Come As You Are

Claire came in with her head down; she made no eye contact with anyone in the center. Her pregnancy test was positive, and she was looking at her options with a focus on abortion. Struggling with drug addiction, she knew that she did not want to add a baby to her life, which she described as chaos. 

She had the abortion pill in her purse when we met. As she left that day after a pregnancy test and ultrasound, I wasn't sure she would be back. And yet she continued to return week after week. 

Claire signed up for our parenting class, but we were not sure if that was confirmation she was continuing this pregnancy or trying to get assistance for her other child. She came onto the classes via Zoom and would leave her screen turned off. We made an exception for her within the program because our goal is always to meet our clients where they are in their circumstances and not where we want them to be. We knew taking the class was a big step for her, so just showing up was a celebration.

When she came into the center to get diapers and wipes that she had earned through attending classes, she would keep her head down and make little to no eye contact. We watched this young woman day by day begin to bloom right before our eyes. She began making more and more eye contact as she came in. Soon, she was having small conversations with volunteers while she shopped - Today, she comes in with her newborn baby. We all drool over this cutie pie. She is clean and sober and living a lifestyle that does not reflect those earlier days. She just needed a support system that said, come as you are. 

This amazing mom even did a video for us - with lights, a camera, and a microphone. The transformation is beyond words, and the impact that you make with the ways you support Turning Point is on real lives, real families, and strengthening your community. How much better can it get than that? I love what we do, and I love that we get to do it together.