Meet Lee Strobel – Our 2024 Peninsula4Life Dinner Guest Speaker

2024 Care Net Peninsula Peninsula4Life Dinner in Newport News, VA Keynote Speaker Lee Strobel

Meet Lee Strobel

Author. Apologist. Evangelist.

Care Net Peninsula's 2024 Peninsula4Life Guest Speaker

Atheist-turned-Christian Lee Strobel, the former award-winning legal editor of The Chicago Tribune, is a New York Times best-selling author of more than forty books and curricula that have sold fourteen million copies in total.

After probing the evidence for Jesus for nearly two years, Lee became a Christian in 1981, inspiring his best-selling book, The Case for Christ. In 2017, Lee’s spiritual journey was depicted in an award-winning motion picture which was shown in theaters around the world.

Lee has been described in the Washington Post as “one of the evangelical community’s most popular apologists.” He was educated at the University of Missouri and Yale Law School. He was a journalist for fourteen years at The Chicago Tribune and other newspapers, winning Illinois’ highest honors for both investigative reporting and public service journalism from United Press International.

Lee currently serves as Founding Director of the Lee Strobel Center for Evangelism and Applied Apologetics at Colorado Christian University.

Learn more about Lee: https://leestrobel.com/about

Tuesday, July 23, 2024

Praise and Prayers: A look at two years since the overturning of Roe v. Wade 

Praise and Prayers:

A look at two years since the overturning of Roe v. Wade

Today marks two years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ending the constitutional right to abortion. The National Right to Life estimates that up to 89,000 lives have been saved due to this ruling (1). Praise the Lord! And while we are grateful for each of these precious lives saved, we cannot relax in our fight for life.

Despite the favorable Supreme Court ruling, abortion is on the rise.  

In 2023, the US recorded the highest number of abortions in over a decade (2). Nationally, the abortion pill, which in 2020 accounted for 53% of abortions, increased last year to 63% of abortions (3). This means that each year hundreds of thousands of women are having their abortions at home. Abortions with no medical oversight, and many with only a tele-health consultation. 

Here in Virginia where abortion remains legal until the third trimester, the news is not better. In addition to the swell in abortion pill use, clinic-provided abortions increased 85% since 2020. Last year alone, that accounted for 34,700 medical abortions in our state (4). 

BUT THERE IS GOOD NEWS!

Because of your support we are here to give life-saving help and hope to women experiencing an unplanned pregnancy. Already this year we have seen a record number of women in our new clinic. Women arrive feeling scared and alone leave with hope and resources to support them in choosing life for their unborn baby. 

Together We Praise and Pray:

So, as we celebrate the anniversary of this life-saving ruling and the lives that have been saved as a result, let us continue to pray. 

  • Pray for life-giving legislation on a federal and state level.
  • Pray for Care Net Peninsula, and other pregnancy centers who are on the frontlines giving help and hope to women in crisis
  • Pray that women will find us and choose life before they default to an abortion.

As always, we invite you to visit our new center to meet our team and see this life-giving work first-hand. Feel free to give us a call at 757-591-0303 or email me, Anne, at anne@cnpeninsula.org.

Monday, June 24, 2024

Local Business Leader Micah Miller to Chair Peninsula4Life Benefit Dinner​

Local Business Leader Micah Miller Named Chairperson for CNP's Peninsula4Life Benefit Dinner

Local businessman Micah Miller to serve as chairperson at this year’s annual Peninsula4Life Benefit Dinner taking place on October 11th at the Hampton Roads Convention Center.

Newport News, VA – This October 11th over 900 guests will gather at the Hampton Roads Convention Center in Hampton, Virginia for the 38th annual Peninsula4Life Dinner benefitting Alcove Health, the Peninsula’s only no-cost women’s pregnancy health center. This annual event brings together local businesses, churches, and individuals to raise awareness and funds for the pregnancy clinic’s medical services and resources.

“Having witnessed the invaluable work of Care Net Peninsula firsthand, I am honored to chair this year’s Peninsula4Life Benefit Dinner,” said Miller. “The clinic serves as a beacon of hope for women facing unplanned pregnancies, and I am privileged to play a role in furthering its mission.”

