Leslie learned about Care Net soon after moving to Vero twenty years ago – in fact, one of the first events she and her husband, Tim, attended after their marriage was Care Net’s 2003 Fall Fundraising Banquet.
Last summer, she picked up extra duties as client coordinator for Embrace Grace, a 12-week Bible study for single and pregnant mothers. Leslie texts clients who would be potential participants and attends the baby showers at the completion of each study. Local churches partner with Care Net to make this Bible study program possible, free of charge to both the center and the women.
What Is Your Favorite Part About Working at Care Net?
Leslie says:
“I have to choose one? I really enjoy getting to know these women and it’s a privilege to be a part of their lives in this season. I try hard to build a relationship, so I try to keep seeing the same women each week. I have some women I have been meeting with for 3 years – we’ve gone the whole way, pregnancy until their child is now two-and-a-half years old. That’s really a privilege. that they will allow you into their lives like that.”
How Would More Support Make a Difference for Client Advocates?
Leslie says:
“We can only see as many women as we have client advocates to see them. You’re pushing their appointments out 2-3 weeks because you don’t have the client advocates to meet with them. That’s discouraging to those women. I have heard women say, ‘Wow, really? I can’t get in?’ “
“A lot of them rely on us, not just for material services. We’re a place where they’re safe. They can talk, they can share their fears, their hardships. It’s a safe place for them. I think when they get pushed out because, ‘Sorry there are no client advocates to see you.’ That’s really hard for them.”
How Have You Been Encouraged By Seeing God Work in the Lives of Clients?
Leslie says:
“I’ve been humbled. It’s easy to look at outward appearances and circumstances and make a judgment. But being able to sit and really talk to some of these ladies to the point where they open up their hearts and share things that are painful, and in some instances shameful, to them, makes me see them differently. That God would pour so much into this place so that we can talk to these women, and we can encourage them spiritually and emotionally and physically as mothers, that’s a really humbling thing to be a part of.”
About the Blogs:
Care Net is on the frontlines of providing critical services to women and families facing unplanned pregnancies. But this would not be possible without staff and volunteers who give their time to our mission of creating a culture of abundant life.
In this blog series, we introduce you to these amazing faces and the roles they play in saving lives. Click here for more.