We have a new way to encourage and equip our patients at Hope Women’s Centers, thanks to valuable partnerships with the Florida Pregnancy Care Network, Inc. (FPCN) and the Children’s Aid Club. FPCN provides an educational nutrition curriculum, Empowerment through Education: Nutrition for Pregnant Women.
Through this new resource, we are providing nutrition education to pregnant patients, including some who were considering abortion due to a lack of resources and support. The Children’s Aid Club is the partner who is currently providing the rewards that provide incentive for the moms to get the education they need about what to eat!
The nutrition classes are comprised of two workshops. The first workshop is about the nutritional needs for expecting moms; including the benefits of eating healthy during pregnancy and the role of vitamins, minerals, and hydration. The second workshop is more in-depth and focuses on daily meal planning, foods patients need to know about, and how healthy eating can help circumvent some of the discomforts of pregnancy. During these sessions, our patients are provided with handouts, website links to additional nutritional material, information and recipes.
Our sessions with the patients are one-on-one and at times our patients even bring the father of the baby with them (we welcome these dads and love it when they come)! The classes are designed to be interactive and reflective. This setting allows the class to be customized and tailored for each patient, giving them the freedom to express their concerns and ask questions.
You may be wondering why a woman would come back to our centers after the pregnancy test and ultrasound appointments – well they just seem to love us! I say that jokingly, but many really do express how loved they felt during our care and how much they enjoy coming back. During the pregnancy test appointment, they often make remarks like, “I need to change my diet”, “I want to be healthier”, or “I want to know what I should be eating”. To give them an incentive to come back and receive the nutritional information they need, we offer a free car seat for their baby upon completion of their classes. When a free car seat is mentioned, their eyes light up with excitement and they eagerly sign up to enroll! The Children’s Aid Club has awarded us a grant for $1,200 and we can provide new car seats for these moms until the funds run out. Our mission is to encourage AND equip…the car seats program is both, and we are looking for organizations and individuals who would like to partner with us in this effort.
Every woman that I have taught and counseled through the nutrition classes has been so grateful for the information and the car seat. We have fun with it and we make a big deal when they finish the class by presenting a Certificate of Completion, along with the car seat. I have had some women cry as they express this thought in various ways: “I am so glad and grateful I found Hope.”
For me it is a privilege and honor to have the resources and the opportunity to equip the mom and dad-to-be with nutritional information, support, and a gift that meets a very real need. As an organization, we are very thankful for these new resources made possible by the Florida Pregnancy Care Network, Inc., the Children’s Aid Club, and hopefully new partners in future days. It has allowed us more opportunities to help abortion vulnerable women in our community, by linking arms with them and providing care and additional life-giving resources.
GIFT A CAR SEAT TO A MOM IN NEED
The grant that we have will not last indefinitely. We are looking for additional partnerships. Would you prayerfully consider donating $75 for a new car seat to help a mom/dad that chose life for their unborn child?
About the Author: Ariana is a Client Services Director at Hope Women’s Centers, overseeing one of our medical centers. She enjoys living a healthy lifestyle and as a trained life coach, Ariana is passionate about encouraging, educating and resourcing women and teens to live their best life now!
*Because of changing laws in product liability, we are not able to accept used car seats at any of our centers. The car seats we provide to our patients are brand new. Individuals/groups often choose to donate gift cards to help meet direct needs of our patients and their babies.
Hope Women’s Centers exist to encourage and equip women and men to make informed decisions regarding unplanned pregnancies.
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