The keynote speaker for the evening will be New York Times best-selling author, Lee Strobel.  For more information attending the dinner or to donate online, please visit peninsula4life.org.

About Care Net Peninsula
Care Net Peninsula, founded in 1986 as Peninsula Crisis Pregnancy Center, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that provides no-costs services to women experiencing unplanned pregnancy. Care Net Peninsula operates a medical clinic in Newport News offering options counseling, ultrasounds, parenting support and more.

Friday, June 21, 2024

See Your 2023 Impact On The Peninsula

The Next Chapter

The ultrasound photo below tells a beautiful story. The pinnacle of God’s design on display in all its glory. A baby boy being formed in his mother’s womb. A stunningly clear three-dimensional image that showcases God’s ingenuity and human ingenuity in the same picture. The story of a mom defying the deadly lies of a sick culture and choosing life for her son. And of a community that gives sacrificially so that local women facing an unplanned pregnancy have a safe place to get the help they need – at no cost to them.

On top of your usual generosity, you gave so that Care Net Peninsula could build a permanent place to serve vulnerable moms and babies in our community. After 38 years of serving well over 10,000 clients we no have a beautiful, welcoming, state-of-the-art clinic that is a reflection of your love and passion for the women and babies we serve.

My commitment to you is that we will do whatever we can to leverage our new facility to serve as many moms and save as many babies as possible Please continue to give generously to this mission and pray regularly for our clients, their babies, and our staff. 

The Next Chapter

The ultrasound photo below tells a beautiful story. The pinnacle of God’s design on display in all its glory. A baby boy being formed in his mother’s womb. A stunningly clear three-dimensional image that showcases God’s ingenuity and human 

ingenuity in the same picture. The story of a mom defying the deadly lies of a sick culture and choosing life for her son. And of a community that gives sacrificially so that local women facing an unplanned pregnancy have a safe place to get the help they need – at no cost to them.

On top of your usual generosity, you gave so that Care Net Peninsula could build a permanent place to serve vulnerable moms and babies in our community. After 38 years of serving well over 10,000 clients we no have a beautiful, welcoming, state-of-the-art clinic that is a reflection of your love and passion for the women and babies we serve.

My commitment to you is that we will do whatever we can to leverage our new facility to serve as many moms and save as many babies as possible Please continue to give generously to this mission and pray regularly for our clients, their babies, and our staff. 

Executive Director

Unplanned Pregnancies & Abortions In Our Community

ABORTION IS ON THE RISE

According to the Virginia Department of Health, which is not correctly accounting for abortions by mail, the abortion rate on the Peninsula increased by 21% in 2022 – the most recent data available. 

In Virginia, there are virtually no limitations on abortion up to birth, and nationally, abortions have continued to increase.

914

total women served

233

abortion minded women served

121

confirmed babies saved

546

ultrasounds

644

pregnancy tests

162

STI tests

82

clients were connected with a church mentor

150

mothers completed our LEAP parenting program

627

women received baby supplies

Sarita’s Story – In Her Own Words

“I was in such a comfortable place before I found out I was pregnant. I was 28 years old, raising my daughter and managing motherhood well while focusing on my career in the medical field. My work schedule aligned perfectly with her school schedule, and our day-to-day life was molded around the two of us so that we could be happy and content. I enjoyed the freedom I had. Life was good.

When I found out I was pregnant, it took a toll on me – mentally and physically. I was in a constant battle between myself and my baby. I didn’t know what to do, where to start, who to look to – who to rely on.

I went to Alcove Health because I was comfortable with them. I came here 9 years ago with my first child. I knew I could trust them.

I experienced a family at Alcove – a mother, a nurturer, and a team who healed me back to life. I felt uplifted and empowered. I knew Alcove was where I could leave my tears, and when I walked out those doors, my shoulders would no longer be heavy. I didn’t leave feeling like a patient. I left feeling like I was a daughter, loved and cared for by the whole team.

