Meet Benjamin Watson – Our 2023 Peninsula4Life Dinner Guest Speaker

Meet Benjamin Watson

Care Net Peninsula's 2023 Peninsula4Life Guest Speaker

Benjamin Watson is a former NFL tight end, as well as a writer, a speaker, and an activist. He is a college football studio analyst with the SEC Network, and he serves as VP of strategic relationships with the Human Coalition, one of the largest pro-life and pro-woman organizations in the country. Along with his wife, Kirsten, he is the founder of The Watson 7 Foundation, a nonprofit focused on strengthening families. They live in Georgia with their seven children. For more information, visit thewatsonseven.com

Wednesday, August 9, 2023

Get to Know Emalee

She’s been one of the driving forces behind a successful event season for our ministry, and we thought it was time we finally introduce you to our Development Coordinator, Emalee.

Read More »

Serving Moms and Saving Babies in a POST-ROE WORLD

Serving Moms and Saving Babies

In A Post-Roe World

2022 Impact Report

Remember the end of a world in Super Mario? You’d defeat Bowser only to find Toad saying “Thank you Mario, but our princess is in another castle.” That’s a bit like the pregnancy center movement right now.

On June 24th, 2022, Roe was aborted! This was great news. The Dobbs decision meant the abortion question would be answered at the state level. In many states, thousands of babies have been saved as a result. But not here in Virginia. In fact, our state as a “purple state” has caused national players on both sides of this issue to label Virginia as a battleground state in post-Roe America. On to the next castle we go.

For Care Net Peninsula, our mission has not changed. We’re doing everything we can to save babies from abortion by caring for pregnant women in crisis. We served nearly 900 clients in 2022. To handle this growth, we purchased 11101 Warwick Boulevard, the future home of our ministry. We’re also constantly adapting to changes in the abortion pill market and trying to stay ahead of Google’s algorithm that filters us out of certain searches now.

Thank you so much for partnering with us in 2022, and please keep the women and babies we serve in your prayers. 

Who Is The Abortion Minded Woman

She could be anyone! Your sister, friend, maybe even the woman sitting next to you in church. It’s easy, in our culture, to believe that abortion is the only way out of an unplanned pregnancy.

Unplanned Pregnancies and Abortions

3,016 unplanned pregnancies
1,435 abortions

*Most recent data available is 2021

According to the Virginia Department of Health, 22% of preborn babies on the Peninsula are aborted. In reality, it’s even higher! That’s because Virginia, like most states, only tracks facility-based abortions. Online abortion companies are mailing abortion pills (for abortions up to 11 weeks) to local women every day without accountability. These companies are strategically located in states that do not track abortion stats, so we have no way of knowing how many babies they’re killing in our community. 

Your Impact in 2022

648

Pregnancy Tests

585

Ultrasounds

199

STI Tests

101

Church Mentors

236

Bundles4Babies

Ashley, a client you served, and her daughter Ani, visiting Karen, a Client Advocate, and the clinic team.

Casey's Story

“IT FELT LIKE A CRUEL JOKE” – Casey saw those two pink lines and was once again overwhelmed with grief and bitterness.

Casey was married with two children, but then had two unplanned pregnancies. Both ended in abortion. Her decisions to abort weighed heavy on her heart in ways she hadn’t fully processed. And yet, here she was, pregnant again. These same lies from before were starting to take over. Would this pregnancy end the same way?

After my second abortion, I was left feeling empty and unloved. My life was becoming a train wreck that caught fire and exploded. I struggled with anxiety and depression and allowed the wrong people into my life. I even convinced myself that my husband didn’t love me anymore, so I left. I turned to drugs and alcohol to escape from the pain.

“One night, blinded and overwhelmed by grief, I was ready to end it all. If my daughter had not walked out to me when she did, snapping me back to reality, my children would have woken up and found me dead in the morning.”

