This is the first in a three-part series of articles originally published in our print newsletter. You may download the full Summer 2019 newsletter here.
At Choose Hope Women’s Center we strive to empower, educate and encourage women to Choose Hope in every aspect of her life and the life of her child.
When Crystal first visited Choose Hope Women’s Center over ten years ago, she was addicted to drugs and homeless. She was also the mother of a brand new baby boy. She first found help at Anna’s House, which referred her to Choose Hope Women’s Center for material assistance. At Choose Hope Women’s Center, she found “a pretty phenomenal group of folks” who helped her turn her life around.
Crystal appreciated the diapers, formula, and baby clothing that she was given at Choose Hope Women’s Center. More than that, though, she says that she appreciated that the volunteers treated her like a human being. They prayed for her and with her, and they encouraged her not to give up as she fought her addiction. She says now that she cannot put into words how much these volunteers, who were initially “perfect strangers,” helped her on the road to sobriety by believing in her.
Now Crystal has been sober for a number of years. She has a job and her own place, and her son is almost eleven years old. She says he is what keeps her going today.
Some women come to Choose Hope Women’s Center pregnant and scared, possibly believing that abortion is the only solution. Many others, like Crystal, discover us after giving birth in a difficult situation. Still others come months or years after having abortions, regretting their choices and seeking healing. Our focus is on meeting the needs of each individual client before us. We want to meet a woman where she is and help support her as she makes her own way forward. We encourage her and talk with her about her goals and the steps she can take to achieve them. We believe in her so that she can believe in herself.