Friday, November 10 marked the official start of our year-end Matching Challenge. Generous donors have combined to donate a record $250,000 with a goal for others to match it by December 31st. This means your gift today can have twice the life-changing, life-saving impact.
Your support not only makes a difference today, it changes the tomorrows of those we serve. Our 40th Anniversary is an opportunity to reflect on some of the powerful testimonies of generational impact your support makes possible.
Valerie and her now 12-year-old son Malachi are examples of lives forever changed by coming to Life Network.
“My Life Completely Fell Apart”
At 28 years old, Valerie was engaged and found out she was pregnant. But, in one week, everything fell apart. The police came to her house and she realized her fiancé was living a double life. “My life completely fell apart, ” she says. “I thought he was going to work and he was committing felonies.”
Even though she wasn’t involved, Valerie and her fiancé were both initially arrested.
Valerie was quickly released but required to go to court. “I was trying to put the pieces of my life back together, but I couldn’t get employed because I was pregnant and had an open court case.” Desperate, Valerie moved back home with her parents who were very stressed by her pregnancy.
“The biggest thing I remember so distinctly, when I called Life Network, was how nice and understanding the person who answered the phone was. Everyone I talked to before was unkind, but Life Network really wanted to help.”
Valerie met with a counselor and went through the Parenting Program from pregnancy until her son was two years old. “I met some people through this program who I’m still friends with,” she says. “Life Network gave me hope – they were a safe space to be,” she says. “It was so helpful to have emotional support and know someone was on my side.”
After Valerie’s son Malachi was born, she used the baby bucks she earned to shop at Life Network’s baby boutique and pick out clothes for her son. The clothes were beyond what she otherwise would have been able to afford.
“The handmade quilts were so special,” she says through tears.
“Looking back, Life Network will always be so special to me. There were so many horrible things going on in my life and so much uncertainty, but every time I went to Life Network, there was this palpable love, reassurance and hope that everything was going to be OK.”
“It’s Been Hard, But Worth It”
Valerie is a solo parent now and her mentors at Life Network gave her the support she needed to maintain distance with her ex who was emotionally and verbally abusive.
Her son, Malachi, is 12 years old now and Valerie says, “He is such a sweet kid – he amazes me every single day. He’s happy no matter what’s going on. He loves to fish, be outside, and try new things.”
Through tears Valerie says, “If everything I went through was the price I had to pay to have him, it’s worth it.”
“You may feel so devastated and terrified by everything going on, but the care and true and honest compassion you get from Life Network is incredible.”
Your Year-End Gift Will Help More Moms and Dads Like These
It’s your generosity that makes this care and compassion possible for overwhelmed women like Valerie. In these closing weeks of the year, your end-of-year gift of $50 … $100 … $250 … $500 … or more will provide life-affirming care directly to women and men seeking desperate options for their pregnancy.
Thank you for your passion and commitment to save lives today — and change generational tomorrows.
