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Celebrating 25 years of creating a culture of LIFE!
In this Letter:
Note from Jane, Executive Director
Virginia Legislative Update
Staff Highlight
Client Story Highlight
Volunteer Highlight
Men's Ministry Update
Ways to Get Involved
Upcoming Events
Dear Friend of Life,
HAPPY 25th ANNIVERSARY!
2024 is exciting at BRPC as we celebrate our 25th year of comforting those involved with unplanned pregnancies or in need of pregnancy support while furthering the gospel of Jesus Christ. Your generosity and partnership over the past 25 years has helped us empower moms and dads to CHOOSE LIFE despite their circumstances and to choose abundant life in Christ for themselves and their families. It is both humbling and overwhelming to consider the thousands of lives and souls that have been saved and the families that have been impacted for generations to come. Children whose parents chose life for them twenty-five years ago are likely starting families of their own by now — WOW! THANK YOU for making this possible.
In 2024, our goal is to serve more women and men facing unplanned pregnancies than ever before as abortion in VA remains legal well into the 3rd trimester of pregnancy and abortion pill use continues to rise. This makes our work more challenging yet more critical than ever before. To meet these challenges, we are increasing our number of available appointments, expanding our ministry to men through the work of our new, full-time, Men’s Ministry Director, and adding additional education classes and mentoring opportunities. In the latter part of 2024, we plan to add additional medical services such as STI testing, Telehealth, and post-abortion assessment. This assessment will provide a safe place for women who have chosen abortion to receive follow-up medical care as well as emotional and spiritual care soon after their abortion allowing us to intervene quickly with resources and help for those struggling with their abortion decision.
Words cannot express how much your support and partnership mean to us. Please prayerfully consider how you can become more involved in the work God is doing at BRPC. We continually thank the Lord for YOU and for His blessing, faithfulness, and abundant provision for the mission and ministry of the Blue Ridge Pregnancy Center these past 25 years and look forward to the next 25!
In Christ for [ABUNDANT] LIFE,
Jane Oliver, Executive Director
Virginia Legislative Update
The Democratic-led House and Senate decided to put on hold until the 2025 session, a proposed amendment that, if passed, would protect abortion in the state’s constitution up until the moment of birth and allow abortion providers to be shielded from legal action. (Abortion is currently allowed in VA through 26 weeks, 6 days without restriction.) We believe this delay to be a direct answer to prayer.
These House and Senate resolutions state that “every individual has the fundamental right to reproductive freedom” and that the right to make decisions “related to one’s pregnancy cannot be denied, burdened, or otherwise infringed upon by the Commonwealth, unless justified by a compelling state interest and achieved by the least restrictive means.” The amendment goes on to say that the state cannot punish “the individual’s right to reproductive freedom” or any other individual who assists them. The radical abortion resolutions will be taken up again when the Assembly reconvenes in January 2025. Virginia’s Senate and House of Delegates must pass them by a simple majority during two consecutive legislative sessions. Both houses must then pass a bill sending the proposed amendment before voters at the state’s following general election.
In contrast, two pro-life bills were introduced by Republican, Tim Griffin: (1) to prohibit abortion “at any point after conception” except if necessary to save the life of the mother, and (2) to prohibit the use of public funds for abortion in any circumstance. Both were rejected.
Everything about the future of abortion in VA is dependent upon who is elected moving forward. We encourage you to closely examine all candidates in upcoming elections to be sure they stand for LIFE when considering how to cast your vote. Elections MATTER, and YOUR vote is a vote for the voiceless.
Staff Highlight
Our Nurse Manager, Briana Campbell, completed her ultrasound training! We are so proud of her hard work and dedication, and because of her skillset, we will be able to see more patients, allowing us to expand our services. Please continue to pray for these men and women, that they would choose life and see the hope of the gospel!
Client Story Highlight
When Anna* found out she was pregnant, her boyfriend pressured her to abort. Anna took the first drug in the abortion pill regimen, a progesterone blocker designed to starve their baby, and quickly realized she was not okay with ending this tiny life. Devastated, she sought help, but the abortion provider offered none.
Distraught over what she had done, she sought solace in the middle of the night by googling “grief after abortion.” She came across a phone number for a helpline that provides healing after abortion and dialed. She was elated to hear the truth that abortion pill reversal IS possible! She was given the number for the Abortion Pill Rescue Network and called right away.
They connected her with our Medical Director, Dr. Kari Adams, who prescribed progesterone for her to pick up at the pharmacy, paid for by BRPC. It had been 25 hours since she took that first pill. Anna began taking the progesterone while many prayed. Two days later, she came to BRPC for an ultrasound to see if her baby had a heartbeat — this was a defining, life-or-death moment. Tears flowed as a very active baby with a heartbeat appeared on the screen. The relief and excitement in the room was palpable — a life saved by grace and truth from the LIFE-giver Himself! We are so grateful to our donors for making APR possible.