It was only two weeks after this incident when those two pink lines appeared. Casey was working on mending her marriage and family, but she feared a new baby would hurt their progress. Then, she began to experience early pregnancy complications that reminded her vividly of her past abortion decisions and how quickly this could all be over with. But could she live with that decision for this a third time? Casey didn’t want to let another child down, so she made a call to Alcove Health. 

“It wasn’t my first time at Alcove, but this time it was different. There was no hiding. They met me with open arms, and I felt like they genuinely wanted to help me. I met with Sylvia and Shantelle, who understood my situation and talked to me without judgment or ridicule. They gave me hope things would work out.”

“In a time where I felt so alone, scared, and just overwhelmingly sad, Alcove was a bright light of hope.”

“Alcove provided me programs, like LEAP (their parenting program) to help me get started. They connected me with a mentor group that helped keep me grounded and growing in The Word. I returned to my faith, sobered up, and gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. I will never forget that moment 6 months later when I was baptized with my children, family, and nebworn daughter there to witness.”

God is doing awesome work in Casey’s life . . . and you’re part of her story! Your support provides a safe place for women like Casey to process and learn the truth about abortion. And in a post-Roe world, the truth is more important than ever. For Casey, that meant her daughter was saved from a physical death and she herself from a spiritual death and into a new life with Christ – one that frees her of the guilt, shame, and regret she felt, and helps heal the wounds she carries. 

Client Story Written By Amanda Franks

We're Building a Permanent Space to Serve Local Moms

In June 2022, we bought 11101 Warwick Boulevard. You gave over and above your regular giving to turn this 1970’s office building into the future home of our ministry. We’re at nearly 100% of our $600,000 Capitol Campaign goal and we hope to start construction in April 2023.

The care net team

Board of Directors

Garrett Maroon

Chair

Wayne Holcomb, Esq

Vice-Chair

Pastor Shaun Brown

Secretary

Dyan Gurley

Board Member

Teresa Chalsma

Board Member

Pastor Riley Halliday

Board Member

Carrie Cecil

Board Member

Staff memberS

Ryan Holloway

Executive Director

Dr. Jerrid Neeley, D.O.

Medical Director

Shantelle Giles

Clinic Director

Anne Sych

Director of Development

Linda Mesibov

Operations Manager

Amanda Franks

Marketing Manager

Kinta Dye, RN, BSN

Nurse Manager

Meg Williams, RN, BSN

Nurse Manager

Karla Laskowski, RN, BSN

Nurse

Patty Shuster, RN

Nurse

Sherri Pigue

Client Relations Manager

Katelyn Carpenter

Development Coordinator

Sylvia Pottle

Advocacy Manager

Karen Reynolds

Client Advocate

Jenn Nicholson

Client Advocate

Candra Smith

Clinic Admin Assistant

Joyce Stackhouse

Administrative Assistant

Friday, May 5, 2023

Get to Know Emalee

She’s been one of the driving forces behind a successful event season for our ministry, and we thought it was time we finally introduce you to our Development Coordinator, Emalee.

Read More »

Meet Our New Development Coordinator

Meet Our New Development Coordinator

Katelyn Carpenter

Hey Care New Family – 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.

As the Development Coordinator, Katelyn will juggle the logistics of our Walk4Life, Peninsula4Life Dinner, and Bottles4Life Campaigns. If January was any indication of how she’ll do at this job, the ministry and you all are in great hands!!

Katelyn joined our team in January after relocating to the area last year. Why the move? Because she got married! She tied the knot in 2022 to Pastor Matthew, the Associate Pastor at Reformation Christian Fellowship. Together they enjoy exploring new places and hiking.

So while Katelyn may be new to Care Net Peninsula, she is no stranger to pregnancy centers and ministry work. She has served in ministry for about ten years and holds a Bachelor’s in Next Generation Ministries (Children’s Ministry) from Liberty University.

