings a different array of knowledge and experience to the process. Second, members of the group build off the ideas of others in ways that can’t happen working alone. Third, the time when others are speaking in the conversation creates mental space for new connections that often does not occur when we’re on our own.

Back to the business at hand. At this link, Workplan, available for you to print, is a simple worksheet for breaking your complex tasks into manageable ones and beginning to get them done. Let me explain the columns:

• Projects/tasks. This column is for breaking what has to be done into projects and tasks. The definitions are simple: a project is something that has more than one task. A task is something someone can commit to accomplishing within a certain period of time. For example, in the worksheet, I’ve shown “launch new website” as a project and typical steps as tasks.
  
  
• Responsible. In all my work with groups, I’ve never had one that did not answer this question correctly in unison: If everyone is responsible, who’s responsible? Right, if everyone is responsible, no one's responsible. So this column is for assigning a single person responsibility for the project or subordinate tasks. To be clear, the person responsible may or may not be doing all the work, but regardless they are responsible for ensuring the work gets done.
  
  
• Resources. In this column, we think through in advance all that will be needed to complete the work. (In a similar vein, see Luke 14:28.) For the most part, resources fall into three categories:
  • People. Who will help? Who from within your organization will contribute? What outside contacts can you tap? What areas of expertise or experience will you need, whether within or outside of your current circles to complete the work involved?
  • Money. Many things dictated by our strategy choices—especially significant, high-leverage ones—require funding. Sometimes those funds are in the budget; sometimes it is a separate task to raise funds for the project. It’s important to be specific about the amount of money needed. It’s not enough in this column to say “funding” or “money.” Taking the website project as an example, if no one on the team has an estimate of what it costs to develop a website, getting an estimate becomes a task.
  • Things. Even in today’s increasingly digital world, there are still things that are needed…a desk, a chair, a computer, a server, a screwdriver, a wrench. These may be things we have in hand that can be allocated to the project; they may also be things we have to freshly acquire.
    
    
• Timing. If we want to finish something eventually, we have to start it at a point in time. Every task, regardless of how small, has a duration, the amount of time it will take to complete. My wife will tell you after decades of experience, if I estimate a task will take a half hour, it will take at least an hour, if not an hour and a half, or even the whole morning. We need to be clear-eyed about establishing reasonable time parameters, reflecting not only the task itself but also taking into account other duties, obligations or commitments of those involved.
  
  
• Sequence. Taking the first column next, the Sequence column acknowledges that we won’t necessarily think of projects or tasks in the order they will eventually be done. Attempting to think of the work in sequence may, in fact, slow down the creative process. The Sequence column gives us permission and a process for sorting out the order of the operations once they’ve all been identified.
  
  
• Status. The Status column is the power column of the plan. When the team meets, after exchanging pleasantries and prayer, those responsible report the status of their tasks or projects in one of three categories: completed, on track, or off track. That gives us the opportunity to applaud workers and work completed; encourage those involved with tasks that are on track, but not yet done; and have a discussion about items that are off track. The intent of off track discussions is not guilt, blame and shame, but rather to apply the best thinking of the group to getting the matter back on track or, in some cases, concluding the task shouldn’t be done at all and should be taken off the plan. In essence, then, your workplan becomes the primary agenda item for your current meeting and the vehicle for planning what’s to be done between meetings.

Bringing the series to a close, in February, we discussed direction decisions—things like mission and vision. In March we talked about bridging from those high-level concepts by developing a strategy—choices of ends and means to fulfill your organization’s purpose. Finally, this month we’ve offered a simple framework for reliably translating strategy into robust plans for getting things done.

Assignment: Sometime soon, compare your processes to those discussed in the past three months. What elements of them could you adopt to make your processes more robust and your outcomes more reliable?

Zeke Swift is a Heartbeat International Board member and has facilitated strategy development with more than 40 for-profit and not-for-profit enterprises and groups over the past 20 years. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..