Written by: Renee Wisser
Have you ever met someone who in your first encounter with them, changed your life forever? I did in the fall of 2010 and I will never forget her.
Tonight my husband and I went out to dinner with good friends and when our server came to the table, I recognized her immediately. She was 11 years older, joyful, and the same strong, beautiful, woman I heard speak from the podium on that special night in 2010. I introduced her to my friends at the table and my husband locked eyes with her and said, “You hold a special place in my heart. You are the reason we support Elizabeth’s New Life Center. “
My husband’s statement is 100% true. In 2010 we attended ENLC’s Fall partnership banquet and it was the first time we heard of ENLC or Women’s Centers of Ohio. We had lived in the area for over 15 years and had no idea that such a place existed in our community. This gal shared her experience of how her unplanned pregnancy was positively impacted by the services she received from the Women’s Center. She was a single young woman and unprepared to bring a new life into this world. She shared details about how her fears and obstacles were overcome by the support and compassion she received from staff and volunteers at the center. My husband and I became first-time donors that night and I signed up to volunteer at the center one night each week after work. That was only the beginning of my journey with ENLC.
As a donor, volunteer, and eventually an employee, my reasons for supporting ENLC have moved beyond listening to a young woman share her experience and seeing her baby smile and exhibit a type of public display of affection that we long to see in our world. I would like to share the many reasons that I continue to support ENLC so many years later.
- The impact is shared with donors – I see how my donation impacts the community
Client testimonies tell the story of how lives are changed.
Program outcomes are measurable and shared with donors.
For example, in 2020:
1,948 babies were saved
52,564 total services were provided
11,404 unique number of individuals were served
Recent client surveys conducted in our women’s centers reported that 96% would ‘Definitely YES’ recommend the women’s center to a friend or family member.
- ENLC provides a comprehensive approach to empower individuals and families to make Godly life choices.
The organization is mission-focused and has grown to include a network of services over the last 32 years that look at the ‘big picture’ of life and offers solutions that are life-affirming. It’s important to realize that we are not only offering life-affirming services to ‘save a baby from abortion’ but we are also focused on helping the entire family unit to be successful in a world that often steers them away from God’s plan for their lives.
We strive to build relationships with our clients and provide support that goes far beyond our first encounter. ENLC is comprised of 5 main areas of focus:
Women’s Centers of Ohio with 8 locations in SW Ohio
Holy Family Prenatal Care (131 deliveries in 2020)
Marriage Works! programs offer services to dating, engaged, and married couples
Youth Services where in 2020 we served 6,137 students with in-school sexual risk avoidance education
The HOPE Project a program that offers healing to anyone impacted by a past abortion decision
- ENLC is powered by passionate employees, volunteers, and donors who keep God at the center of the life-saving work.
Behind the scenes, there are literally thousands of people who make this work possible. Each individual has their own story for why they support the organization and it takes all hands on deck to sustain the incredible results. ENLC recognizes the importance of each person who contributes time, talent, and/or financial resources to support ENLC’s mission.
- I have been blessed beyond measure by supporting the organization.
As an employee of ENLC, my job is to connect others to the ministry so that they have an opportunity to support our mission. Often our supporters offer witness to the blessings they receive in connecting to our ministry and getting involved. I have encountered some of the most generous people who truly want to make a difference. I have seen God work miracles in my life and the lives of others simply because of experiences related to my work at ENLC. When I contemplate our donor community, I realize that the blessing I experience goes far beyond the ‘YES’ the donor says to support the ministry through financial or material donations, prayer, or service. Many times it runs much deeper than that and I am amazed at the intricate web of circumstances that intersect to fulfill God’s plan. It is truly the Holy Spirit guiding efforts for both the organization and the supporter and the blessings that are realized are truly incredible.
Our world can be a very dark place but the light I saw in 2010 while listening to a client testimony has continued to shine brightly and I will always be grateful to that young mom for showing me how I could support something that will continue to “save babies and change lives” for years to come. Please consider joining our mission and I guarantee not only will you change lives, but your life will be changed too.
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