In this new post-Roe era, Morning Star is committed to strengthening our outreach and support to women considering abortion. Through our new marketing initiative, Morning Star is reaching and providing appointments to more women who have never been to Morning Star before. Via our client services team, we are optimizing our impact and increasing our clinic hours—offering more ultrasound appointments than ever before!
Educating Our Clients
Morning Star counselors are a voice of comfort as they educate mothers on the importance of having an ultrasound. As a result of continued in-depth training, our counselors are equipped with the right conversation tools to assure women that Morning Star will provide the care, information and important medical services they need before they make an abortion decision. We only have one chance to educate a woman on the importance of gathering information before she makes a decision about her pregnancy.
Typically, our callers are panicked and upset. After speaking with our counselors, they understand their next logical step: scheduling an appointment to verify the pregnancy, confirm it is viable and find out how far along they are.
Sue, one of Morning Star’s counselors, started her day off with a phone call from a girl in tears. “Jenny” had just started a new job and found out she was pregnant. Her health insurance wouldn’t start for a few months and she didn’t think she could afford to have her baby unless she received support—both during and after her pregnancy.
Sue was able to calm Jenny and assure her that she had time; she didn’t have to make a decision immediately. Sue explained why it was important to schedule a medical pregnancy services appointment—including a no-cost ultrasound—at Morning Star. Sue also told Jenny she would be given information for other parenting support, including community referrals, Morning Star’s educational workshops and assistance with baby supplies. Jenny made an appointment that very day.
Advancing Our Ultrasound Program
Over the last months, Morning Star’s client outreach has had a huge impact and has led to new opportunities for growth. With an increasing number of new moms coming to Morning Star, we are advancing our ultrasound program to ensure that every new mom has the support she needs to choose Life.
We know that ultrasounds change minds… and 4D ultrasound machines have an even bigger influence on the decision a mom and dad are making, especially when they are convinced their baby is “just tissue” or a “clump of cells.” Thanks to fundraising efforts by the Knights of Columbus, Morning Star now has three new 4D ultrasound machines at our Harrisburg and Middletown clinics. On a 4D ultrasound, moms and dads can see a live video of their baby moving: stretching, sucking their thumb and closing their eyes. This fourth dimension further shows parents the reality of life growing within.
When we moved to our new Harrisburg clinic in 2020, we were excited to have a second ultrasound exam room that would allow us to grow into the future. The future is NOW. As of October 1, we are thrilled to announce that we have hired a third sonographer and are now running two ultrasound machines during most operating hours. That means that Morning Star can now provide an additional 38 ultrasound appointments each week. We need your help to provide this Life-saving medical care to every new parent who walks through our doors. To ensure that new parents like “Shayla” and “Dwayne” have a chance to see their baby.
Shayla hadn’t been dating Dwayne very long when she came to Morning Star with an unplanned pregnancy. During her counseling appointment, Shayla said she was willing to keep all her options open, but she had to have Dwayne’s full support if she was going to continue with the pregnancy. With the uncertainty of their relationship on her mind, Shayla was encouraged to bring him to her next appointment.
Dwayne came to Morning Star, though he was very unsure whether he wanted to be a father. However, when he saw his baby on the monitor during Shayla’s ultrasound exam, Dwayne was shocked that “it was a baby.” Later, staring at the ultrasound picture in his hands, Dwayne told the counselor that seeing his baby and the heartbeat had a tremendous impact on him. He felt they had to have this baby and he would do whatever was needed to support Shayla. As Dwayne was leaving Morning Star he turned to the counselor and said, “Thank you for all the things you do here.”
Expanding Our Reach
Your support of our mission and ministry provided Shayla and Dwayne with the care they needed to choose Life for their baby. And we are counting on your support to continue to provide these Life-saving services to the increasing number of new clients coming through our doors.
By December 31, Morning Star must raise $146,500 to support the 365 new clients we expect to see by the end of this year. Morning Star’s marketing strategy for reaching women at risk for abortion in our community is working. Our continuous, in-depth training for counselors is equipping them with the right words to support and educate women considering abortion. Increasing our staff and ultrasound appointments ensures that we can see every woman who reaches out to us for help. In order to continue and expand this work, Morning Star’s annual budget needs to grow.
This Christmas, you can support couples like Shayla and Dwayne with a one-time gift of $401.37 or a monthly gift of $33.45. Or if you’re able, you can make a donation of $802.74 to help two women, like Jenny, who are alone and panicked when they call Morning Star.
Your tax-deductible donation ultimately provides the support a mother needs to have her baby. One mom told our counselor Briana, “I love being his mom. It’s the best thing that ever happened to me.” Every baby is a gift from God and you are a part of this miracle.
May God bless you and your family this Christmas season.
