Prayer and Praises – November 2021

November Prayer & Praises

Harvest! That’s what this whole season proclaims; from pumpkin spice (sorry to those who hate it) and Thanksgiving to the success of this year’s Benefit Dinner and close-cropped fields edged by burnished trees.

We always want to see the harvest. We yearn for the success stories and the full coffers, especially in ministries that move our very core. He has brought so much in! This season calls for deep, lingering thanks for all that God has already done for Care Net Peninsula. 

Sometimes though, it can spiritually look like winter. So many lost moms and dads, so many babies. How can we see them saved? The cold deepens, leaves fall and winter comes. The ache in your heart may feel too heavy. Remember the trees outside: their buds are furled inside their branches already formed, ready for spring. He hasn’t stopped working, even when we strain to see.

Let us be people who rejoice over the harvest! Let us be the people who pray through the winter, plant in the spring, sweat, and labor in the summer.  Let us be willing to be part of the harvest from start to finish. His Kingdom will come. He will come.

"Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me." - John 15:4

We are thanking the Lord for our most successful banquet ever and seeking the Lord for wisdom as we move forward with initiatives to serve more women.

“They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.” – Psalm 36:8-9

Pray that the Lord would interrupt women who are planning an abortion and bring them to us so that we can give them the help & hope they need to choose life for their baby.

“He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart.” – Psalm 107:14

Pray for our Thanksgiving mailing that is going out now to people who have never heard of our mission. May it raise awareness & funds for the work we do here at Care Net.

“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding…” – Colossians 1:9

Meet Our New Development Coordinator

We are excited to introduce you to our newest team member, Katelyn Carpenter. Katelyn joins us as our Development Coordinator, and she is someone you will get very used to seeing and talking to as the year goes on.

Read More »

Critical Year-End Ministry Update

Tragically, 15 children in Virginia died from Covid-19. But since March 2020, 300 times that number of babies died from abortion . . . on the Peninsula. That’s over 4,000 preborn lives taken from our community in less than 3 years. But it would have been more.

Read More »

2021 Fall Newsletter

Fall 2021 Newsletter

As a physician, I am constantly asking the question, “WHY?” Why does this patient have pelvic pain? Why is this baby growing smaller in the womb than it should be? Why has this cancer developed?

I also like to evaluate my personal motivations with this same “WHY?” question. As an OB/GYN, why am I pro-life? In the midst of a busy medical practice and raising a family, why do I serve as the volunteer medical director after a 24-hour shift of delivering babies? When so many OB/GYNs in my field consider abortions to be no more than removing unwanted “products of conception,” why is my heart so grieved when I hear about these procedures?

    • God has given me a calling to help bring LIFE into the world. Life starts in the womb, and I believe in the sanctity and personhood of life along all parts of the journey.
    • I have seen the products of conception” on the ultrasound screen return as a healthy baby in the arms of grateful parents (biological and adopted) to be loved and nurtured to full maturity.

    • I have seen the tears of women who have made decisions based in fear that cannot be undone . . . memories that can haunt them for years.

    • I see the true love and concern in the tone, facial expressions, and actions of the Care Net staff as they spend quality time caring for the clients in front of them, treating each one as an individual.

    • I love hearing the testimonies of redemption as we see children born into situations the world would deem hopeless, but our God redeems and restores.

    • I know that Care Net provides exceptional medical, spiritual, emotional, and truly holistic care to women, that is lacking in many medical settings due to time constraints and other factors.

    • I know that clients are being given the opportunity to receive accurate and complete information about their pregnancy without fear of coercion or cost.

    • I personally review every single ultrasound image and I know that the medical team are highly trained experts in Nursing and in Ultrasonography.

    • I know that clients receive medical screenings, pregnancy tests, prenatal vitamins, medical and spiritual counseling, community support referrals, and follow-up care instructions to optimize their health.

    • I know the ministry is backed by believers and churches who stand ready, willing, and equipped to mentor and support these new parents to care for their children.

I passionately support Care Net, as I know that innumerable lives have been saved by the decisions women made through receiving accurate and complete information about their pregnancy. Why? Because just as the ultrasound brings light into a dark womb, so we reflect the light of Christ into a dark world to bring spiritual and physical life, one soul at a time.

Read More News Updates

Critical Year-End Ministry Update

Tragically, 15 children in Virginia died from Covid-19. But since March 2020, 300 times that number of babies died from abortion . . . on the Peninsula. That’s over 4,000 preborn lives taken from our community in less than 3 years. But it would have been more.

