Brian is willingly giving us permission to share his story so that others can realize there is hope in the midst of a difficult situation. All client experiences with Advice & Aid Pregnancy Centers are kept with the highest confidence. The stories that are shared come from the real-life experiences that our clients, staff and volunteers had during their unplanned pregnancy.
His name has been changed but his story is true.
My name is Brian.
This is my story of finding help when I needed it most.
Three summers ago, my wife and I learned that we would were expecting an addition into our lives by way of a baby boy. At that time, we were going through much transition in our lives. My wife was between jobs and had no insurance. As excited as we were, we had many concerns. I can’t explain how we came to Advice and Aid, other than that God had opened a door for us. He obviously had a plan for us, and wasn’t going to let anything stand in the way of us bringing this wonderful little life into the world.
Needs are Met
When times are tough, it’s hard to see clearly the path that God has in store. All we can do is trust in God to provide. And He certainly provided! With the help of many people at Advice and Aid, we were able to withstand the hardships that we were facing. They provided us with some early care in my wife’s pregnancy, along with pre-parenting classes on a weekly basis before our son was born. This gave us a great avenue to dialogue together on our parenting strategies. We were also able to obtain many supplies that would help us greatly in raising a baby. Simple yet valuable items, such as a stroller, a play pen, a car seat, clothing, blankets, and years worth of diapers, were given to us. The generosity of Advice and Aid really did help us while we were faced with the challenges of a pregnant mother looking for a job.
Continuing Care
After our son was born, my wife had the opportunity to start attending the Advice and Aid Bridges* program (see definition of Bridges below). Her decision to start going to this group came with some hesitation. However, I believe that God wanted her to continue to experience the love and support of this place. Through the two years of Bridges, I have seen great growth in a wonderful mother. I’ve been so proud of her for keeping an open mind to new ideas. I feel like she has gained so much by going here. She would often come home with great ideas on how to save money, or how to implement some new parenting idea, and even some ideas on how to become a better cook. I also know that she has met some great friends here for herself as well as our son. She has also met some wonderful role models.
Benefit of Advice & Aid
I feel like my wife has grown so much from the time we began our journey three years ago. From someone really in need, my wife has grown to the point of being someone very independent. She has become a very giving person, in large part due to the generosity she has experienced at Advice and Aid. She is often the one in our family encouraging us to volunteer at other places, or to give of the means that we do have to others. I appreciate that in her so much. I am very proud of my wife and continue to look forward to watching her grow as a strong, independent, caring, and giving person.
*Bridges Program
Bridges is Advice & Aid’s parenting support group. The goal of the program is to equip and support new parents who face either an unplanned pregnancy or a planned pregnancy but need additional assistance by providing a safe, loving, compassionate environment where they can grow and flourish. We do this by offering a two year program that includes large group education, small group connecting, and creating community through meals and special events.
Additional client stories of getting the help they so desperately needed:
Megan’s Story
Bethany’s Story