An interesting fact about Katelyn that plays a role in her passion for protecting the unborn, she’s a quintuplet! Even though they knew the dangers and risks that came with the pregnancy, her parents chose life for her and her four siblings.

We know Katelyn is just as excited as we are to be part of this family, and we’re looking forward to how God will use her to serve moms and save babies in our community.

February 8, 2023

Get to Know Emalee

She’s been one of the driving forces behind a successful event season for our ministry, and we thought it was time we finally introduce you to our Development Coordinator, Emalee.

Read More »

Meet Jenn – Our New Client Advocate

Get to Know Jenn!

The Care Net Peninsula family is growing, and we think you’ll love our newest addition, Jenn Nicholson.

We welcomed Jenn in August when she joined our team as a Client Advocate. She immediately got to work training and can now counsel the women we serve on her own. The role of Client Advocate is a challenging task – each member of our team prepares to be able to handle any situation they may find themselves in while sitting in the counseling room. We’re all so proud of Jenn for what she has accomplished already.

Before joining our team, Jenn has spent the last 15 years providing in-home childcare services while working towards her BA in Biblical and Theological Studies from Regent University, which she will receive in May. 

She has always felt the pull to serve women who have experienced trauma. Currently, Jenn works with an organization in Pattaya, Thailand, to help women transition out of the sex tourism industry. In the Fall, she will start working towards her M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, with the goal of one day providing low-cost mental health services for women in our community. 

Jenn is a member of Deer Park Fellowship, where she serves as a musical worship leader. She has been married to her husband Barry for 17 years, and together they share four children, two hairless cats, one Boston terrier, and a leopard gecko. 

We’re excited to see how God will use Jenn’s passion for sharing the love and light of Christ in the lives of the women we serve, and we know she is just the right fit for our family here at CNP.

Read More News Updates

Get to Know Emalee

She’s been one of the driving forces behind a successful event season for our ministry, and we thought it was time we finally introduce you to our Development Coordinator, Emalee.

Read More »

Sharing the Truth: Pregnancy Center Medical Oversight & Intervention

Sharing the Truth:
Pregnancy Center Medical Oversight & Intervention

The overturning of Roe has caused new myths to pop up and old lies to resurface. Let’s examine two myths about deceptive clinic practices and eradicating critical intervention in particular circumstances.

myth #1

Pregnancy Centers operate without medical oversight.

FACT:

Care Net Peninsula provides pregnancy-related medical services through an OB/GYN and staff nurses.

Our clinic has medical oversight provided by a licensed OB/GYN who, as our Medical Director, sets clinic policies and procedures and reviews all client ultrasounds. In addition, our staff nurses all hold the RN BSN credentials, receive specialized training in performing limited ultrasounds and adhere to continuing education overseen by our Medical Director. 

myth #2

New abortion laws will keep a woman facing an ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, or stillbirth from receiving the proper care she needs

FACT:

Medical services for these conditions will continue and are not a part of abortion legislation

Ectopic pregnancies, miscarriages, and stillbirths (Intrauterine Fetal Demise) require different medical interventions. A woman in one of these situations will not be prohibited from receiving the critical care she needs. This is a heart-wrenching myth that is not true. 

Please take a moment to watch the video below from our Nurse Manager, Meg, and our Client Relations Manager, Sherri, as they go more in-depth about these myths.

Read More News Updates

Get to Know Emalee

She’s been one of the driving forces behind a successful event season for our ministry, and we thought it was time we finally introduce you to our Development Coordinator, Emalee.

Read More »

Sharing the Truth: We Care About Moms and Babies

Sharing the Truth:
We Care About Moms & Babies

We keep hearing how Pro-Life means you are only Pro-Birth – but we all know that is the furthest thing from the truth . . . especially for every member of the Care Net Family. So let’s unpack this myth a little more below:

myth #1

Pregnancy Centers don't help women after their babies are born

FACT:

Care Net Peninsula provides resources to support moms from the beginning of their pregnancies through birth and beyond.

