Dear Friend,
For unto us a child is born.” While these words bring eternal hope to those who believe in Jesus Christ, for some, the news of a child being born does not bring good tidings of great joy. Instead the news of an unexpected pregnancy brings fear and hopelessness. As believers, we see this kind of suffering around us and we often wonder, “what can I do to help?” Isaiah 61 sets before us a number of tasks that enable us to be agents of restoration to those who are without hope. As the city of Zion (members of Christ’s church) we must shine a light that draws people in. Isaiah provides practical instructions to bring good news to the poor, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to the captives, comfort all who mourn, give those who mourn a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, gladness instead of mourning, praise instead of a faint spirit.
This is our mission & vision at the STPRC. Our services themselves can be obtained elsewhere. It’s the infusion of gospel hope in every area of the ministry that differentiates us. While I could simply list off the mosaic of services we offer to support those in need, I would rather share with you the story of just one client, *Maddie.
We met Maddie in 2016 at Elmira High School. She heard a broadcast on the morning announcements where a member of the STPRC staff shared tips about establishing healthy relationships. Later that day Maddie visited our high school office to ask for specific advice on her current relationship. During the remainder of her time as a student at EHS, Maddie would stop by our office periodically to discuss relationships, abstinence, and principles for holistic health. Our final encounter with Maddie at EHS allowed us to provide her with a self-administered pregnancy test and options information. While the results of that test read negative, the information shared during that visit set the foundation for our next encounter with Maddie.
Shortly after graduation, Maddie found herself living in a local safe house and facing an unexpected pregnancy. She and her boyfriend, Josh, scheduled an ultrasound appointment at our Main Office after receiving the news. Maddie and Josh arrived excited for their appointment and shared that they were looking forward to being parents. Our team provided a referral for an onsite ultrasound, revealing a 6 week 6 day old baby. In her notes, our nurse stated that, “both the client and her boyfriend seemed excited to see the baby. The boyfriend was crying.”
Maddie and Josh were provided with referrals for our Earn While You Learn program, Embrace Grace, and other community support services. Per Maddie’s consent, our nurse followed up with a phone call 2 weeks after the visit. The number Maddie provided belonged to Maddie’s case worker at the safe house and she informed us that Maddie was “unavailable and no longer needed our services.”
We grieved as we assumed that meant that the 6 week 6 day life we captured at Maddie & Josh’s appointment ended in abortion or, perhaps, miscarriage. Yet, we are not those who grieve without hope so we lifted Maddie to our sovereign Lord and continued in our mission to empower men and women to make life-affirming choices.
This spring, over three years since we grieved the loss of Maddie’s baby, the Lord allowed our paths to cross again when Maddie walked into our Main Office alone and requested an ultrasound. We recognized her immediately and were encouraged by the opportunity to serve her again. This time, Maddie was unsure who the baby’s father might be. And when asked about her previous pregnancy, her haunted eyes were tearful as she stoically responded “it was the best decision for me in my circumstances.” Brokenhearted, bound by the chains of regret, mourning… this is where we meet our clients and share good news to the poor & comfort all who mourn.
Maddie is currently 20 weeks pregnant, just halfway through her pregnancy. She has received 3 ultrasounds at our Main Office and is enrolled in our Earn While You Learn program at our Life Center where she has received instruction on Prenatal Care, What is Safe During Pregnancy, Eating for Two, Emotions During Pregnancy, Bonding with Your Unborn Baby, and similar topics. With the Baby Bucks she earned for attending these classes, Maddie has purchased maternity clothing, a winter coat, books, baby clothing and blankets and is saving the rest of her bucks for some of the larger items like a pack & play or a swing.
We were also able to refer Maddie to Embrace Grace, a Bible study based support group, where she is studying God’s Word and building relationships with the women who lead the group as well as with other moms experiencing unexpected pregnancies. The Embrace Grace team will host a baby shower for Maddie in just a few weeks.
Maddie stops by our office frequently to share updates on her life & her pregnancy. We speak freely with her of the Lord and pray with her at nearly every visit. Her belly is filled with life and her beautiful eyes shine with hope. We see clients like Maddie everyday in our offices and praise the Lord for the opportunity to support them in their time of need.
At the beginning of this letter I posed a question that many of us ask, “What can I do to help?” By financially investing in the mission and vision of the STPRC, you can meet the practical needs in our community as we seek to be agents of restoration through the beautiful mosaic of our ministry. Your gift of any amount enables us to provide the services needed to women like Maddie. Below, you will find information on ways to support the ministry. Thank you for prayerfully considering how you can be a piece of the mosaic of the STPRC. We praise the Lord for your generosity and wish you and your family a very merry Christmas as you celebrate the miraculous birth of our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace…
With Great Joy,
Bree, the Staff & Board of Directors
For unto us a child is born.” While these words bring eternal hope to those who believe in Jesus Christ, for some, the news of a child being born does not bring good tidings of great joy. Instead the news of an unexpected pregnancy brings fear and hopelessness. As believers, we see this kind of suffering around us and we often wonder, “what can I do to help?” Isaiah 61 sets before us a number of tasks that enable us to be agents of restoration to those who are without hope. As the city of Zion (members of Christ’s church) we must shine a light that draws people in. Isaiah provides practical instructions to bring good news to the poor, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to the captives, comfort all who mourn, give those who mourn a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, gladness instead of mourning, praise instead of a faint spirit.
