Assist Pregnancy Center partners with Birthmothers to provide complementary services, show Christ’s love
Recently, Bianca visited Assist Pregnancy Center (Annandale, VA) for a pregnancy test. When she revealed she was under pressure from family members to abort, staff members encouraged her to have an ultrasound.
“I knew that this client would need more support from loving people since she didn’t have that from her family and friends,” said Jenny Meredith, Assist’s Director of Client Services. “I had heard about the Birthmothers mentoring program for women facing an unplanned pregnancy and discovered that they were licensed and insured to transport clients, a capability that our pregnancy center does not have at this time.”
That’s when Jenny called Birthmothers. She was excited to discover that the ministry could help bridge the gap with services outside Assist’s walls. Bianca was soon matched with a Birthmothers Friend, who worked with Assist staff to serve Bianca.
A New Relationship Between Like-Minded Partners
Bianca’s case forged a new relationship between the two partners who each provide very different but complementary services for women who face an unplanned pregnancy.
“Not every organization can fill every gap,” says Jenny. “I’m excited that we can partner with Birthmothers to fill in the pieces of the puzzle missing from our ministry.”
Assist provides free pregnancy tests, pregnancy education, childbirth education, and counseling services to women who face an unplanned pregnancy. Client volume and insurance limitations mean their services must be offered within the center.
Birthmothers, on the other hand, provides a Birthmothers Friend for a woman who faces an unplanned pregnancy. In this special relationship, the Friend walks with the woman one-on-one, connecting her to services needed outside the walls of a building. A Birthmother Friend is also able to build deeper ties with a woman, staying with her long-term. Yet because Birthmothers does not provide clinical services, the ministry regularly connects women to centers like Assist for pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, and other professional resources.
A Shared Goal: Sharing Christ
While Assist and Birthmothers each fill special ministry niches, both have a common goal: sharing the love of Jesus Christ with clients.
“The more loving people who can touch a hurting woman’s life, the better,” says Jenny. Birthmothers Friends provide long-term mentoring to these women. That’s huge.” The center intentionally seeks out people who can minister to and support their clients with the gospel message. Birthmothers is the perfect fit, she says.
Bianca’s story is a case in point. Together, an Assist staff member and Bianca’s new Birthmothers Friend worked to provide the pregnant woman with transportation and locate a safe haven for her to live during her pregnancy. Along the way, both Assist staff and the Birthmothers Friend had opportunities to talk with Bianca about Jesus Christ.
That influence, says Jenny, is one of the greatest benefits of the Assist/Birthmothers partnership.
“Because of our new relationship with Birthmothers, we now have more committed women in these girls’ lives to love them and share the gospel.”
Find out how your organization can partner with Birthmothers to serve women who face an unplanned pregnancy when you call (703) 261-6370.