Read More »

Prayer and Praises – October 2021

October Prayer & Praises

Isn’t it amazing that the Kingdom belongs to those who will become like little children? Let the weight of that sink into our prayers over this ministry!

Here we are: advocates for mothers and fathers who are confused by a world telling them life can only go on if the child within ends. Jesus’ heart is to save his children; from the babies deep in their mothers’ wombs to the children He sees in each mother and father, hungry for answers and hope.

The rescue story begins when they step into a place saturated with accurate portrayals of Him as holy, yet infinitely loving! Compassion enables relationship with their Father to begin.

Will we pray with childlike faith and eagerness? Will we beg for more children to join the family? May our every prayer (no matter how large in scope and vision) boil down to desiring deeper fellowship with our Father…then inviting more into the family where they may be truly alive.  

" ...but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 19:14

Pray for Ryan Bomberger as he prepares his message for the Peninsula4Life Dinner. Also, pray that the Lord would bring more monthly partners into this ministry through this event.

“Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity…” – Romans 12:6-8a

Pray that the Lord would continue to bring vulnerable women to our clinic so that we can give them the help & hope they need to choose life for their babies.

“Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by.” – Psalm 57:1

Pray for wisdom and favor as we continue to expand our services to women and families facing life-changing decisions.

“And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.” – Isaiah 30:21

Meet Our New Development Coordinator

We are excited to introduce you to our newest team member, Katelyn Carpenter. Katelyn joins us as our Development Coordinator, and she is someone you will get very used to seeing and talking to as the year goes on.

Read More »

Critical Year-End Ministry Update

Tragically, 15 children in Virginia died from Covid-19. But since March 2020, 300 times that number of babies died from abortion . . . on the Peninsula. That’s over 4,000 preborn lives taken from our community in less than 3 years. But it would have been more.

Read More »

A Debut 30 Years In The Making

30 Years In The Making

A Debut 30 Years In The Making

It has been a year of growth for our ministry; we’re seeing a rise in appointment requests and an increase in abortion-minded women. We have had to grow our team to meet these new demands, and we would like to introduce you to our newest team member, Sylvia Pottle. 

We welcomed Sylvia in June when she came on board as a Client Advocate. She immediately started training and started this fall off able to counsel women on her own. It’s not an easy task, and our advocates and nurses are prepped to handle any situation they may find themselves in. We are all proud of Sylvia for what she has accomplished. 

Our team is made up of women, who like our clients, all have their own unique stories.  

Sylvia joined our team after years in the marketing world – she holds a Bachelor’s in Business with a minor in Marketing, and a Master’s in Education with a concentration in adult learning and training.  

God used a specific moment in her life to place a desire in her heart to protect the unborn and to serve women in need. That moment came 30 years ago when she found herself as a teenager sitting in a Crisis Pregnancy Center expecting her first child. Since then, Sylvia has devoted time and resources to serving local centers. Her heart is to support the women and babies that come through Crisis Pregnancy Centers, including ours.  

Sylvia and her husband John reside in Williamsburg and attend Christ Fellowship Church. Together they share three adult children and children-in-law and five grandbabies … with a sixth due very soon! When Sylvia is not at work or with her family, you can surely find her gardening, reading, or hiking.  

We are grateful that thirty years after that first visit to a pregnancy center, Sylvia has found herself yet again in one – but this time ministering to young moms like her looking for someone to listen and be there for them. She has blessed so many already and we continue to pray for her time with each and every one of the women she meets. 

Read More News Updates

Critical Year-End Ministry Update

Tragically, 15 children in Virginia died from Covid-19. But since March 2020, 300 times that number of babies died from abortion . . . on the Peninsula. That’s over 4,000 preborn lives taken from our community in less than 3 years. But it would have been more.

Read More »

Local Single Mom Awarded University Scholarship

Local Single Mom Awarded University Scholarship

Newport News Resident Nominated by Care Net Peninsula

NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Tiffany Cusick received a four-year, full-tuition scholarship to Regent University during an emotional awards ceremony at the Care Net National Conference in San Antonio, TX on August 26, 2021. Cusick, 22, plans to study theology and Christian Ministry, beginning in the Fall of 2022.

“When I first went to Care Net I was afraid and unsure,” Cusick remembers from her early visits to Care Net Peninsula. “I am super thankful to have found Care Net.”

Cusick expressed gratitude for the scholarship and the free pregnancy-related services she received through Care Net Peninsula, thanking the women on staff: “Their confidence in me has really given me the courage to step out in faith and pursue this and I do believe the Lord has put those women, along with this opportunity, in my life.”

