The young woman walked into Hope Pregnancy Clinic thinking that the cluster of new cells growing inside her didn’t add up to much.
But as she underwent an ultrasound examination, she could see the tiny arms and legs moving, as well as the heartbeat.
“She looked at the screen and looked at me and said, ‘That’s a baby in there.’ She was shocked,” Annie Bartelson, her nurse at Hope in Salem, recalled recently.
It’s not an uncommon story at Hope, which provides free services to area women who are not prepared for pregnancy. Seeing a heartbeat on the clinic’s ultrasound monitor helps women visualize their babies and take steps toward healthy, life-affirming decisions. From there, Hope staff may be able to introduce a patient to Jesus and the eternal life He offers.
Hope has “clinic” in its name, rather than “center,” because it provides medical services such as pregnancy tests and ultrasounds. The clinic can also offer a patient a variety of resources, such as pregnancy clothes, counseling, or help finding a stable place to live.
In 2020, Hope had 983 patient visits that led to 494 ultrasounds. Of the patients who came in, over 500 of them were new patients.
“Such a diverse population of women walk right into our building everyday with the hope that we will help them,” a recent Hope newsletter said . “It is a remarkable opportunity.”
At the same time, Hope is a non-profit organization and doesn’t charge patients for any of its services.
“Our pregnancy tests are free. Our ultrasounds are free. We don’t accept insurance and we don’t ask our patients to pay for any of that,” Annie said.
Instead, Hope relies on individual supporters and area churches to fund the cost of providing services. And this is where Foothills enters the picture.
Foothills is a Hope church partner. One way we support the clinic is through the annual Baby Bottles for Hope drive. The drive is happening now and participation is easy: Pick up an empty bottle at Foothills, fill it with donations, and bring it back by June 20 (Father’s Day). Hope also has an online giving portal for the bottle drive (see inset link below).
All funds collected through the bottle drive go straight to Hope’s free patient care.
In addition to supporting Hope’s Baby Bottle drive, we are praying for Hope in three ways this month. Join us in praying for Hope patients, volunteers, and staff:
• Pray for Hope’s new Parenting Initiative, that it will grow and help patients prepare for motherhood.
• Pray for more peer counselors to fill Hope’s ranks. The clinic currently has 12 of the 20 needed to cover all shifts.
• Pray that women of the Salem area who need truth and compassion will find their way to Hope.