First Source for Women holds Christmas gala
CULLMAN, Ala. – Cullman County-based First Source for Women, with offices in Hanceville and Cullman, celebrated an early Christmas on Thursday, Nov. 14, with “Tinsel and Timber,” a fundraising social and auction at Brick Haven. Guests enjoyed music by Winslow Davis, a silent auction and live auction of decorated Christmas trees with auctioneer Adam Gibbs.
“We are trying something different this year,” said First Source Board President Julia Rushing. “‘Tinsel and Timber’ is designed to be a celebration of Christmas, as we feel like that is the perfect theme for a pro-life organization to do, because when people get excited about Christmas, I think they are leaning into that hope and that anticipation of the coming of Christ. And that’s the same sort of thing we celebrate every day at First Source for Women: that hope and anticipation of a baby, and sharing with our clients all the wonderful things that that can do for their life while assisting them with the really hard parts of waiting for a baby.”
First Source is a charitable organization that offers free support services to moms-to-be and even willing dads, including:
- Free and confidential pregnancy testing
- Free ultrasounds by trained, licensed nurses
- Pregnancy options education
- Positive choices – sexual risk avoidance education
- Referrals to agencies for community assistance
- Intensive training for moms and dads
First Source clients get to come to the organization’s “baby boutique” and shop for everything from maternity clothes to diapers and baby powder to baby clothes and nursery furniture, and everything is free – sort of. The clients must take classes on sexual integrity, pregnancy, labor, adoption, child-rearing and even life skills like household finances, in order to earn “mommy bucks” that they spend in the boutique for the things they want. “Learn to be a better parent, get more stuff” has proven to be a win-win formula.
First Source served over 600 clients last year, and looks forward to expanding its services in new ways during the coming year.
Rushing told The Tribune, “We are looking at retooling the way we use our mobile medical unit. We had a big fundraising push last year to get a new ultrasound machine on that vehicle. We’ve now done that, but we’re shifting our strategy. We used to go and park close to where abortion clinics were; we don’t have that in Alabama anymore! And so, we are looking at how can we go to places where women are already seeking assistance. We’ve talked with a couple of local food banks about partnering with them. We talked with The Link (of Cullman County) about partnering with them in their community dinner and taking the mobile unit there. And we’re really hoping to not just do pregnancy testing and ultrasounds on that vehicle, but really use it as an opportunity to spread solid, life-affirming women’s health information out into the community where it’s needed.”
Immediate needs
Looking forward to the Christmas season, First Source is in immediate need of Pack ‘n Play sets, car seats and cribs. To provide the best for its clients, the organization only accepts new items for its baby boutique.
Additionally, Rushing told The Tribune that it takes an average of $750 to reach each client. First Source is looking for people and organizations to sponsor one or more clients through monetary donations.
For more information or to help out, visit www.firstsourceforwomen.org.
Rushing noted “The ripple effect that we are able to have with a single client… If you think about a pregnant woman, it’s her and her child that come to see us. And we’re able to get them resources, make sure that they’re taken care of and educate them on how to be successful in parenting. Going a step out from that, if you think about, if the father’s in the picture, if there are family members that are helping to co-parent, friends that are part of that surrounding woman’s community, if we can share the right education with our client about how to be a good parent and how to thrive in parenthood, not just have their babies but be set up for success, then everyone around them benefits from that, and we can have a ripple effect out into our community, and create solid family units where those babies that are born can turn into children that thrive.”
Copyright 2024 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
