Answering The Call

“Keim Center for pregnancy decisions.  How may I help you?”

In 2010, Cathy and her team of devoted volunteers uttered these words more than 4,000 times while answering the helpline in our call center.  Available 24 hours a day, the helpline is a vital link between potential clients and their appointment in one of our four locations.

“We’re the voice of The Keim Centers.  Not only do we answer the phones and book appointments, but we often establish the client’s first impression of our organization,” says Cathy, call center manager.

Call center volunteers are warm, welcoming women who have been “super trained” to serve on the front lines of our ministry.  Every call is different, but the desired outcome is the same – connect with the caller and share resources that are of value to her.

In voluntary surveys collected after each appointment, our clients repeatedly share how comfortable they felt and how thankful they were to have someone non-judgmental to talk with about their situation, writing comments like, “I had a very enjoyable experience, the staff was very friendly and helpful and seemed genuinely concerned about me.”

This authentic compassion begins in the call center.  Each four-hour volunteer shift begins with a short devotion and prayer.

“We pray for the phones to ring, and that surprises people,” Cathy shares.  “We know women are considering abortion, and we want them to find our number.  I pray they find our words inviting, and that God speaks through us – touches them.  We pray they make appointments.  And we pray for the advocates who will be seeing them – we’re part of a team.  We pray for women to find the truth.  It’s not our words – it’s what God does with those words in the caller.  The callers are different, but our words are always the same.  It’s not us.  Call center volunteers are not responsible if the woman makes the appointment or not, but they’re responsible to offer the invitation.”

The call center is an essential element of CPC’s ministry to serve women unprepared for pregnancy.  To run the call center at minimum capacity, 10 volunteer shifts require manning each week.  Currently, we have volunteers committed to only 6 of these shifts.  We pray many volunteers will step forward to help fill this void.

What about you – is this your calling?  Will you be a caring voice on the other end of the phone?

To learn more about plugging into the call center, or numerous other volunteer opportunities within CPC’s ministry, our next volunteer training session begins in less than two weeks.  Contact Angie at afreeman@cpcot.org or 757.410.9703 for more information on how to get involved.

Praying for LIFE

"CPC's Prayer Gathering for Life is THE annual pro-life prayer event of South Hampton Roads. You don't want to miss this!"

-CPC supporter

2011 Prayer Gathering for Life

Thursday, September 29

7:00 P.M.

First Baptist Church of Norfolk

312 Kempsville Road, Norfolk, VA 23502

(Thank you, FBCN, for your hospitality in allowing us to use your facilities!)

Bring your friends and family as we go before the Lord together on behalf of life!

Invite others through Facebook

September Prayer Focus

PLEASE PRAY   CPC humbly requests your intentional prayer for:

CLIENTS FACING DIFFICULT LIFE CIRCUMSTANCES   Our hearts are often heavy for women facing difficult life circumstances. We know our Lord, Jesus Christ, is the answer to all their needs. We pray they come to this life-changing knowledge. 

ADDITIONAL VOLUNTEERS   Our next session of volunteer training begins in September. Please pray many will step forward as much-needed call center volunteers – compassionate women who serve on the front lines of our ministry.

PROTECTION AND STRENGTH   Everyday we are reminded through challenges, obstacles and hardships that the enemy does not want CPC to continue sharing truth and hope with hurting families. In the past few weeks, there have been numerous and very difficult hardships, including 4-year-old Sawyer, the son of our President Toby DeBause, who has kidney failure and is on dialysis daily. (For more info and updates, visit http://www.debause.com/.) We know that Jesus Christ is our Protector, our Strength and Victor! Please pray for great protection for our staff and volunteers as they faithfully serve.

PRAY FOR CPC'S EXPECTANT MOTHERS & THEIR LITTLE ONES   Their names* & due dates are listed below.

*Some of the names have been changed to protect the identities of our clients.