Beginning with a positive pregnancy test, we offer services and resources to support women through their pregnancies and beyond. We are not only “pro-baby” but also “pro-woman” and set a continuum of care into motion to help women choose life.

Our clinic team will provide a woman with essential medical services during that first visit. These services include a pregnancy test, confirmation ultrasound, and, if needed, STI testing. During this visit, we can also connect each woman with a range of community partners who help meet her other needs, such as insurance (Medicaid), housing, food assistance, church connections, professional counseling, and resources for older children. We aim to ensure each woman we meet receives the proper assistance in her time of need.

Some women we serve will choose to life for their baby and later suffer a miscarriage or stillbirth. We are here to help connect each of them with local advocacy groups, ongoing support, and care – as much as they would like.

We want to ensure that each of our moms (and dads) is prepared and ready to parent, so we offer the option to enroll in our free parenting program, Learn, Equip, and Parent (LEAP). This program includes a wide array of class options and, as with all of our services, is entirely free to our clients (paid with the help of our generous donors).

After completing their classes, our moms will receive one of our Bundles4Babies – a basket or bathtub overflowing with diapers, wipes, baby clothes, toiletries, blankets, bibs, and much more (all thanks to YOU!). We even help with extra diapers and wipes for the first six months!!

We know that women facing an unplanned pregnancy often feel scared and alone. So one of our passions is to connect the women (and men) we serve to one of our local church partners.

We ask each of our clients if they would like to connect with a local mentor who can provide seasonal discipleship for a few months or even longer. We have pulled together a group of mentors (members of local churches) who are there to bring these women (and men) into the caring community of the local church. If the baby’s father is interested, we can also connect him with a mentor!

Our team cares about every woman who walks through our doors. We pray that each one will choose life, but we know some won’t. So we offer a Post-Abortion Recovery group for those who leave our clinic and choose abortion. Why? Because we still care about each of them.

Just like our donors are part of the Care Net Family, our clients are part of the Alcove Health Family. This is what a community in action looks like, and it wouldn’t be possible without each of you.

Read More News Updates

Get to Know Emalee

She’s been one of the driving forces behind a successful event season for our ministry, and we thought it was time we finally introduce you to our Development Coordinator, Emalee.

Read More »

Exposing the Myths of Deceptive Clinic Practices

Exposing the Myths of Deceptive Clinic Practices

It is noisy out there . . . let’s take a deeper dive together into some of the false claims going around about Pregnancy Centers, like Care Net Peninsula, to help you separate myth from fact.

myth #1

Pregnancy Centers mislead women into thinking they perform abortions but do not.

FACT:

We disclose in our online ads and telephone calls that we do not perform or refer for abortions.

Care Net Peninsula offers pregnancy-related education, including abortion consultations, but we do not perform or refer for abortions. Our online ads include this disclosure and our website, and every client is informed up-front from the very first conversation.

myth #2

Pregnancy Centers prey on vulnerable women.

FACT:

We provide women with a safe space to process and learn all of their options.

One of our guiding principles here at Care Net Peninsula is “loving-kindness” this is expressed in every conversation with every woman, no matter her situation. We realize that unplanned pregnancies are complicated, so we work hard to make a safe space for women to process their pregnancies and get the essential medical services they need.

myth #3

Pregnancy Centers receive government funding.

FACT:

Care Net Peninsula's services are funded by private sources - not through government support.

Care Net Peninsula is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that receives funding through individuals, churches, businesses, and private foundations. 

Please take a moment to watch the video below from our Clinic Director, Shantelle, and our Client Relations Manager, Sherri, as they go more in-depth about these myths. They share how we practice lovingkindness and what our clients say about our clinic.

Read More News Updates

Get to Know Emalee

She’s been one of the driving forces behind a successful event season for our ministry, and we thought it was time we finally introduce you to our Development Coordinator, Emalee.

