The first post of the New Year is a difficult one. Should I reflect on the past year? Should I discuss our year-end fundraising efforts? Should I tell a story? Should I provide statistics? Should I discuss what is to come? I find it impossible to only focus on one thing. I could devote the next few weeks to each of these topics, but I would rather put pen to paper today and clue you in on all that is going on at HOPE and briefly highlight each of the aforementioned topics.

Some of you have been with HOPE since our conception in 1997, but I imagine that some of you have recently joined us. Maybe 2015 was the year that HOPE made it to your radar. How or when you found us matters not…we are just glad you are here and stand for life. I pray that the following summary provides you with some very useful insight into where HOPE has been, where we are, and where we hope to be.

An Amazing Year

I could spend hours discussing this past year. We have been absolutely amazed at the support and encouragement from this community and pro-lifers all over this country. You showed up at golf tournaments, dinners, and prayer events. You gave, you stood, and you loved. I could talk about the 24 sponsors that hosted our golf tournament, the 31 states that joined us in prayer for “Life Matters,” the countless number of churches that made our 36 baby showers possible, the volunteers that show up every week willing and eager to love their neighbor, the staff that sacrificially serves our patients, or the countless number of babies that celebrated birthdays.

I don’t have the room available here to truly thank everyone individually, but I do want to make sure you understand the immense gratitude that we at HOPE have for each of you. We could not do what we do without you. We take pride in our work and our ability to not pass the operation costs to our patients, and you make that happen. You continue to show up, care, give, and pray. Thank you for a wonderful 2015!

Statistics

This past year was a busy one for our staff at HOPE. Our desire is for the men and women of this community to make good sexual decisions and to not find themselves in crisis, but this isn’t always the case. This means we must have a second desire that calls us to provide a safe and free space for patients that find themselves in a time of need. We know that these men and women have plenty of options in front of them, but are not always given the proper counsel or love; we seek to be the clinic available to them that will meet their needs holistically as we serve their mind, body, and spirit.

We do not operate based on numbers, but I think it is important to look at numbers as we evaluate the impact we, with your help, are having on this community. Because of your gifts we were able to provide 898 pregnancy tests, 519 ultrasounds, and 620 STD tests. Because of you we were able to provide these services at no charge to our patients.

I also want to note that 473 of our patients were leaning toward having an abortion before their ultrasound scan. We are proud to report that 442, post-scan, chose life! Thank you for helping us continue this work! Life matters and so do ultrasounds!! We are truly grateful to stand with you as life is celebrated. Lives have been saved because of your prayers and donations…lives of moms, dads, and babies.

Year-End

Fundraising isn’t easy. Asking for money is sometimes difficult, annoying, or overbearing. I have raised money for political campaigns, universities, and building funds, but my passion has never been more in-tune with my work until I accepted this job at HOPE. Setting up meetings to discuss life and the work being done at HOPE doesn’t feel like work. Discussing the lives of the people that find themselves in crisis and at our doorstep is not something I delight in, but it is something that must be done and drives me. It drives me to love more, give more, and pray more. I know that the meetings I have with business leaders, church leaders, and community leaders will allow for life to be celebrated. These meetings, letters, and phone calls allow me to tell the story of HOPE and the countless number of patients we see – stories that deserve our time and to be heard.

My goal is not mere fundraising. My goal is to see lives transformed and saved by the work we do. Fundraising is simply a vehicle used to impact this community. We raise funds so that we can offer all of our services at no cost to the patient. We raise funds and awareness so that others will join us in this life-giving work.

This is why the year-end campaign was so important. We needed to finish the year strong so that we could prepare ourselves for the work needed in 2016. We set a lofty goal of $135,000. As of today we have met and exceeded this goal and have actually surpassed the $160,000 mark. It is truly humbling to know that hundreds have agreed to stand with HOPE by sending in donations. We are not ashamed of our pro-life stance and we are delighted to know that through your willingness to donate you are not ashamed either. Thank you for giving so that others may have life!

Story of HOPE

This past year we saw almost 4,000 patients. Each patient was different with their own story. Some found their way to HOPE for a pregnancy test, a STD test, an ultrasound, or for parenting education. It is an impossible task to choose just one story to share, but I think it is worth trying to convey to you just how much of an impact you praying and giving has with our patients.

These stories are truly riveting; stories that show determination, brokenness, hurt, abuse, death, grace, love, and care; stories that cannot be explained outside of Godly intervention; stories that start with death as the goal, but end with life as their HOPE; stories that prove over and over again that seeing life via an ultrasound image changes everything; stories that prove the toughness of women and the tenderness of men.

It is truly an honor to serve alongside the staff at HOPE while we serve the men and women of this community. We will continue to get up every day and go to work because we know another story is being written – a story of life that we are blessed to be a part of.

What’s Ahead

This brief year-end review only scratches the surface of what HOPE, and you, were apart of in 2015. We trust and believe that 2016 will allow us to continue this wonderful work. We trust that you will continue to stand for those that cannot stand for themselves. We trust that many will join in this stand and that life will be celebrated more today than it was yesterday. We pray that 2016 will be a year our grand-kids will talk about in History class – the year that abortion was ended and that life was cherished.

I pray you will continue to join us on this HOPE journey. I am honored to call HOPE home and to call you friend.

posted by Andrew Wood, Executive Director of Hope Resource Center