The time of year has arrived for special expressions of gratitude for the crucial, life-affirming work of the pregnancy help community.
Heartbeat International is celebrating its annual Pregnancy Help Appreciation Week November 11-15. Heartbeat is the largest network or pregnancy help organizations in the U.S. and globally.
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The pregnancy help network started Pregnancy Help Appreciation Week in 2014 to honor those working within the pregnancy help movement for their compassionate support and tireless work in support of women and families facing unexpected pregnancy. Whether volunteers, executive directors, nurses, receptionists or other staff, pregnancy help workers are key in impacting the culture of life. Heartbeat takes this specific time each year to show appreciation for them.
“Pregnancy Help Appreciation Week is one of our favorite weeks of the year,” said Jor-El Godsey, president of Heartbeat International. “We're going have a great time this week celebrating pregnancy help workers and all that they do for pregnancy help.”
Godsey noted how organizations outside the pregnancy help movement have taken notice and look to be part of showing gratitude. This year, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has approached Heartbeat to take part. And Members of Congress have taken official action to show support for pregnancy help.
Congressman Bob Good (R-Va.) introduced a resolution designating the week of November 11 as “National Pregnancy Center Week” in September, and Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced a companion resolution in the Senate. Good’s resolution had 30 cosponsors and four supporting pro-life groups.
“One of the amazing things is that in fact there are other organizations, national ones, jumping in on the excitement that we've been able to kind of codify this particular week of the year,” Godsey said. “There's actually a national pregnancy center week resolution in Congress and we’re excited for that.”
“So, many more of our friends around the country and even around the globe will be jumping in and celebrating this week with us for the pregnancy help community,” he said.
Each day of Pregnancy Help Appreciation Week begins with prayer devotions and has special offers from Heartbeat’s online resource store for pregnancy help organizations. The week also features daily thank-you video messages and a special place to submit prayer requests and praise reports. Pregnancy help workers can submit their story of pregnancy help and enter a drawing for a gift basket.
Godsey said the power of pregnancy help is amazing because there are people all across the globe continually helping women facing unintended pregnancy.
“In doing so, we are fulfilling what God has called us to do,” Godsey said. “And that is champion the gift of life and the Giver of Life, whenever and however possible.”
“We appreciate you,” he told pregnancy help workers. “We thank you, and we pray blessings upon you.”
Tweet This: “We appreciate you. We thank you, and we pray blessings upon you” -Heartbeat International President Jor-El Godsey to pregnancy help workers
Christa Brown, senior director of Medical Impact for Heartbeat International, also offered a message of gratitude to the pregnancy help community.
“We value all that you do,” Brown said.
“We know the work you do can be hard at times,” she said, “but what you are doing is impacting an entire generation and generations to come.”
Brown noted that pregnancy help organizations offer “a soft place, a quiet place, a place of peace, where women and families can go to obtain valuable information, honest answers, and long-term support so that they can make the best choices possible for their pregnancies.”
“This is amazing, amazing work,” she said.
The kudos for pregnancy help poured in from the pro-life movement as well.
“This Pregnancy Help Appreciation Week, we honor all of you who work tirelessly in the pregnancy help movement,” said Pro-Life Generation CEO Kristan Hawkins.
“I know firsthand it is not easy being in this line of work, getting attacked politically, by the media,” Hawkins said. “It's exhausting, it's draining at times.”
“Sometimes it can be just outright discouraging,” she said. “But I want you to know you are not alone.”
“The work you do literally saves lives and encourages me and the thousands of pro-life students I'm honored to serve,” said Hawkins. “It encourages all of us to continue in this fight.”
Hawkins noted how many of the students trained by her group have gone on to serve in pregnancy help.
“Much thanks to your mentorship and your open arms as they stood on your doorstep asking for that first way to volunteer,” she said. “Your work is deeply valued and supported despite the opposition that I know you face, and I want you to know the Pro-Life Generation stands firmly behind you.”
March for Life President Jeanne Mancini said she could not thank the pregnancy help movement enough for its work helping women and children.
“We know that the majority of women who have chosen abortion would have chosen life if they had the necessary emotional and financial support and you fill that gap,” she said.
“I can't thank you enough,” Mancini said, “and I know that you're not thanked enough, but please know from our heart that all of us here at the March for Life, and I think I can speak on behalf of all marchers, we are incredibly encouraged and grateful for all you're doing to save life. You are on the front lines. Thank you.”
Bernadette Tasy, Media Relations manager at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), expressed appreciation on behalf of ADF for pregnancy centers all across the nation. The legal non-profit has defended the rights of pro-life and pregnancy help organizations to serve others through their ministries.
“These centers provide real support and real health care to women and families,” Tasy said of pregnancy centers, “including ultrasounds, pregnancy tests, parenting classes, car seats, diapers, housing, and so much more.”
“Thank you, pregnancy centers, for all of the amazing work that you do,” she said.
Amy Ford, co-founder and president of Embrace Grace, expressed excitement for Pregnancy Help Appreciate Week. Embrace Grace equips churches to minister to single and pregnant young women and their families.
“We are so excited that this week is Pregnancy Help Appreciation Week,” Ford said. “And to all of you pregnancy center workers, we just want to say, thank you so much for all that you do.”
Ford said those in her ministry get to see the fruit of pregnancy center workers’ labor, all of the hard work and planting seeds women's hearts. When pregnancy help clients are referred to Embrace Grace, they get to hear about how their lives were impacted through the centers.
“When they saw the sonogram,” Ford said, “or when someone spoke life into them, when they had no one else in their life that would, or when they got to hear the heartbeat, whatever it might be, they were impacted so much that it inspired them to feel safe enough to actually come to our support group at a local church near you.”
The staff at Embrace Grace headquarters prays for pregnancy help workers continually, Ford said, and it is an honor to link arms with the pregnancy help movement.
“I know you guys work your tails off all the time for these women,” said Ford. “And we see that, and we know that your impact is going to affect generations. So, thank you so much. We love y 'all tons.”
More information about Pregnancy Help Appreciate Week is available HERE.
Editor's note: Heartbeat International manages Pregnancy Help News.