Read More »

2021 Impact Report

ABORTION’S NEXT CHAPTER

2021 Impact Report

Despite paradigm-shifting changes to the abortion industry, Care Net Peninsula is leading in the fight for life.

“It’s simple, receive the abortion pill in 1-3 days after a quick video visit.” This ad from Carafem was illegal in 2020. Now national At-Home Abortion companies aggressively market to women on the Peninsula and across the country. In fact, the pill is responsible for over half of the 800,000+ babies killed by abortion each year.

What exactly is an At-Home Abortion? It’s when a ‘pregnant person’ answers a few questions on a video call, and a company mails her the abortion pill for about $200. No ultrasound. No leaving home. She passes the baby in her toilet. It’s horrific. It’s also a threat to the future of our ministry and the women and babies we serve together.

But the Care Net Family is ready for the fight. For the first time, you gave over $1 million. We launched STI testing to reach more women in person. We leveled up (again) our digital communication, and our online leads TRIPLED! That means more women than ever learned about our services. Your investment paid off. We served 630 clients in 2021-our most ever. 391 babies were born. 143 women–and 4 men–were connected to a church mentor. 19 women made a confession of faith in the clinic. To God be the glory!

Thank you so much for your faithful giving, advocating, volunteering, and praying. We are well-equipped for the next chapter in the fight for life on the Peninsula, and that would not be true without YOU.

Pray for wisdom as we adapt and grow aggressively to serve as many moms and save as many babies as God would bring to us.

Ryan Holloway, Executive Director

Is This Data Still Accurate?

At-Home Abortions were made permanently legal by the FDA in 2021. Now, national companies are lining up to sell Peninsula women mail-order abortion pills after a ‘quick video visit.’

This means even more competition in the fight for life on the Peninsula. It also calls into question the validity of abortion stats provided by the VDH via local abortion facilities. For now, we’ll continue to report the available data.

2021 Clinic Stats

“Don’t do this” – The words that would change Tiffany’s life forever rang through her mind, as she sat in the parking lot of Planned Parenthood. Just a few weeks prior, Tiffany had received a positive pregnancy test, shattering her dreams of a “traditional” wedding with her fiancé and an uncomplicated first year of marriage. Add to that the pressures from multiple loved ones to “just get an abortion,” and Tiffany felt cornered with the temptation to take what felt like the easy way out.

But instead of listening to these voices, Tiffany said “yes” to God’s voice, and, as a result, she lost many relationships including her engagement. Scared and unsure she could parent a child alone, Tiffany came to our clinic and received the help she needed to care for her unborn baby. Her extraordinary courage caught our attention. So, our team nominated Tiffany to Care Net National, who in partnership with Regent University, awarded Tiffany a 4 year, full-tuition scholarship. Praise God!

Now Tiffany wants to use her story to help other women say “yes” to life in a culture shouting the opposite. She wants everyone to know that God used what seemed like a catastrophe in her life to give her the biggest blessings she could ever imagine: a beautiful little girl and a future filled with promise.

Read more about Tiffany here.

 

2021 Expenses

staff members

Ryan Holloway

Executive Director

Dr. Elizabeth Lunsford

Medical Director

Shantelle Giles

Clinic Director

Anne Sych

Development Director

Linda Mesibov

Operations Manager

Meg Williams, RN, BSN

Nurse Manager

Kinta Dye, RN, BSN

Nurse Manager

Karla Laskowski, RN, BSN

Staff Nurse

Sherri Pigue

Client Relations Manager

Sheri Coker

Advocacy Manager

Karen Reynolds

Client Advocate

Sylvia Pottle

Client Advocate

Maggie Jervey

Community Relations Manager

Amanda Franks

Media Specialist

Joyce Stackhouse

Administrative Assistant

board members

Garrett Maroon

Chair

Wayne Holcomb, J.D.