Originally from Gloucester, MA, Cusick moved to Newport News as a young teen. She graduated from Woodside High School in 2016. Now a mom to a 2-month baby girl, Cusick hopes to work in ministry, serving women and children, upon completion of her college degree.

Erin Forsythe, Care Net’s Vice President of Strategic Programs, and Kathleen Patterson, Director of the Doctorate of Strategic Leadership Program at Regent University and Care Net board member, presented the scholarship to Cusick on August 26th in front of pregnancy center leaders from across North America. She is the 10th client of a Care Net affiliated pregnancy center to receive the scholarship from Regent.

Sheri Coker, Advocacy Manager with Care Net Peninsula, nominated Cusick for the scholarship, stating, “In a culture where many view themselves as victims in their circumstances, Tiffany stands out. She works hard without complaining.”

“We know that as a single mom this is a rare opportunity for her to gain the academic knowledge to succeed in both business and ministry,” Coker adds. “We also believe it would set an example for her daughter, that you can accomplish great things in life when you set your mind to it. We believe Tiffany will change the world around her.”

During Cusick’s pregnancy, she experienced compassion, help, and hope at Care Net Peninsula, where she received a free pregnancy test and ultrasound, ongoing consultations with client advocates and nurses, parenting classes, and more. “These women have become my friends,” Cusick said in her application, “They have really been just such a positive impact on me. And even now I know that if I needed something I could call and they would do everything in their power to help me.”

Since opening in 1986, Care Net Peninsula has been the first call for thousands of local women facing unplanned pregnancies. Services include options consultations, pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, parenting support, and more. Through these services and ongoing support, pregnant women receive the help and hope they need at a time when many feel scared and alone. All of Care Net Peninsula’s services are provided at no cost, thanks to the generosity of donors in the community.

Care Net Peninsula is among more than 1,200 pregnancy centers in North America that are affiliated with Care Net. Through a competitive selection process, the Regent Scholarship has been awarded to a Care Net affiliated pregnancy center client for the last eight years. Ursula Penn, the first scholarship recipient to graduate from Regent, matriculated on May 6, 2016. Another scholarship recipient, Lizzie Burton, matriculated in May 2020.

Watch Tiffany receiving her scholarship.

Read More News Updates

Critical Year-End Ministry Update

Tragically, 15 children in Virginia died from Covid-19. But since March 2020, 300 times that number of babies died from abortion . . . on the Peninsula. That’s over 4,000 preborn lives taken from our community in less than 3 years. But it would have been more.

Read More »

Prayer and Praises – August 2021

August 2021 Prayer and Praises
August 2021 Prayer and Praises

August Prayer & Praises

An old adage says “the only thing constant is change”. While we know that to be true it’s rarely ever easy.

Perhaps this month you are in a season of change. Kids going off to school. Managing a business in an ever-changing work environment. Trying to find the boundaries in a world that are changing by the moment. We are all going through this to some extent – individually and together.

As believers, we are steadied with the knowledge that God is our firm foundation – never changing and always faithful. He keeps us so that we will not stumble. He hears our prayers and makes a way for us in any wilderness that life brings. He is an ever-present help in the darkest times.

He changes not.

So as we turn a page on the calendar and walk into this new season we walk hand-in-hand with the lover of our soul, knowing that He goes before us and will be with us every step of the way. Shalom. 

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." - Romans 15:13

Pray that the Lord would work in the hearts of pregnant women to reach out to us when making a life-changing decision.

“May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.” – 2 Thessalonians 3:5

Pray that the Lord would protect our staff in mind and body and that our clinic would remain healthy and safe. 

“But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.” – Psalm 5:11

Pray for wisdom and favor as we plan for our Peninsula4Life Fundraising Banquet.

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.”  – Proverbs 16:3

Meet Our New Development Coordinator

We are excited to introduce you to our newest team member, Katelyn Carpenter. Katelyn joins us as our Development Coordinator, and she is someone you will get very used to seeing and talking to as the year goes on.

Read More »

Critical Year-End Ministry Update

Tragically, 15 children in Virginia died from Covid-19. But since March 2020, 300 times that number of babies died from abortion . . . on the Peninsula. That’s over 4,000 preborn lives taken from our community in less than 3 years. But it would have been more.

Read More »

What Is Plan C?

What Is Plan C?

“Plan C is the idea that there is one final option in a three-step plan.”

Most women have heard of Plan B (sometimes called the “Morning After Pill”). It’s the emergency contraception pill taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex. You don’t want to be pregnant, so you take a pill to make sure you aren’t. 

