Ray Turner...Always Going Above and Beyond

For the past 6 ½ years Ray Turner has been dedicated to serving as a handy man around the Bartholomew County Center. After coming to a banquet years ago he decided he wanted to get involved and help the Pregnancy Care Centers. He then took part in the Volunteer Training and decided he could best be used as a handy man since he is gifted in that area. Judy Snow, Bartholomew County Center Director, says “Ray does a little bit of everything. He changes our furnace filters, replaced our back door and installed a door between the waiting room and counseling rooms. He paints, organizes and repairs the sheds, mounts pictures on the wall and when all our racks for maternity cloths ripped off the wall one day, Ray repaired them and put them back up.”

He is also known for making necessary repairs to items that have been donated that might be missing a few pieces. Ray repairs them so they can be given to clients instead of just thrown away and says they “would be a shame not to use because of a few missing pieces.” Ray is a blessing to the PCC ministry. He always has a smile and is praising the Lord. We are so thankful for all our volunteers like Ray!

iDonate…The Easy Way to Give

Did you know there is a new and easy way to creatively donate to the PCC? That’s right; you can donate noncash items through a group called iDonate. This is a great way to give towards the work of the Pregnancy Care Center that doesn’t involve your cash. Noncash items can be anything from cars and boats to jewelry and real estate. According to the IRS, an estimated $52 billion of noncash items are donated each year.

iDonate works with nonprofits to allow donors to give in different ways while continuing to support the work of charities they personally choose. They assist in arranging all the details of your donation and strive to make the process as easy as possible. To find out more go to our website at www.affirminglifeonline.org and click on the Give in New Ways box. This will give you step by step directions on how to donate your noncash items and answer frequently asked questions.

Handmade Gifts

Many people and various groups have recently walked through our doors with beautiful handmade items to give out to our clients. A lady by the name of Alice Ritchie stopped by to drop off 9 beautiful hand made baby aphgans and one of them has a matching hat. She said she prays over each aphgan and for the child who will receive it. She also said she prays for the center continually. She said years ago her children needed help and received help from us.

That prompted me to go through our donations record for the last 3 months and there have been lots of wonderful blanket donations. They are as follows: Mt. Pleasant Christian Union Church gave us 5 quilts; Columbus Alliance women's group gave 12 fleece blankets; Linda Lehto donated 6 aphgans; Alice Corya donated 3 aphgans; Peggy Koorn donated hats, outfits and blankets; Ellen Bowman donated 10 blankets for layettes; Beth Coffman brought in a large bag of new baby blankets.

We are so very grateful to have these beautiful, new items to give to our clients for their new babies. I remember how much something like that meant to me when my mother crocheted aphgans for my children. We kept them for many years until they were completely falling apart.

Judy Snow
Bartholomew County Center Director

PCC Fundraising Banquets 2011

What a great month February was for the Pregnancy Care Centers of South Central Indiana. We gathered on five different nights to celebrate the Light that is being shined through our centers out of the darkness from our communities. Each night our guests were challenged by our Keynote Speaker, Tim Bond, to make the PCC ministry their own and to step deeper into the life changing work that takes place each day in our centers. Many responded to the challenge by getting involved through volunteering or donating their financial resources. God richly blessed us through the generosity of our guests and sponsors at each banquet and below is a summary of money raised.

• Jackson/Jennings County: $28,161
• Bartholomew/Brown County (Feb. 10): $50,906
• Bartholomew/Brown County (Feb. 16): $43,795
• Bartholomew/Brown County (Feb. 22): $52,011
• Decatur/Shelby County: $31,781
• Total Sponsorship: $67,550

We’ve also received an additional $5,000 after the banquets from those who were not able to attend due to weather, illness, etc. Thanks to everyone who prayed, participated and donated towards the banquets this past month. God has blessed us with wonderful ministry partners and we are so very thankful!

Providing Free Bibles to Women in our Centers

Each day, 3,300 women wake up in America believing abortion is the only solution to an unplanned pregnancy. In the wake of this tragic decision, a human life is ended, and a women’s life is changed forever. Care Net has been supporting women, one at a time, sparing them and their unborn children the anguish of abortion. Now, we at Care Net are joining with local bookstores and churches to continue supporting these women on a spiritual level through the special distribution of the Beautiful Everyday Bible (December 2010, Tyndale House Publishers.)
The Beautiful Everyday Bible allows customers in Christian bookstores, as well as those in church ministries, to share compassion and faith with women in crisis by equipping counselors at Care net and other pregnancy resource centers across America with free Bibles for women to whom they minister. As part of the Inspire Life Bible campaign, individuals can purchase a Beautiful Everyday Bible and sign its dedication page. Our center will collect the signed Bibles and personalize them for the recipients as we minister compassion to those we serve. The compact size of New Living Translation Bible means it’s easy to carry along when you‘re on the go, and the vibrant images on its cover will continually remind women of life’s beauty. The Bible includes greeting from Rebecca St. James, Christian recording artist, author, and actress; and from Dana, a former Care Net client, along with other resources that offer encouragement and the hope of Jesus Christ.

To sign your own Beautiful Everyday Bible, visit [Ark Book and Gift, Eastbrook Plaza, Columbus, IN 47201]

About Care Net
Care net and their network of more than 1,100 affiliate centers offers hope to women facing unplanned pregnancies by providing practical help and emotional support. Care Net seeks to promote, prepare, and plant pregnancy centers across North America to expand access to life-saving services and support while reaching the hurting and broken with the hope of Jesus Christ. Visit www.care-net.org