Vice-Chair

Pastor Shaun Brown

Secretary

Dyan Gurley

Board Member

Teresa Chalsma

Board Member

Dr. Jerrid Neeley

Board Member

Carrie Cecil

Board Member

Make a Gift Today to Provide Help and Hope to Local Women on the Peninsula.

Get to Know Emalee

She’s been one of the driving forces behind a successful event season for our ministry, and we thought it was time we finally introduce you to our Development Coordinator, Emalee.

Read More »

Meet Carrie Cecil

Meet Carrie Cecil
Meet Carrie Cecil

Meet Our Board of Directors

Carrie Cecil

At the beginning of the year, we welcomed Carrie Cecil to our Board of Directors.  

Born and raised on the Peninsula, Carrie met her husband while attending Thomas Nelson Community College. Together they have three small children, whom Carrie spends her days nurturing and schooling. They are members of Reformation Christian Fellowship in Newport News, where Carrie first heard of Care Net Peninsula through a Bottles4Life Campaign the church was hosting.  

God began cultivating a passion in Carrie’s heart for moms in need during her own pregnancies where she suffered from Hyperemesis Gravidarum. It was during that time she came to understand firsthand how a pregnancy, planned or unplanned, is often accompanied by fear and suffering.  

“Care Net Peninsula provides hope and help to the fearful and the suffering moms in our community and I am proud to be part of this ministry!” 

We are excited to have Carrie as part of the Care Net Family and look forward to serving alongside her in the years to come and seeing how God is going to use her within the ministry. And watch out . . . she has a blackbelt in Tae Kwan Do!!  

March 31, 2022

Get to Know Emalee

She’s been one of the driving forces behind a successful event season for our ministry, and we thought it was time we finally introduce you to our Development Coordinator, Emalee.

Read More »

Meet Teresa Chalsma

Teresa Chalsma
Teresa Chalsma

Meet Our Board of Directors

Teresa Chalsma

At the end of 2021, we welcomed long-time Care Net Family member, Teresa Chalsma, onto our Board of Directors.  

Teresa, alongside her husband Brian, has been a faithful supporter of the ministry since 2010. During that time, she has worn many hats in our ministry, and we have loved serving alongside her.  

As a Client Intake Volunteer (CIV), Teresa was able to see first-hand the work being done in our clinic each week. She played a vital role in aiding our clinic team during her shift and ensured clients were provided a warm and welcoming atmosphere.  

Her ability to connect with others and passion to share about the mission and work of our ministry made Teresa the first choice when setting up our Executive Leadership Team for our Peninsula4Life Dinners. In 2020 she took up the charge to chair the team and assisted us in navigating a fundraising dinner through a global pandemic.  

Aside from being “boots on the ground” within the ministry, Teresa, along with her partners at The Roofing Company, generously sponsor our events each year to help ensure all funds raised go directly back into our clinic.  

“I started volunteering and supporting Care Net Peninsula because I felt it was a positive way to serve moms and save babies. I love that all the services are free to women. The staff at the clinic is phenomenal!” 

Teresa holds a bachelor’s degree from Radford University in business and marketing – we look forward to seeing how God can use her skills and knowledge in those areas in the years to come.  

In her free time, Teresa enjoys being with her family. She has been married to her husband Brian for 31 years, and together they share 3 daughters. Teresa and Brian enjoy traveling in their RV, including a yearly trip with their entire family. The Chalsma family are members of Lifehouse Church and spend their time supporting not only local missions like Care Net, but they love to help spread the Gospel through mission trips abroad.  

We know this new season and new role within Care Net for Teresa will continue to bless our moms and babies and help to spread the message of help and hope to so many women across the community who need it.  

teresa-family.jpg

Teresa Chalsma and Family

March 14, 2022

Get to Know Emalee

She’s been one of the driving forces behind a successful event season for our ministry, and we thought it was time we finally introduce you to our Development Coordinator, Emalee.

Read More »