But Plan C? What’s that? 

Plan C is the idea that there is one final option in a three-step plan. When birth control (Plan A) and emergency contraception (Plan B) fail to prevent a pregnancy, you need a Plan C.

Plan C reduces all your options into one final option – abortion pills to be taken at home, with the entire process completed there in your home.

But hold on, before we rush into an ABC plan that is supposed to be a “one-size-fits-all” plan, let’s consider the actual options that are available to us. 

You deserve access to the full range of options because there isn’t just one final choice if your Plan A and your Plan B don’t go as planned. An unplanned pregnancy that exists, despite using birth control and taking a Plan B pill, has more than one final option. 

What’s more, Plan C – without in-person access to a provider – makes some pretty risky assumptions. It assumes you are actually pregnant and in the early stages of pregnancy. It assumes you are not in the process of a miscarriage. It assumes your pregnancy isn’t ectopic. 

You don’t need assumptions as part of your “Plan C”, you need accurate medical information so you can make the best decision for your reproductive health.

There’s a place you can receive medical services (like a pregnancy test and ultrasound), support, and a safe place right here in Newport News, Virginia. It’s called Alcove Health Women’s Clinic. What’s more, you can explore all of your options and get the medical services you need at no cost to you.

Don’t let anyone plan your life for you. Don’t settle for assumptions and a “good for all” single option. You deserve better.

Read More News Updates

Critical Year-End Ministry Update

Tragically, 15 children in Virginia died from Covid-19. But since March 2020, 300 times that number of babies died from abortion . . . on the Peninsula. That’s over 4,000 preborn lives taken from our community in less than 3 years. But it would have been more.

Read More »

Changing The Mindset of Abortion on the Peninsula

Changing The Mindset Of Abortion On The Peninsula

Unplanned Pregnancy

For some women it is an untimely surprise that can quickly be embraced, but for many of the clients we serve at Alcove Health, a positive pregnancy test marks a deep dive into a new reality of fear and crisis.

Every day in our clinic the phones ring with women in this very situation. Women of different ages and backgrounds. Women who are married and women who are single. Women who are facing a first pregnancy and women who have already given life. Sadly, many share a common trait FEAR.

    • Having their dreams dashed
    • Being a single mother
    • Disappointing their parents, significant other, even their churches

For these women, abortion can seem like the only way out of an unplanned pregnancy. At Alcove Health we see each woman. We hear her story. And we are here to offer help and hope!

That’s an unexpected surprise (and great relief) to a woman who has been battling days of fear and hopelessness. It’s amazing how a simple act of heartfelt listening can provide a safe place to process even the scariest of fears.

During these tender conversations our client advocates provide practical resources for obtaining insurance, child care, housing, and so much more. We help with vitamins, maternity wear, and even parenting classes. And most importantly, we offer each woman a spiritual perspective on the weighty decision before her. For Diamond this was a life changer.

Diamond’s hopes were realized: She Is Not Alone.

As part of her visit with us our client meets with a highly trained nurse where she receives a lab quality pregnancy test, and if appropriate, an ultrasound and STI test. We continue to take time with her. Time to listen and answer questions. Time to inform her about the changes taking place in her body.

For so many of our clients the ultrasound is a real life changer. It is a glimpse of the life inside her womb. She leaves with a digital copy of her scan so that she can look at it later and share it with others. It was a life changer for Brittany it was the day she chose life for her unborn baby!

This year, 3,000 women on the Peninsula will face an unplanned pregnancy. Of those around 600 women will process their unplanned pregnancies with us at Alcove Health. You allow us to be here for every conversation. To pray with and speak into even the toughest situations. Your giving means women like Dehlia, Miriam, Diamond and Brittany have a safe place to process their fears and receive hope.

Thank you for investing in this life-saving work! Please continue to pray that the women we serve will choose life for their babies.

Read More News Updates

Meet Our New Development Coordinator

We are excited to introduce you to our newest team member, Katelyn Carpenter. Katelyn joins us as our Development Coordinator, and she is someone you will get very used to seeing and talking to as the year goes on.

Read More »

Critical Year-End Ministry Update

Tragically, 15 children in Virginia died from Covid-19. But since March 2020, 300 times that number of babies died from abortion . . . on the Peninsula. That’s over 4,000 preborn lives taken from our community in less than 3 years. But it would have been more.

Read More »

¡Conoce a Karla!

¡Conoce a Karla!

