A new Her Community is launched in The Peach State
Last week, Her PLAN launched its newest Her Community – Barrow County, Georgia. Barrow is a rural county located an hour and a half northeast of Atlanta and half an hour west of Athens in East Central Georgia.
Her Communities are coalitions of public officials, churches, charities, businesses and individuals that assess the adequacy of their local pro-life safety net and identify opportunities to expand or launch resources that address unmet needs. This work leads to establishing new resources or growing under-resourced, high-demand programs in the community. Over the last year, Her PLAN has been developing and implementing this model with great success in local communities in eleven states.
During the first few months of starting a Her Community, Her PLAN’s priority is pre-op communications and identification of key local partners. This first phase is vital to build a healthy foundation and garner community support to create long-lasting impact for mothers and babies. Georgia Coordinator, Eva Dalke, spent the fall and winter seasons building intentional relationships with direct service providers and local community leaders in and around Barrow County.
Executive Director Autumn Christensen and Georgia Coordinator Eva Dalke share Her PLAN’s mission to connect and grow the pro-life safety net with local providers and show how they can play an integral role in helping both moms and babies.
Church, nonprofit and community leaders were invited to a Leaders’ Dinner on February 3 as the official kickoff of the Her Community. Organizations represented included a transitional housing program, a domestic violence shelter, a community foundation, the Chamber of Commerce, and other nonprofits serving moms, babies, and families in some capacity. Also in attendance were pastors of both large and small congregations, local doulas, and one of the County Commissioners.
Her PLAN Executive Director Autumn Christensen was the keynote speaker and presented the heart behind Her PLAN. She emphasized who the abortion-vulnerable woman is: a twenty-something single mother living below the poverty line who likely already has older children. While most attendees already had an idea of the demographic they serve, hearing what research shows about the reality of abortion in the United States allows for a better response to the greater scope of need.
After the presentation, attendees discussed the gaps they see in their work with moms based on Her PLAN’s Categories of Care. Transportation, housing, and maternal healthcare were identified as areas of greatest need. Barrow County also has a rapidly growing Hispanic population, which is reflected in the increase of Spanish-speaking moms seen by the local pregnancy center. Attendees brainstormed ways to address these issues and recruit Spanish-speaking volunteers to ensure all moms are empowered in the services they receive.
In addition to the opportunity for networking and collaboration, Dalke wanted to bring these leaders together in celebration of work already done. “I wanted this to be a thank you to these people in the community who are already working so hard and doing so many amazing things for moms, babies, and families in Barrow County,” said Dalke.
Over thirty nonprofit, community, and faith-based organizations attended the Leaders’ Dinner to kickoff Her Community Barrow County.
At the end of the evening, one pastor announced that his church would handle a community car maintenance day for moms to receive oil changes and checkups – directly addressing the transportation need identified during the event. Less than a week after the event, plans were already in motion to host the event in May.
The kickoff of Her Community Barrow County is just the beginning. While individuals and organizations weigh how they can participate more fully in the pro-life safety net, Dalke will continue to host monthly breakfasts and coffee meetups which provide collaborative space to identify further gaps in the county. Once gaps are identified, Her Community can creatively work to fill those needs. One such example is a maternal healthcare day being planned for late Spring, bringing together resources so that moms will no longer have to travel outside the county to receive quality medical care.
With Her Community Barrow County officially begun and momentum building, the remainder of the year will see the pro-life safety net flourish as neighbors ensure every woman has the support she needs to become the mom she wants to be.
Are you local to Georgia? Become a part of the pro-life safety net. View the resources available in your area on Her PLAN’s directory and connect with Georgia Coordinator Eva Dalke to help empower mothers and babies with the support they need to thrive.
