By Donna Young, FirstLook CEO 
Well, here we go. Another change brought about by COVID-19….
FirstLook’s first electronic newsletter. We talked about it before, but always decided against it. Surely, our donors would like to have something they can hold, and read and save, and then return the giving card with a gift or request for information about volunteering in some way. To be honest, I’m sure it’s been me objecting the loudest. We are eager to know what you think of our new publication. Let us hear from you.
We have been thrust out of our comfort zones in other ways also. Our leadership team had often dismissed other organizations offering online parenting education. Then a great curriculum came along, Bright Course (published by our friends at Heritage House) who began producing great, relevant, current content and we thought we’d give it a try — but mostly on a one-on-one basis, with all the follow-up at a face-to-face meeting. But then came the coronavirus…decision time again. Do we give it a try? Well we did, and it has been hugely successful. (You can read more about it here.)
And on another note, many of us have never really liked the idea of telemedicine, or virtual one-on-one consultations. What about building relationships? But then came the coronavirus…decision time again. Do we close our doors? Do we cut back services? Women and men still need our services. Unexpected pregnancies continue. Life decisions continue.
Well, you guessed it. We made the leap. We didn’t close the doors. We continue to serve. We’ve just adapted. We put all the policies in place to keep things confidential and private. We got things up and running. And now some things that we’ve only done in the center are now being handled by private virtual meetings. The limited staff in the center are taking care of the pregnancy testing and ultrasound appointments. The schedule is full; everyone is keeping their appointments, and our ministry to those planning abortion is up 30%, and many are choosing life.
Keep us in your prayers as we continue to adapt and serve where the Lord leads. And if we can help you or pray for you, we are here. God Bless you all!