Jessica 1

Sandra 1

Tiara 1

Angela 1

Rita 1

Ciara 1

Cynthia 2

Shenita 2

Michelle 2

Dominique 3

Makayla 3

Sharee 3

Jewel 3

Malika 3

Renada 4

Tonya 4

Tanesha 5

Crystal 5

Liz 5

Lisa 6

Nichole 6

Janell 7

Joyce 7

Anne 7

Mary 7

Hope 8

Sierra 8

Demone 8

Vivian 9

Kelly 10

Shelby 10

Dominique 10

Breanna 11

Emperia 11

Brittney 11

Melissa 11

Tonya 11

Amber 12

Brittany 12

Randi 14

Shaniece 14

Stacey 14

Shamika 14

Lindsey 15

Rosemary 15

Erica 15

Navetta 16

Shay 16

Kiera 16

Tisha 16

Dora 16

Donna 16

Carly 16

Nina 17

Anya 18

Keneisha 18

Monica 18

Morgan 19

Kimberly 19

Danita 20

Ava 20

Veronica 20

Serra 21

Sha 21

Shemika 22

Teyona 23

Chantell 23

Chasidy 24

Erica 24

Stephanie 24

Whitney 25

Gladys 25

Rhanita 26

Angela 26

Jennifer 26

Makayla 26

Brittney 26

Trellis 27

Yun 27

Shanel 29

Jade 29

Ashley 29

Marcella 29

Dining to Donate at Fazoli's

What a fun summer of dining out with our friends!  July's Dining to Donate event at Applebee's in Norfolk was another success - we're looking forward to sharing the numbers we receive from Applebee's in September!

Our final summer Dining to Donate event is one week away - join us next Tuesday evening at Fazoli's in Chesapeake to raise funds for CPC over another tasty dinner.

Fazoli's
1204 Greenbrier Parkway

Chesapeake, VA 23320

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

5 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Fazoli's will generously donate 25% of all pre-tax food purchases to CPC's ministry. It's easy - just PRINT THIS FLYER and present it to your server with your bill.

Pass the word on to your friends - this is a great opportunity to introduce others to CPC while enjoying fresh, fast Italian food!

Freedom Through Forgiveness

After the trauma of an abortion, many women experience feelings of guilt, anger and shame.  Explosive emotions, changed relationships, and avoiding situations that are reminders of abortion may be signs of post-abortion stress as women suffer the loss of a preborn child.

Lisa first came to The Keim Centers pregnant and unsure of her decision. 

“I had planned to have children, definitely. But I did not plan on becoming pregnant or having children at the time.  I had a lot of pressure from a lot of different people in my life.  And after a few weeks of just constant pressure I ended up caving and I went and had an abortion.  I had bought into that bill of goods that this was going to be the best thing.  And I was gonna get it over with and I was going to go on with my life, which was the farthest thing from the truth.  I was in total hysterics.  I went straight into just amazing amounts of pain and guilt and shame.  And I realized that everything that I had been told was a complete lie.  It doesn’t go away.”

About a year after her abortion, Lisa came back to The Keim Centers to learn more about abortion recovery.

 “I didn’t really believe there was going to be help for me.  I went out of desperation.”

Watch more of Lisa's story on YouTube

The Keim Centers’ abortion recovery ministry offers a safe place to consider the trauma, issues and personal heartache surrounding abortion.  You can find healing and hope in small groups led by women who have a shared experience of abortion.

We are here to equip our community with resources to help those who hurt after abortion, to heal.  If you or someone you know is suffering in silence, email arm@keimcenters.com or call 757.499.4444.  Confidential help is available for women of all ages, and support groups are onging in multiple locations across South Hampton Roads.

My sin...not yours.

After volunteering and working for an abortion clinic in Texas for eight years, Abby Johnson resigned from her position as health center director in 2009 to become an advocate for life.

Abby’s story has gained national acclaim, as she relates her experience on both sides of the “life line,” writing in her book, unPlanned, “I was loved from one side into the other. My hope is that many more thousands will be loved into truth as well. Maybe you will be the one loving someone on the other side of the fence.”

In a blog posted by Abby in July, she shares one of the memories from her time at the abortion clinic.

Read Abby’s blog entry in its entirety

“We're talking about abortion. We need to talk about the reality of what it truly is.”

On July 18, 2011, NPR’s Tell Me More program hosted a debate about life issues – specifically, addressing abortion and the African-American community.

Ryan Bomberger, co-founder of The Radiance Foundation, examined several areas of the abortion industry with Rev. Carlton Veazey, president and CEO of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice is a pro-choice advocacy organization, founded in 1973 to safegard the right to abortion.

The Radiance Foundation is “an educational life-affirming organization. Through various forms of media, speaking engagements, multi-media presentations and community outreach efforts, we illuminate the intrinsic value each person possesses. We educate audiences about pressing societal issues and how they impact the understanding of God-given Purpose. We motivate people to positively affect their families, their schools and their communities. Our combination of powerfully designed media content, thorough research and personal experiences is unmatched and connects with people cross-culturally and cross-generationally.”

