CELEBRATING HAPPY birth

Transcription

1 days A N N U A L R E P O R T CELEBRATING HAPPY birth

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3 YOU MAKE SO MANY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS POSSIBLE! At 22 centers in seven states, this unique and unconditionally loving counseling model has been a magnet for pregnant women in need. Donors like you sustain the center as a beacon of hope for abortion vulnerable women. Almost all make courageous choices for life when they experience this kind of support and love. Women s Care Center celebrated its 30th anniversary in April In long-time communities, there have been substantial abortion declines (57% to 66%). Of the three centers opened in 2013, our Vero Beach center has been by far the quickest starter. With one in four Florida babies lost to abortion, our new center is a vital life-line for so many moms and babies. Your support is providing so many women the opportunity to choose life for their babies. Over 500 women from Indian River County have already been served by our new center.

4 Unless you have walked in my shoes, you can t fully appreciate the worth of Women s Care Center. Shacarra Women Served Indian River County First 6½ months only. Now over 500. Shacarra and Braxton Photo courtesy of Jaclyn Grace Photography

5 (opposite page) Shacarra is just one of the pregnant women you helped us serve last year. As a college student, she thought a baby would derail her goals. Shacarra had contemplated abortion before she came to our center and met our ultrasound tech, Barb. She says of our tech, I was pregnant, lost and confused. Barb believed in me and got through to me when no one else could. I m now a believer. Shacarra is still in college, getting excellent grades and hopes to one day run for political office. She says, I was pro-choice. Now I am pro-baby. I am more successful now with my baby than I was without him. (this page) Martha came to us on accident looking for the abortion clinic. She is now profoundly grateful that she came through our door instead. Over the course of 16 visits with our counselor Sarah, Martha chose life for her baby, had a healthy pregnancy, and learned to be the great mom that she is today. Photo courtesy Kelly Mulcahy Wendel

6 We save the baby by loving and serving the mother. Counseling Director Ellen Sommer Total Visits Indian River County

7 YOU TOUCH HEARTS. Most importantly, you help our counselors love women facing unplanned pregnancies. When women come to us thinking about abortion, they often don t see any good options. As one client told us, Being pregnant challenged all my beliefs. I thought a baby would ruin my life. I thought everyone would look down on me. Unconditionally loving counseling is the most important first step. Your generous support helps young women like this see that a pregnancy does not have to be the end of their hopes and dreams. And the end result of hope is a choice for life. Already, in less than a year, over 500 women have come to our new Vero Beach center seeking pregnancy support. Although 36% were originally at-risk for abortion, nearly all chose life instead. Clearly there was a great need for more life-affirming pregnancy care in Indian River County. Women s Care Center has the world s most sweetest staff ever! They are so welcoming and make you feel like family. I love going there! Jane (a client)

8 You never really think about it as a baby until you see it. Recent client Ultrasounds Indian River County

9 YOU SAVE BABIES. You make it possible for women to participate in the miracle of ultrasound, helping them to bond with their unborn babies and choose life. When pregnant women are genuinely and truly valued, they are able to view an ultrasound and make decisions rooted in love and not out of fear. This is why over 97% of the women receiving counseling and an ultrasound at our center in 2013 chose life for their babies. Right now there are 223 babies expected to clients of our Vero Beach center. With two ultrasound technicians on staff, women have full-time access to life-saving ultrasounds in Indian River County. In a few years, these babies alone will fill 7 kindergarten classes.

10 Goals counseling helps moms take important steps to self-sufficiency. YOU BUILD FAMILIES. Your generous support not only helps bring babies into the world; it also helps them to be born into more nurturing and self-sufficient families. A 2013 survey found that women making three or more visits to our centers were 50% less likely to have low birth weight babies. Encouraging healthy pregnancies is just one way you help us build families. Here, with the ongoing support of knowledgeable counselors, young moms create personalized plans giving them concrete opportunities to stay in school and find housing, childcare and better jobs, all while learning about positive parenting and adoption. By participating in education, families earn vital baby necessities (cribs, diapers and new baby clothing) through the Crib Club. And, thanks to your generous support, every small child who visits our center leaves with an armload of books to encourage a love of reading and improve literacy, the number one indicator Women Served Daily Indian River County a day of later success in school. Not a hand-out, parents earn cribs and baby items.

11 Children receive books to encourage reading. YOU MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO SAVE SO MANY MOMS AND BABIES! Please let us know your interests below. I want a tour of my center. I want to make a gift of $ to help the moms and babies in my community. I want to become a Life Partner by contributing $1,000 or a Life Leader by contributing $2,500. I want information about leaving a permanent legacy in my estate plan. Name Address Phone parents attend parenting classes every week in Vero Beach. For a complete copy of our 2013 financial report, please contact John Rorick at (772) or him at [email protected]. Please return to: Gerri Krempel-Rorick, Women s Care Center, st Avenue, Vero Beach, FL Your gift large or small is vitally needed and tax-deductible. Please know that 100% of your gift to your center stays in your community.

12 A year ago today my WHOLE world changed. I couldn t ever imagine the joy this baby could bring me st Avenue, Vero Beach, Florida Meaghan, a client, on her baby s first birthday F O R M O R E I N F O R M A T I O N, P L E A S E C O N T A C T : Special thanks to Jim and Jan Williams for generously underwriting this annual report. Richard Van Mele, Board Chairman Gerri Krempel-Rorick, Director Women s Care Center st Avenue, Vero Beach, FL (772) [email protected] Bobby Williams Women s Care Center Foundation 360 N. Notre Dame Avenue South Bend, IN (574) [email protected] BOARD MEMBERS Edward Cook Tom Frederick Mike Hammes Peggy Lyons Michele Mackett John Rorick Kaylee Tobin Richard Van Mele LEADERSHIP ADVISORY BOARD John V. & Anita Brennan Arlene Cook Thomas L. & Carol Corr John & Carolyn Dean Ginny Frederick E. Keith Jones, DD Jim & Laurie Manhardt John E. & Lee Moore III, Esq. RELIGIOUS ADVISORY BOARD Most Rev. Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito Very Rev. Michael Edwards Rev. John Morrissey Rev. Richard Murphy Rev. John Pasquini WOMEN S CARE CENTER STAFF Tiffany Barley Suzanne Gallagher Gerri Krempel-Rorick, Director Peggy MacLellan Jennifer West