Rather than waiting for women to come to them, Project Life4TN is assisting pregnancy help organizations in taking their life-affirming services on the road, meeting potential clients right where they are, and saving hundreds of lives in the process.
In 2013, Tennessee Action Council (TAC) was formed to raise political awareness and endorse pro-life candidates. However, in 2014, the founders felt called to transform the organization into a 501(c)(3) non-profit known as Project Life4TN that could aid pregnancy help organizations in the actual life-saving process.
The board recognized that mobile units, 30-foot RVs equipped with ultrasound machines that operate like a pregnancy center on wheels, are essential in reaching women facing unexpected pregnancies.
Tweet This: Mobile pregnancy help units equipped with ultrasound machines are essential in reaching women facing unexpected pregnancies.
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These units can be conveniently located to service abortion-vulnerable individuals, such as near abortion clinics, college campuses, and medically underserved communities, making them a valuable life-saving tool. Additionally, hearing a baby’s heartbeat and seeing the baby for the first time via ultrasound leads to a significant increase in the number of clients who choose life.
However, the board learned the capital cost of acquiring a mobile unit was often a barrier for pregnancy help organizations wanting to implement mobile services.
Upon hearing of this problem, Project Life4TN decided it would purchase mobile units and lease them out starting at less than $1,000 per year, saving pregnancy help organizations the cost of purchasing a new unit which can run over $100,000.
Project Life4TN is now dedicated to doing just that, making itself a unique organization which leases rather than sells mobile units and their hard work is paying off!
More than 200 clients were served through Project Life4TN mobile units in 2019 alone, with almost all of them choosing life for their babies.
Additionally, Project Life4TN is currently leasing mobile units to three organizations: Portico in Murfreesboro, TN and Hope Women’s Center in McKinney, TX, both of which are pregnancy centers, as well as Operation Saving Life a stand-alone life-affirming organization based in Arrington, TN, that operates its mobile unit in partnership with a local pregnancy center.
While Project Life4TN’s mobile units had previously been leased solely to pregnancy help organizations located in Tennessee and Kentucky, Hope Women’s Center recently signed on board after losing their physical location due to damage from the devastating winter storm in Texas.
The partnership is something that the Secretary of Tennessee Action Council’s Board of Directors, May Bennett, describes as a true testament of “the power of networking with other organizations to support life-affirming ministry.”
Bennett explained:
“Through the generosity of a pregnancy center in Georgia, Project Life4TN acquired a used mobile unit with plans to lease the unit to a pregnancy resource center (PRC) in Kentucky.
As plans to acquire the unit were being finalized, the PRC in Kentucky asked for a delay, due to their need to focus on renovation and moving into a new, larger physical space. Little did we know that Hope Women’s Center, a vibrant PRC in McKinney TX, had been decimated by the winter storm and had an urgent need for a temporary clinic.
Focus on the Family became aware of this need and contacted ICU Mobile. Greg VanBuskirk, executive director at ICU Mobile, then contacted Project Life4TN. Within two weeks, the unit from Georgia was serviced, equipped with new tires, insured, and driven to McKinney where Hope Women’s Center is wrapping the unit and hooking it up to utilities to be used in a fixed location until a brick-and-mortar clinic is available.
We believe that God led all of the organizations involved in this circumstance to this opportunity to ensure that needs in McKinney, TX, were met despite the devastating storm.”
Tweet This: Partnerships developed out of need is a testament of “the power of networking with other organizations to support life-affirming ministry.”
The Tennessee Action Council board is also always open to hearing from organizations with potential interest in mobile services to discuss the application process.
To apply, interested organizations can submit a written application to Project Life4TN. The application requires bylaws and governing documents, financial information, information about the organization’s services and current operation, as well as plans for mobile services. Following the written application, the interested pregnancy help organization would then be interviewed by TAC’s board of directors.
Applicants are also asked to affiliate with ICU mobile, which assists organizations with operational planning for mobile pregnancy services, as well as implement medical services, including ultrasonography, if they haven’t already done so. Bennett explained pregnancy help organizations which are just beginning to offer medical services usually implement such services at their physical location before implementing mobile ultrasound services.
In addition to leasing mobile units (Project Life4TN), Tennessee Action Council also has a ministry called Helping Hands which provides large, new duffle bags to children being placed in foster care in Tennessee's Mid-Cumberland region.
Over 1,000 children are currently in foster care in the region and the number continues to grow. Sadly, in the past, when children were moved from their homes, their personal belongings were placed in disposable garbage bags, making the children feel devalued and creating the risk of loss/damage to personal items. To remedy this, TAC purchases durable, attractive duffle bags and provides them to the DCS to give to each child for their personal items.
Most importantly, the Tennessee Action Council credits all of their work to God.
“The TAC board is grateful for God’s direction and blessing on this work. We give Him all the glory and live in awe of His grace,” Bennett stated. “We are grateful for His continued guidance for Tennessee Action Council and our affiliates in finding ways to support families and affirm the sanctity of life.”
To increase awareness and support of both divisions of Tennessee Action Council, Project Life4TN and Helping Hands, their annual golf tournament is being held on April 28, 2021, in Franklin, TN. For those interested, more information is available on their website: Projectlife4tn.org.
