Dear friends and supporters,
Thanks for checking in with us! We wanted to communicate some of what has been going on and some interesting things we’ve learned during the first half of this fundraiser.
First, status update. We’ve raised $3,640 the last two weeks, the majority of which has been in $25 gifts from friends like you. THANK YOU!! (We are getting ready to mail a LOT of thank you notes!!) That is 25% of our goal, so we have a long way to go…but not as long as you might think.
Did you know – Our Facebook page has over 760 likes? If every person who liked our page gave just $15, our goal would be accomplished! Can you believe that?! So.. that makes this seem really attainable! (Incidentally, if you follow our FB page, now’s the time to give!!)
Second, something that we’ve learned… We have heard SO many times, “Wow, I never really knew what Open Heart Doula was about!” As we expand our services to be able to serve more vulnerable women, there are a TON of awesome things that we have on the docket. (Some are in infantile stages now, we are just longing to pursue them when we are fully funded.)
Here are just a few of those programs-in-waiting, in various stages of development:
– Healthy pregnancy and parenting support and education for pregnant teenagers in the foster care system (these teens are 2.5 times more likely to become pregnant and several times more likely to commit child abuse crimes, and they have VERY little support). These precious girls. We are so desperate to help them.
– Partnering with churches to expand our support system for refugees. Does your church group want to be a part of this?
– Peer-to-peer mentoring and support groups for mamas with postpartum depression and anxiety. Contact us if you are interested in being involved in this!
Aren’t those exciting?! There are so many plans in the works, as we seek to serve more women involved in sex trafficking, more refugees, more homeless women, more hopeless women.
Friends, we know that sometimes the word doula connotes only an interest in natural childbirth. We LOVE natural childbirth and are trained to help women experience it whenever possible. But truly, this side of our work has almost nothing to do with it. It has everything to do with holding a hand, helping a woman believe in herself when perhaps nobody else does. It has everything to do with transferring great hope into a seemingly hopeless situation.
We love you all and are so very, very thankful for your support. Contact us if you would like to know more about how you can serve or partner with us. Until next time… 🙂