(Pictured is Anna’s ultrasound when our nurses were able to verify baby’s heartbeat!)
*Name changed for client privacy
Volunteer Highlight
Meet volunteer and Advocate, Charles Tally. Charles has volunteered as a men’s Advocate at BRPC for eight years. He began serving with us right after he retired from his engineering career at Areva. When a representative from BRPC came and spoke at Charles’ church, his interest in becoming an Advocate was sparked. Once he was able to retire, Charles immediately knew that God was calling him to serve those facing unplanned pregnancies, particularly fathers. After a few months of training at BRPC, he become certified to start meeting with dads and has been serving them ever since.
Charles was drawn to BRPC because he has always had a heart for young people and reaching them through mentorship. As he was working the last few years of his career, he realized that the high point for him was not the work he was doing, but the people and the relationships he was building.
“I always thought pregnancy centers were for women, and some pregnancy centers are still that way. But it turns out that BRPC definitely wanted male advocates, and so it was a natural fit. If you’re still working full time during the day, it can be difficult to serve as a male advocate. However, the PLS (Pregnancy and Life Skills Classes) program has created a lot of opportunities for men to serve as mentors to dads in the evenings. I think that is a great opportunity.
There is also a need to reach post-abortive men who need extended counseling. It would be great to have men who can step up and help that person deal with that situation. Between evening PLS classes and post-abortive mentorship, as well as part timers or people who work second or third shift, you can find time to come in for three to four hours a week. It would be a great opportunity to contribute.”
BRPC is incredibly grateful to Charles and his heart for men here at the Center. If you are interested in serving as a male advocate, please reach out to Alaric West at alaric@blueridgepc.org to apply for training.
Men's Ministry Update
We are so excited to welcome our new full-time Men’s Ministry Director, Alaric West! After graduating from Liberty University, Alaric pursued a career in higher education. In 2018, he lost his childhood best friend, who was a Mormon, in a motorcycle accident. This tragedy sparked Alaric’s interest in theology and apologetics, which became a huge part of his life. Two years later, Alaric and his wife moved to northern Utah to help with a church plant. Their main goal was to evangelize and minister to the Mormon communities. During his time in Utah, Alaric befriended a pastor who led a sidewalk ministry outside of Salt Lake City’s Planned Parenthood. He inspired Alaric to join the pro-life movement and advocate for the unborn. After returning to Virginia, Alaric was grateful to Pastor Tyler Cash for introducing him to the Blue Ridge Pregnancy Center, where he is honored to serve in laboring for the Kingdom.
We are thrilled to have Alaric with us, and are so grateful to Tyler Cash who has served part-time as our Men’s Ministry Coordinator since Aug 2022. He will continue to serve at BRPC through mentoring, volunteering, and helping onboard and train Alaric.
At BRPC, we believe in the importance of reaching men alongside women facing unplanned pregnancies. Our vision is to empower men to choose life, and then further encourage and equip them to become great fathers who are present and involved with their child(ren).
Ways to get involved
Male and Female Volunteer Patient Advocates Needed
At Blue Ridge Pregnancy Center, an Advocate is more than just a volunteer. This is someone who empowers life-affirming pregnancy decisions by coming alongside men and women facing unexpected pregnancies to offer options counseling, support, resources, the Gospel message, and hope.
If you have a passion for life and families, a story to share, or a heart for ministering to others who are making hard choices, this is for you. If you are interested, contact us at julie@blueridgepc.org or visit brpcfriends.org/volunteer to apply for our extensive hands-on training and be a part of saving and transforming lives!
Life Center needs
Family Night Meals
The Life Center hosts Family Nights for our clients and their families. There’s often a class accompanied with the evening (i.e. CPR, budgeting, etc.), and a meal is provided for the attendees. If you’d like to bring a meal for Family Night, please click here.
Material Goods
Our Life Center gives class participants items such as baby clothes, teethers, burp cloths, and so much more. Click here to visit our Amazon Registry and view our current needs. We are always in need of diapers and wipes! Thank you in advance for helping us provide these material needs to moms and dads in our community.
Baby Bottle Campaign
Baby Bottle Campaigns can begin any time of the year, but some of our supporters prefer to highlight the Mother’s and Father’s Day timeline. If you, your church, or your business is interested in hosting a Baby Bottle Campaign, please reach out to babybottles@blueridgepc.org.
Thank you for your support in helping save lives!
Save the date!
12th Annual Golf Tournament
It's our 12th Annual Golf Tournament Fundraiser at London Downs! Click here to register as an individual or a team today. If you would like to sponsor a hole, you will also have the option to register to play. We can't wait to see you on the course!
