S TAFF S TORIES HEAR STRAIGHT FROM L I FE L I N E S TA FF O N ME ANI NG FU L S TO RIES O VE R THE I R Y E AR S O F W O R K .
I work for Lifeline as a pregnancy counselor, and the very first client I worked with for months on her adoption plan for her baby, decided to parent while at the hospital. I was driving two hours on a weekly to biweekly basis to sit and talk with her for hours. She chose an adoptive family and had an online meeting with them. She felt more confident in her decision after she was able to meet and interact with them online. She gave birth to her sweet baby girl May 1, 2019, while I was standing next to her in the delivery room. The adoptive mother visited the next day, held the baby, and gave my client a bracelet that she had worn throughout their adoption journey. During the course of my client’s hospital stay she began to express a change of heart in her plan. We discussed her plan and the many reasons why she had felt this was best for her child, but I reminded her it was her choice and that I would support her if she desired to parent. On the day she would have signed legal adoption paperwork, my client chose to parent her baby girl. I helped connect her to a local pregnancy center we partner with at Lifeline and ensured she had the items she needed to go home. Even though my services were no longer needed because she chose to parent, I asked her if she would be comfortable if I stayed at the hospital until she discharged so that I could support her. She replied, “Yes of course, why wouldn’t I be comfortable with that? Yes, you’re my social worker, but you’re Kara first.” Spring 2021
That statement was so encouraging to my soul. I was emotionally drained, physically tired, and sad for the adoptive parents and the news they were going to receive. However, in that moment, her words were a reminder that adoption is not the end goal in pregnancy counseling. Our goal is to share the hope of Christ, and to cultivate a relationship through which we can do that. I’m so thankful she viewed our relationship as one where I was not just a social worker, but also someone she knew and could address by name. ~ Kara Reinhold, Lifeline Social Worker, FL Lifeline Village believes in celebrating milestones and birthdays of expectant mothers we serve. In 2010, we celebrated the birthday of one of our expectant mothers and as a gift we purchased a pair of shoes. She was extremely excited and thankful for the party and the gifts. The next day, as I walked into her room, I noticed the shoes on the dresser sitting on the shoe box. I asked her if she was going to wear the shoes and she replied, “I just want to look at them because I’ve never had new shoes before.” She reminded me that simple acts of kindness can touch the lives of those we serve in ways we cannot imagine. ~Kesha Franklin, Lifeline Village Program Coordinator The CCCWA asked Lifeline to manage a hosting program in the United States as an advocacy tool for children from our partnership orphanages in China at the - 18 -
time. Lifeline’s International Program leadership agreed to the idea, and led the program as more of a camp-like setting where children could come to the U.S. to learn about culture, while prospective families could volunteer at the camp and spend time with the children. The first China Kids’ Camp took place in October 2014, sponsored by Project 139. Lifeline staff coordinated bringing the 12 children and caregivers from Kunming, China, to Alabama. Once they arrived, the children received developmental assessments, medical care, and had some cultural fun.
Through the advocacy opportunities of the camp, and just the way God works, all 12 children have since been adopted. This camp also sparked five more years of kids’ camps in the U.S. ~Anna Pawley, Lifeline Social Worker , TX For me, stepping into birth family ministry in foster care meant changing gears and going into new territory (literally), like family drug court. The first time I was invited to present lifelinechild.org