Since my first visit, I have become a better woman and mother. I love this team with every ounce of me, and I know that my time with them will live with me for the rest of my life. I can see that God sent them to save lives. They saved my life and my daughter Gabby’s life.”

Want to make a difference in the lives of women and babies like Sarita and Gabby? Make a gift below to serve more mom and save more babies on the Peninsula!

2023 Expenses & Revenue

517

Defenders4Life

members of our monthly giving community – one of the most sustainable ways to give to our mission.

$600k

and more raised for capital campaign funds to go towards building our new home on the Peninsula!

$82,105

Bottles4Life Campaigns

$462,000

Peninsula4Life Dinner

$240,319

Walk4Life

The CNP Staff & Board of Directors

Ryan Holloway

Executive Director

Dr. Jerrid Neeley, D.O.

Medical Director

Shantelle Giles

Clinic Director

Anne Sych

Development Director

Amanda Franks

Marketing Director

Timothy Marr

Operations Director

Sherri Pigue

Client Relations Manager

Kinta Dye, RN, BSN

Nurse Manager

Meg Williams, RN, BSN

Nurse

Karla Laskowski, RN, BSN

Nurse

Denise Espada, RN, BSN

Nurse

Karen Reynolds

Client Advocate

Jenn Nicholson

Client Advocate

Archisha Roberson

Client Advocate

Emalee Yow

Development Coordinator

Rachel Gonzalez

Community Relations Coordinator

Joyce Stackhouse

Administrative Assistant (Admin)

Candra Smith

Administrative Assistant (Clinic)

Kalea Saenz

Video Content Creator

Garrett Maroon

Board Chair

Wayne Holcomb, Esq.

Board Vice-Chair

Pastor Shaun Brown

Board Secretary

Teresa Chalsma

Board Treasurer

Dyan Gurley

Board Member

Pastor Riley Brown

Board Member

Sarita’s Story

Sarita's Story

The saying goes—it takes a village to raise a child. To the women we serve, you’re their village. But saving that child’s life takes an entire team, as Sarita shares with you below in her own words.

“I was in such a comfortable place before I found out I was pregnant. I was 28 years old, raising my daughter and managing motherhood well while focusing on my career in the medical field. My work schedule aligned perfectly with her school schedule, and our day-to-day life was molded around the two of us so that we could be happy and content. I enjoyed the freedom I had. Life was good.

But two pink lines on a pregnancy test would quickly change that feeling.

“When I found out I was pregnant, it took a toll on me – mentally and physically. I was in a constant battle between myself and my baby. I didn’t know what to do, where to start, who to look to – who to rely on.”

So, she turned to a place she knew. A place she could feel safe.

“I went to Alcove Health because I was comfortable with them. I came here 9 years ago with my first child. I knew I could trust them.

I experienced a family at Alcove – a mother, a nurturer, and a team who healed me back to life. I felt uplifted and empowered. I knew Alcove was where I could leave my tears, and when I walked out those doors, my shoulders would no longer be heavy. I didn’t leave feeling like a patient. I left feeling like I was a daughter loved and cared for by the whole team.”

As Sarita continued, she talked about the women on our team who impacted her.

“The moment I walked through the doors, Candra’s presence at the front desk made me feel safe and put a smile on my face—and every time after. She is a jewel. Karen, my advocate, and Kinta, my nurse, are my light and protectors. In the darkest time of my life, they found a way to make it my brightest. If it wasn’t for the two of them, I don’t know where I would be today”.

Since my first visit, I have become a better woman and mother. I love this team with every ounce of me, and I know that my time with them will live with me for the rest of my life. I can see that God sent them to save lives. They saved my life and my daughter Gabby’s life”.

February 19, 2024

Giving Tuesday 2023

Today is the Day!

Giving Tuesday 2023

Today, on Giving Tuesday, will you join us in providing the gift of LIFE to hundreds of pre-born babies across the Peninsula?

For $70 you can provide ONE DAY of ultrasounds to a women facing unplanned pregnancies and wondering what to do next. An ultrasound opens a window to the womb where a woman can see her baby for the first time – where she can see her baby’s heart beating and body wiggling around.

