The following is an excerpt from the speech shared by Ruth Tisdale, Executive Director at Advice & Aid, given at the ministry’s annual banquet. Here, Ruth shares the heart of Advice & Aid – how we continually work to reach women who feel they have no other options or help, women who are truly hurting and need the love and compassion that we can give them.
You . . . You were instrumental in changing women’s lives! Your gifts, your prayers, your time does make a difference for life.
By the end of September, 2014, about 54% of the women that had found and contacted us were at risk for abortion. By the end of this September, that number went to 64%. However, by the end of last year, 56% of those that we performed pregnancy tests on were at risk for abortion. And this year, after our marketing efforts, 84% of the women we performed pregnancy tests on been at risk for abortion. That is exactly why we are here.
Part of our strategic plan this year had us looking not only at the marketing, because we want to make sure women in need find us first, but we also looked at the operations of this ministry. We wanted to see what kinds of things do we want to enhance so that women would know they are not alone. We upgraded the look of our offices, we’ve added a live chat to our website, and we even hired someone from the National Affiliate of Pregnancy Centers to come to Advice & Aid and do a special training on talking about abortion. We want a woman’s experience at Advice & Aid to be like nothing she’s ever experienced before. And we want her, when she leaves our doors, to know that she has been in a very special place.
As you can see, we have so very much to be thankful for this year. And as we enter this season where our hearts are turned to thoughts of giving thanks, we indeed find ourselves in deep gratitude for all who have had a part in helping us reach hurting women. All that we have accomplished, and all that we have reached have been because of your efforts and God’s abundant blessings. As we look ahead to 2016, incorporating even more changes that allow us to reach a greater number of women, we ask for your continued support and prayers.
We do, indeed, have much to be thankful for!