As the needs of the women in our community continue to grow, we must do the same. One area where that growth takes place is in our clinic team. We’re excited to finally introduce you to our newest nurse, Karla Laskowski, RN, BSN.  

Karla has been part of our team for a little over six months now, joining us as a volunteer nurse and Spanish translator, a combo we didn’t have in our clinic and one that brought great comfort to our Spanish-speaking clients. We knew immediately we needed her on our team in a more permanent role, and the feeling was mutual.  

Our nurses each bring unique skills and knowledge to our team, and Karla is no different. Her passion for helping others, mixed with military life, has allowed her to care for many across different areas of medicine. She has trained in Audiology, Communicable Diseases, has worked in areas such as Telemetry, Dialysis, Medical Surgery, Home Health, Hospice, Case Manager, Public Health, Home Health Clinics, and as a charge nurse for an Urgent Care/ED.  

We’re proud to say she just finished her extensive training in Limited Diagnostic Imaging for Obstetrics Patients in Oregon and is one step closer to seeing clients on her own. Next up, she will be working alongside our Nurse Managers and Medical Director to finish some in-house training.  

God started preparing Karla for this role early on. She was born and raised in Costa Rica, alongside her quad siblings (yes, she is a quadruplet!!) and her two younger sisters. They were raised by a single mother whom Karla credits as being one of the strongest, fiercest, and most loving people she knows. Her mother’s faith and love for God were her family’s anchors through life’s struggles growing up. We see those same qualities in Karla every day, in and outside of the ultrasound room. 

While living in Honduras, Karla volunteered as a nurse translator and a new mom’s education facilitator at a local medical clinic for the uninsured. She has served as a nurse translator for two mission teams in Nicaragua.  

Karla and her husband have been married for almost twenty years now, and together they have one child. The military brought them to the Peninsula where they have settled in and found a faith community at Manna Church. Karla loves to spend her free time with her family and friends, exploring campgrounds in their new RV, or hunting for deals at local thrift stores, antique stores, and flea markets.

I asked Karla what drew her to Care Net and her response was: “The Care Net family’s strong love for unborn babies, their moms, and families. Their kingdom focus and strong faith to reach and love new moms in our communities.” 

We’re thankful for the people God keeps bringing to us and love seeing how he uses each of their gifts to protect the unborn and to care for their families. 

Read More News Updates

Critical Year-End Ministry Update

Tragically, 15 children in Virginia died from Covid-19. But since March 2020, 300 times that number of babies died from abortion . . . on the Peninsula. That’s over 4,000 preborn lives taken from our community in less than 3 years. But it would have been more.

Read More »

Prayer and Praises – July 2021

July Prayer & Praises

In a world where we are constantly faced with the challenges that this worldwide pandemic brings, we can hold fast to the stability of our Sovereign God. Due to the pandemic the abortion pill has been made more widely available to women facing unplanned pregnancies. They can now receive these pills via the United States Postal Service and have a chemical abortion in their home. At Care Net Peninsula and Alcove Health Women’s Clinic we want to be the first call for women who find themselves with an unplanned pregnancy. Finding a way to reach them in their home before they reach out to abortion providers is paramount in saving these precious babies. It has been challenging to meet with clients in the clinic, as our protocols had to adapt and include COVID precautions, but by God’s grace we have been able to see clients throughout the pandemic. Every aspect of our ministry has been opposed almost at every turn. But God has provided through innovative ideas, our generous donors, and you, our prayer partners! Praise God that in every way, He provides for this ministry to continue to serve women who think abortion is the only way out of an unplanned pregnancy and give them the help and hope they need to choose life for their baby. 

"Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face evermore!" - Psalm 105:4

Pray that the Lord would give us wisdom in our marketing to reach women considering the abortion pill.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” – James 1:5

Pray that the Lord would protect, refresh, and unify our Care Net & Alcove staff who work daily in this life affirming work.

“May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace!” – Psalm 29:11

Pray for sponsors and table hosts to sign up for our upcoming Peninsula4Life Benefit Dinner.

“Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!”  – Psalm 90:7

Meet Our New Development Coordinator

We are excited to introduce you to our newest team member, Katelyn Carpenter. Katelyn joins us as our Development Coordinator, and she is someone you will get very used to seeing and talking to as the year goes on.

Read More »

Critical Year-End Ministry Update

Tragically, 15 children in Virginia died from Covid-19. But since March 2020, 300 times that number of babies died from abortion . . . on the Peninsula. That’s over 4,000 preborn lives taken from our community in less than 3 years. But it would have been more.

Read More »