An ultrasound shows that what she tries to hide away in her mind, that her baby isn’t real yet, is false. An ultrasound shows her that there is LIFE growing inside of her womb. 

A 2020 study from Care Net National states that 75% of the women they polled considering abortion chose LIFE after seeing an ultrasound. 

For $70, you could help FIVE women see the truth!

Will you join us by providing a day (or more) of ultrasounds and providing the women we serve with the help and hope they need to choose LIFE

Thank you for joining us in the fight for life on the Peninsula!

Tuesday, November 28, 2023

Save the Date: Giving Tuesday 2023

Giving Tuesday 2023 Care Net Peninsula
Giving Tuesday 2023 Care Net Peninsula

Save the Date: 

Giving Tuesday 2023

As we prepare for Thanksgiving, we want to express our deepest gratitude for your unwavering support of Care Net Peninsula. Your generosity and dedication to serve moms and save babies across our community allow us to provide hundreds of local women each year with the help and hope they need to choose LIFE for their babies. 

This Giving Tuesday, we invite you to join us in taking a stand for life by giving a life-saving gift by providing ONE DAY of ultrasounds to our clinic to serve the women wondering what to do next when facing an unplanned pregnancy.

$70

That is the cost of five ultrasounds – five opportunities to glimpse into the womb where a woman and her partner can see their pre-born baby for the first time!!

So mark your calendars for Tuesday, November 28th, and together, we can continue to provide FREE ultrasounds to women when they need them most!

Why is an ultrasound so important? A 2020 study revealed that 75% of the women considering abortion choose life after viewing an ultrasound. 

Tuesday, November 21, 2023

Hope For A Lifetime: 5 Years and Counting

Four times she tested, why?

“I did not want to believe the results”, Rylinn recalled.

So, she took test after test, hoping the results were wrong. But every pregnancy test came back the same: positive.

“I was terrified when I discovered I was pregnant.” She was only 23 years old at the time.

“I was not in the best place,” she admitted. “I did not feel prepared enough for a child.”

“I had a dream job bringing in a decent income, yet, I still felt like I could not afford to bring a child into the world.”

And then there were Rylinn’s plans for her own life – what would those plans look like now? “I was nervous, scared, and anxious about what my future would be like with a child in it. I was indecisive of what to do: whether to keep this child or consider other options.”

But one thing Rylinn was sure of – she needed help.

“I happened to stumble across Alcove Health Women’s Clinic,” she said.

That stumble led Rylinn to the help and hope she needed.

Rylinn recalled that she “received so much more” than what she expected when she first walked through Alcove Health’s doors. “I spoke with the staff, who were all so helpful and kind”

 “The clinic team helped me explore my options for my pregnancy and gave me the prenatal vitamins I would need. All at no cost,” Rylinn said. “The staff knew of my apprehensiveness with the pregnancy and the rough time I was having and went out of their way to comfort me with kind words and pray for me.”

 “I’ll never forget it!”

And now, five years later, Rylinn’s little girl, Shai is here – breathing, smiling, and laughing with her grateful mom.Why? Because the pregnancy that terrified Rylinn five years ago is now a 5-year-old little girl. Shai is growing, playing, spending time with her family, and learning new things every day.

In 2018, donors gave to Care Net Peninsula so that Rylinn and other women would receive help when they needed it the most. They gave because the understood the urgency and fear that accompanies an unexpected pregnancy. They gave in faith that their generosity would serve moms and save babies.

And it did!

If you gave back in 2018; you are part of Rylinn and Shai’s story.

Your giving to Care Net Peninsula did far more than just support a trip to our pregnancy center.

Your generosity – then and now – supports all the trips that come after that first trip to our clinic. There are also trips to parks, churches, museums, and family reunions – every trip that living children make. School events, weddings, and babies growing up to have families of their own. All because, in the moment a woman is making a pregnancy decision, you decide to give her the support she needs.

That’s the significance of your giving. The right support at the right time makes every future moment possible. And moments become lifetimes, just like Shai’s.

