Peggy Knudson expressed surprise when she learned her pregnancy help organization in Iowa will be the recipient of sales from an annual pro-life book anthology.
The founder and executive director of Cradle of Hope Pregnancy Resource Center learned in October that sales from an annual collection of sweet and Christian romance stories would be donated to her organization next year.
“We are happy to know about it and learn about it, and we are honored to be chosen,” Knudson said.
Cradle of Hope was nominated by one of the authors, according to Candace Sessums, co-founder of annual Books4Babies charity anthologies.
“We’re grateful for the nominations,” said Michelle Kampmeier, who also co-founded the project. “There are so many [wonderful organizations], and it’s hard for me and Candace to just pick one.”
A Cheerful Heart
Eight writers contributed stories to this year’s holiday collection, titled A Cheerful Heart. Three are new to the endeavor. Also new is a stronger presence on Substack. This was started last year, and the organizers plan to embrace the account more heavily with anthology author contributions.
“It’s a good way to reach new readers and new writers,” Sessums told Pregnancy Help News. “It helps us to build a community.”
“Substack offers the opportunity to create more substance and more value [than social media],” Kampmeier said.
They plan to offer content year-round, she added. Author introductions and recipes have already been shared on the Substack account.
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A Cheerful Heart, released November 4 on Amazon. The book is available as an e-book, on Kindle Unlimited, and as a print product. Bulk orders for print books are also available at a discounted price, Sessums said.
“The anthology makes an excellent gift for people who support pregnancy resource centers and pro-life causes,” she said.
Kampmeier said she and her staff plan to use the donation of book sales for Cradle of Hope’s baby boutique, which is constantly used.
“It reaches all of our clientele,” she said. “We go through a lot [of inventory].”
Hope expands
Her organization has expanded during the past year in several ways. Located in Mount Pleasant, a community of about 8,500, Cradle’s reach goes beyond the local community and into the county as well as into three other small towns and counties: Fort Madison in Lee County; Fairfield in Jefferson County; and Burlington, in Des Moines County. Burlington received services periodically over the years, but Knudson and her team found a space to use regularly, and now once a week a volunteer or staff member operates that office.
“God has been faithful, and we are making bigger impacts, even in other counties,” Knudson said.
Tweet This: “God has been faithful, and we are making bigger impacts, even in other counties” - Peggy Knudson, Cradle of Hope director
In addition to expanded, regular outreach, Cradle of Hope recently acquired a new ultrasound and is adding on to its Mother’s Home.
Open for two years, the house has welcomed 18 women and their children. The four-bedroom house needs office space and private quarters for volunteers and staff who stay over when the house mother is on vacation or her monthly weekend off, Knudson explained. Another full bathroom is also needed. Groundbreaking takes place this fall, and the plan is to have the addition completed next spring.
“We are staying quite busy, and we are very excited!” Knudson said.
The programs and services and the mission of Cradle of Hope are some of the reasons Sessums said she and Kampmeier selected this Iowa pregnancy help organization to receive the anthology sales money.
“When I looked at their website and saw their mission – “Encouraging girls, women, men and families with a pregnancy or pregnancy loss by providing personal and practical help for their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs” – it just resonated with me,” Sessums said.
Creating community
Writers coming together to support pregnancy centers was not something Sessums and Kampmeier expected to happen when the first anthologies featured only the two of them. Growing to six, then eight, and even ten authors was more than they dreamed. A few who didn’t contribute stories this year are helping in other ways, including donating money for promotional endeavors and working behind the scenes with marketing and graphics.
“It’s really interesting to have this group continuing to support the cause even when they can’t place a story in the anthology,” Sessums said. “We are building a team.”
Kampmeier agreed.
“What I think is truly special about this – Candace and I set out to do anthologies in which authors could participate using their writing talents, but they are finding they have other talents they are willing to donate … and that’s been quite surprising,” Kampmeier said. “We were not expecting that.”
“It goes to show, when you’re obedient, God will do things you don’t see coming to support that mission He’s asking you to do,” Sessums added.
Tropes and themes featured in this year’s stories include redemption, finding faith, second chance romance, sports romance, opposites attract, historical holiday romance, trust, and forgiveness There is also a story that will resonate with pregnancy help organizations’ staff and volunteers: unplanned pregnancy.
The authors have various reasons for contributing their work, Sessums said. The primary reason, and one that connects all who are involved with the project, is support for the work of pregnancy help organizations. She shared that one of the new authors also said, “I wanted to share the message of faith, hope and love and to spread more light in this dark world."
In addition to the organizers and authors promoting the anthology, Knudson told Pregnancy Help News she and her team plan to share about the project and the fact Cradle of Hope will receive money from the book sales. They will be doing so by various means, including on the organization’s social media channels, through the newsletter that is distributed to donors and supporters, and via the organization’s year-end letter.
“We are thrilled to be chosen to receive the funds from the anthology’s sales,” Knudson said.
The book will remain on sale through February, and the donation to Cradle happens after Amazon sends the proceeds, Sessums said.
Find A Cheerful Heart HERE.