This is our mission & vision at the STPRC. Our services themselves can be obtained elsewhere. It’s the infusion of gospel hope in every area of the ministry that differentiates us. While I could simply list off the mosaic of services we offer to support those in need, I would rather share with you the story of just one client, *Maddie.
We met Maddie in 2016 at Elmira High School. She heard a broadcast on the morning announcements where a member of the STPRC staff shared tips about establishing healthy relationships. Later that day Maddie visited our high school office to ask for specific advice on her current relationship. During the remainder of her time as a student at EHS, Maddie would stop by our office periodically to discuss relationships, abstinence, and principles for holistic health. Our final encounter with Maddie at EHS allowed us to provide her with a self-administered pregnancy test and options information. While the results of that test read negative, the information shared during that visit set the foundation for our next encounter with Maddie.
Shortly after graduation, Maddie found herself living in a local safe house and facing an unexpected pregnancy. She and her boyfriend, Josh, scheduled an ultrasound appointment at our Main Office after receiving the news. Maddie and Josh arrived excited for their appointment and shared that they were looking forward to being parents. Our team provided a referral for an onsite ultrasound, revealing a 6 week 6 day old baby. In her notes, our nurse stated that, “both the client and her boyfriend seemed excited to see the baby. The boyfriend was crying.”
Maddie and Josh were provided with referrals for our Earn While You Learn program, Embrace Grace, and other community support services. Per Maddie’s consent, our nurse followed up with a phone call 2 weeks after the visit. The number Maddie provided belonged to Maddie’s case worker at the safe house and she informed us that Maddie was “unavailable and no longer needed our services.”
We grieved as we assumed that meant that the 6 week 6 day life we captured at Maddie & Josh’s appointment ended in abortion or, perhaps, miscarriage. Yet, we are not those who grieve without hope so we lifted Maddie to our sovereign Lord and continued in our mission to empower men and women to make life-affirming choices.
This spring, over three years since we grieved the loss of Maddie’s baby, the Lord allowed our paths to cross again when Maddie walked into our Main Office alone and requested an ultrasound. We recognized her immediately and were encouraged by the opportunity to serve her again. This time, Maddie was unsure who the baby’s father might be. And when asked about her previous pregnancy, her haunted eyes were tearful as she stoically responded “it was the best decision for me in my circumstances.” Brokenhearted, bound by the chains of regret, mourning… this is where we meet our clients and share good news to the poor & comfort all who mourn.
Maddie is currently 20 weeks pregnant, just halfway through her pregnancy. She has received 3 ultrasounds at our Main Office and is enrolled in our Earn While You Learn program at our Life Center where she has received instruction on Prenatal Care, What is Safe During Pregnancy, Eating for Two, Emotions During Pregnancy, Bonding with Your Unborn Baby, and similar topics. With the Baby Bucks she earned for attending these classes, Maddie has purchased maternity clothing, a winter coat, books, baby clothing and blankets and is saving the rest of her bucks for some of the larger items like a pack & play or a swing.
We were also able to refer Maddie to Embrace Grace, a Bible study based support group, where she is studying God’s Word and building relationships with the women who lead the group as well as with other moms experiencing unexpected pregnancies. The Embrace Grace team will host a baby shower for Maddie in just a few weeks.
Maddie stops by our office frequently to share updates on her life & her pregnancy. We speak freely with her of the Lord and pray with her at nearly every visit. Her belly is filled with life and her beautiful eyes shine with hope. We see clients like Maddie everyday in our offices and praise the Lord for the opportunity to support them in their time of need.
At the beginning of this letter I posed a question that many of us ask, “What can I do to help?” By financially investing in the mission and vision of the STPRC, you can meet the practical needs in our community as we seek to be agents of restoration through the beautiful mosaic of our ministry. Your gift of any amount enables us to provide the services needed to women like Maddie. Below, you will find information on ways to support the ministry. Thank you for prayerfully considering how you can be a piece of the mosaic of the STPRC. We praise the Lord for your generosity and wish you and your family a very merry Christmas as you celebrate the miraculous birth of our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace…
With Great Joy,
Bree, the Staff & Board of Directors
607-732-2111
info@stprc.org |
VISIT: STPRC.ORG
The site for PRC's clients GIVE TODAY We are a completely donor funded organization |
Southern Tier Pregnancy Resource Center
Mailing Address: PO Box 944 Elmira, NY 14902 Fax #: 607-734-4772 Text #: 607-398-0707 STPRC: 375 W Water St Elmira, NY 14901 607-732-2111 Life Center: 224 William St. Elmira, NY 14901 607-737-6952 |