Sherri Pigue, Client Advocate

Friday, November 17, 2023

Finding Help and Hope In The Arms of the CNP Family

Finding Help & Hope In the Arms of the Care Net Peninsula Family

When I think about courage, my instinct is to conjure up images of heroes like William Wallace or Rocky Balboa. But is there a clearer picture of courage than women like GaBria, who chose life for her baby despite incredibly difficult circumstances?
 
Our clients often face pressure to abort from the father, their parents, their friends, the culture, and even themselves. But God, in his goodness and mercy, gives some the unbelievable courage to stand against it all and choose life for their baby.
 
In this context, our role (yours and mine) is to equip these heroes for what lies ahead. At the clinic, we do this in many ways:         
• Options Counseling      
• Confirmation Ultrasounds      
• Pregnancy Tests      
• STI Tests      
• Parenting Support      
• Spiritual Mentorship      
• Post-Abortion Support
When a client chooses life, we stand ready to help her navigate the path forward. For GaBria, we were thrilled to walk with her through her pregnancy and to meet her beautiful son Ai’Luan. But her courageous spirit didn’t stop there. In May, at our Walk4Life, she walked onto a stage, baby in tow, and shared with 1,200 people about her experience with our ministry.Please pray that all our clients would have courage like GaBria. And that we serve and equip every woman God sends our way.       
For Life,
Executive Director
OVERWHELMED. FRANTIC. DISBELIEF.
Life was challenging for 24-year-oldGaBria. Raising a one-year-old daughter while living with her mother was not the life she planned. Recently recovering from a car accident and in the process of trying to get her own apartment, life was hard enough. Adding another child into her already shaky world would be too much to handle. “When I looked at that positive pregnancy test, I was overwhelmed, frantic, and in complete disbelief.” Abortion was the only way GaBria saw out of this situation.”
A SAFE PLACE TO PROCESS
GaBria found Alcove Health online and made an appointment. “I made the appointment thinking of and wanting to talk about abortion.” At Alcove, GaBria found a safe place to process her feelings surrounding her pregnancy – information about abortion and her concerns about raising multiple children as a single mother.
At Alcove, GaBria encountered much more than a listening ear. She received resources and partners that couple help her if she chose to carry her baby. From parenting classes to help with material needs, GaBria grasped onto hope as she considered options she never knew she had. “I decided I could do this, and I was going to have my son.”
Beyond practical resources, GaBria encountered a caring team that walked with her throughout her pregnancy. She experienced the love of God through the warmth and affirmation she received from her client advocate, Sylvia.  “That day I made the decision to carry my baby, I told Sylvia that I would not be doing this alone. That she would be going with me through the whole pregnancy.” And she did!
Nurse Meg also served on GaBria’s care team, providing her with prenatal education, diagnostic testing, and an ultrasound.  “The whole team was so kind. Meg made me laugh and feel so comfortable, she knew so much about ultrasounds. It made such a difference.”
JUST WHAT I NEEDED
GaBria found the support she needed in the Alcove team.  “From the smiling face of Candra at the front desk to advocate Jenn, Alcove was just what I needed. I received support, answers to my questions, education, and, most of all, non-judgemental kindness. The parenting classes helped me prepare for my little man while having a 1-year-old daughter, and I received lots of practical baby items too.”
And she continued,  “My pregnancy was not easy. My car broke down, there were medical concerns about my baby’s development, and when I needed someone to talk to, I knew I had someone to turn to for advice and direction. Sometimes it was simply knowing someone was praying for me. Other times it was a kind word or a resource I could turn to for help. I knew I was not alone, and I had somewhere to turn.”
AND THE 2 ARE NOW 3
Born five weeks early at 4 pounds 11 ounces, baby Ai’Luan arrived healthy into the arms of a family that is so grateful for his life. Every day is not always easy for GaBria, but it is joyful.  “Today, I am in my own home with both of my children, my life is more positive, and I have so much support. I am thankful to Alcove for the love, kindness, resources, and practical help that helped make it all possible.”
GaBria continues to receive support and material needs from her Alcove family. What a joy it is that God uses us to serve GaBria and these precious little ones.
Help women like GaBria by make a gift today!

Friday, August 11, 2023

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