Update from the cpc

As it has been quite some time since our last blog post, it seems like a good idea to share the wonderful changes that have been taking place here at the Caring Pregnancy Center. Perhaps the most momentous of these happenings is the addition of our new ultrasound machine.  Thanks to the overwhelming support of the Knights of Columbus and other private donations, as of January we are now able to offer free, limited, diagnostic ultrasounds to our clients.

Why the need to go medical and offer ultrasounds?  The answer is quite simple: life.  When faced with an unplanned pregnancy, some mothers can sometimes feel confused as to what to do next. Should they keep the baby, put it up for adoption, or have an abortion?  As a Christ-centered ministry, we at the Caring Pregnancy Center would hope that these mothers would choose life for their babies.  The ultrasound machine is an amazing tool to help show these moms-to-be that the fetus they carry is not just "a clump of cells."  The baby in their womb is so much more than that.  It is a precious human life.  Seeing their baby's heart beat and watch as he squirms and kicks on the ultrasound screen makes the pregnancy truly real to them.  The ultrasound helps foster a connection between mother and child that they may not have previously felt.

We felt so strongly about the potential benefits of ultrasound that the center first began offering ultrasounds to clients by an off site provider five years ago.  The results were astounding. Every single mom-to-be who had an ultrasound ultimately choose life for her baby.  The power of this option to young mothers cannot be more evident than in the scan of one abortion-minded client.  Though she was certain that an abortion was the way she should and would go, the client consented to have an ultrasound.  The ultrasound technician moved the transducer across her stomach, revealing the baby's profile.  It was at this moment, as the client, her significant other, parent, and the client advocate watched the screen, that the baby turned its head and waved.  At that moment, a bond was formed. The client now no longer viewed her pregnancy as just a fetus.  It was a baby, her baby, someone to whom she now felt connected.. That once abortion-minded mom-to-be went on to give birth to a beautiful, healthy baby boy.

It soon became clear that if an off site ultrasound studio could be so effective, how much more so would one be on site.  With our new capability to provide these limited, diagnostic ultrasounds at the Caring Pregnancy Center we are able to reach pregnant moms in crisis much sooner.  Since the ultrasound annex went live in January, sixteen clients have received an ultrasound.  Two of these were abortion-minded.  We are happy to announce all sixteen moms, including the two leaning toward abortion, have chosen to carry their babies to term.  Praise the Lord!

In other news, the Hy-Vee team competing at the Food Fight for this year's Globe Gazette Women's Expo took first place in the competition.  The Hy-Vee team was so kind to choose us as the charity to receive free advertisement in the Globe Gazette.  What a blessing this was to the center and to our clients.  Our most whole-hearted thanks to Hy-Vee East and Hy-Vee West for thinking of us!  Our first newspaper ad ran on March 15.  Three more ads will run on May 15, July 5, and September 6. 

In conjunction with the newspaper advertisement, the Caring Pregnancy Center also has an ad appearing on the digital billboard by the North Iowa Events Center near Target.  We were able to purchase time on the digital billboard thanks to a generous grant awarded to us by the Kinney-Lindstrom Foundation.  The ad will run during the months of March, June, and September.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read "Today at the CPC".  It is our goal to keep posting much more frequently.  As always, we are so appreciative of all the support we receive from the community, whether it be financial, donations, volunteers, referrals, or through prayer. 

May God bless you all!

Caring Pregnancy Center