When people started to find out I was pregnant, I was astonished at the response. I had convinced myself that people would judge me. However, I got the exact opposite response. People went above and beyond to make me and my unborn baby feel loved and supported.
My sister put out a message on Facebook explaining my situation. Messages started pouring in from people who wanted to offer resources. My sister and her husband spent the weekend driving all around the city collecting baby clothes from complete strangers. She was preparing to send everything back to me in DC so she didn’t take any of the large items that were offered. They went through all of the items and packed 2 large suitcases full of clothes to bring to me. They couldn’t even fit everything they had received into the suitcases so they ended up donating the remaining bags of clothes to our local pregnancy center.
A lady who worked in the office next door to me in DC gave me multiple large baby items and clothes that her children had grown out of. She also helped me figure out how to get my son on the daycare waiting list and answered all of my questions about how to be a mom in the city.
People began to tell their friends who had sons that there was a single mom who needed resources for a baby boy. A woman I had never met reached out to me. Her son was 6 months older than my son would be. She told me she would give me all of her son’s clothes and baby items since my son would be right behind hers. (I moved out of DC before my son was born so I did not get to take her up on her offer, but I am still moved by her kindness.)
A few of the women I babysat for gave me all of their maternity clothes. That was a huge blessing because I didn’t have to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe for just a few months.
Remember that woman I told you about in the first blog post – the woman who was contemplating having an abortion and asked to talk to me when my son was only 2 weeks old? Well, I got to pass on to her the maternity clothes, all of the newborn baby clothes, and so many baby items for her son. I wanted to show her the same kindness I had been shown when I was in her shoes.
I also had people reach out to me and share their stories of being single mothers. This was so encouraging. It was great to speak to other women that understood exactly what I was going through.
One woman helped me come up with questions to ask a lawyer if that was the way I decided to go. She talked to me about the pros and cons of adding Keller’s name to the birth certificate. I had no idea not including the father on the birth certificate was an option. I felt so much more confident about giving birth knowing I had a plan for how to deal with the paperwork that would need to be completed before I left the hospital.
Another woman reminded me that being a single mother did not mean I would never date again. This might sound logical, but it was a fear of mine. She shared her story with me about meeting her now husband when her child was only a few months old and how he loved that child as his own.
The women at the Capitol Hill Pregnancy Center met with me multiple times throughout my pregnancy. They gave me options for legal resources since I was getting nowhere with the domestic violence shelters and the police. They wanted to make sure the baby and I would be safe.
Each act of generosity and kindness towards me and my baby did not go unnoticed. I was completely overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support. I am so thankful for each person who went out of his/her way to make sure I had what I needed to care for my baby. I still get emotional when I think about it. Each act of kindness reinforced that I could do this – I could raise my son and be a good mom.
Empowering women when they are scared and facing an unplanned pregnancy is so important. We need to rally around those women and encourage them in their time of need. We need to reinforce that they are not alone. Some women feel like they have no other option than to choose abortion because they are afraid, lack support, or don’t have a safe place for their baby. There are so many organizations that can help provide for women so they are empowered to choose life for their baby.
ProLove Ministries is a non profit organization that assists other pro-life organizations and shares resources with them. They have a variety of different projects that help single mothers and women experiencing an unplanned pregnancy including:
- LoveLine – provides support for single moms and women facing unplanned pregnancies who feel they have exhausted all opportunities for resources in their area. LoveLine works to discover the need, uncover hidden resources, and connect women with advocates to help. LoveLine is accessible 24/7/365. Call or text LoveLine at 888-550-1588.
- Mama Scholar – is a collaboration project with Embrace Grace to offer single mothers the opportunity to complete their education by awarding scholarships to mothers who complete the Embrace Grace program.
- Love Beyond Borders – is an international outreach that seeks to bring hope to the hopeless, help to the helpless, be a voice for the voiceless, and bring victory to the vulnerable. They believe all life is sacred, all people should have their basic needs met, and all people should know they are loved.
Reliance Center – a 4 part holistic model of services that eliminates the need for abortion, breaks destructive cycles, and provides real tools for men and women to live abundant lives.
It Takes A Family – equips and strengthens parents to reclaim parenthood and become their children’s greatest advocates and educators by equipping them with the resources and skills necessary to strengthen family trust and confidence.
Check My Clinic – is a comprehensive database of health and safety violations according to the Department of State Health inspections of abortion facilities.
Support After Abortion – exists to see a world restored from the impact of abortion by building and strengthening abortion healing worldwide. They seek to help those struggling after an abortion find the hope and healing they deserve.
Abiding Love Adoptions – is an adoption agency whose mission is to love and support the birth mother throughout the open adoption process.
Embrace Grace – helps single/pregnant women facing an unplanned pregnancy find a place of belonging in the church. They are also working on a program for men.
(P.S. Embrace Grace is hosting a virtual gala on Sunday, October 25th at 7:00 pm CST. This free event will feature real stories of hope. You don’t want to miss this! RSVP at https://embracegracegala.com.)
Care-Net – one of the largest networks of pregnancy centers in North America. Pregnancy centers often provide counseling, ultrasounds, and resources.
These are just a few of the ministries that exist to come alongside women facing an unplanned pregnancy. There are countless stories of people and organizations coming together to provide housing, vehicles, scholarships, resources, jobs, etc. for women to reinforce that they are not alone. However, the biggest way all of these organizations help women is by sharing the love that Jesus has for them.
Jesus constantly reached out to the marginalized of society and those viewed as practicing the worst sin. He showed them compassion instead of judgment. Jesus reaches out to us in the same way. Romans 3:23 tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We have all sinned and made mistakes, yet God shows us compassion and love. John 3:16 tells us that “God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son; that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” Jesus looks beyond our mistakes and sin and He loves us despite our sin. It’s time we showed Jesus’s love and compassion to those who need to experience it.
Love,
Redeemed Mama