A major topic of the conversation was the Too Many Aborted billboard campaign, launched by The Radiance Foundation in January 2010. The outdoor advertising campaign, with eye-catching statements like “Black Children Are An Endangered Species,” “Black & Unwanted” and “ ‘Choice’ Kills Those Without One,” seeks to highlight the disproportionate impact of abortion within the African-American community. The campaign has drawn much attention and reached several major U.S. cities, including New York City, Oakland, Calif., Atlanta, Ga., and Little Rock, Ark. To date, none of the campaigns have been removed for reasons other than the expiration of their contract.

TooManyAborted.com is championed by African-American civil rights leaders across the U.S., including Walter Hoye III, Dr. Alveda King, Stephen Broden, Dr. La Verne Tolbert and many others.

“Abortion has become today’s contraception. Abortion affects all of us. It’s not just a women’s issue, it’s a human issue that profoundly impacts all of us. I think offering death as a solution to any social ill is a really poor approach.”
Excerpts from Ryan Bomberger (The Radiance Foundation) on NPR

Listen to NPR’s entire recorded broadcast from 7/18/2011

August Prayer Focus

PLEASE PRAY   CPC humbly requests your intentional prayer for:

CPC FAMILIES   Please pray for three staff families as they were recently touched by the home-going of a loved one. Pray that the God of peace, comfort and compassion bless these families with His presence. Please also pray for several additional staff family members who have been struggling with health issues.

LIFE DECISIONS   Pray for our clients who choose to carry their baby to term. After they’ve made the decision, given birth and begun “real life with a baby,” these moms are often overwhelmed, under equipped and stressed. They need our support and prayers.

ESTABLISHING NEW CLINIC   Please pray for our medical clinics to expand our ministry’s reach, especially our new clinic in Virginia Beach. We pray that more women will find the new location and that even more lives will be saved and hearts spared as a result of offering medical services at no cost to the patient, like life-affirming ultrasound.

PRAY FOR CPC'S EXPECTANT MOTHERS & THEIR LITTLE ONES.   Their names* & due dates are listed below.

*Some of the names have been changed to protect the itentities of our clients.

Libby 1

Kiera 1

Sheryl 1

Mandy 2

Lauren 2

Laura 2

Candace 2

Tiffany 3

Heidi 3

Torie 3

Erica 3

Victoria 4

Amanda 4

Shawn 5

Danielle 5

Marly 6

Brittany 6

Shannon 6

Christina 6

Jan 6

Stephanie 7

Sabrina 7

Lakesha 7

Andrea 8

Shanae 8

Lateshia 8

Ashley 9

Nicole 9

Christina 10

Natasha 10

Felicia 11

Sierra 11

April 11

Hailey 11

Onja 11

Annette 11

Danielle 12

Marlena 12

Risha 13

Adria 13

Sherry 14

Zoie 14

Tiffany 14

Crystal 15

Shaylyn 15

Tanya 15

Whitney 15

Netta 16

Heather 16

Jillian 17

Shantale 18

Courtney 18

Janet 18

Sharon 18

Chelsea 18

Alicia 19

Jamie 19

Taneisha 19

Temple 20

Lea 20

Courtney 20

Jessica 21

Neisha 21

Emily 22

Jasmine 22

Shemika 23

Lindia 23

Anna 24

Danielle 26

Angela 26

Ciara 26

Ashley 27

Carman 27

India 28

Torie 28

Stephanie 28

Natasha 29

Kimberly 30

Christian 30

Melinda 31

Nicole 31

Dining to Donate: Round 2

Thanks to your support, last month's Dining to Donate event at Fuddrucker's in Virginia Beach was a great success, bringing in $329.78!

We had such a great time, we'd like to dine with you again!  Join us on Monday at Applebee's in Norfolk to raise funds for CPC over another delicious meal.

  

Applebee's

5750 East Virginia Beach Boulevard

Norfolk, VA 23502

Monday, July 25, 2011

11 a.m. - 11 p.m.

  

Applebee's will generously donate 20% of all pre-tax food purchases to CPC's ministry.  This month is a little different, but it's still easy - just PRINT THIS FLYER and present it to your server with your bill.

  

Pass the word on to your friends - this is a great opportunity to introduce others to CPC while eating good in the neighborhood.

Stay tuned for more info on one more dining to donate opportunity in August at Fazoli's in Chesapeake!

Join Us for an Open House Celebration!

"The Lord has done this and it is marvelous in our eyes."
Psalm 118:23 NIV

RSVP today and make plans to join us at The Keim Center of Virginia Beach on Saturday, July 23!