EDIT AT BOTTOM:Pregnancy Center

I am very excited, and feel very accomplished, because today was my first day volunteering at the Women's Enrichment Center in Dalton! The HOPE center that I go to for counseling-which is going well by the way, sent me there when I asked them about a place to take some of Samantha's old clothes. The center seemed so nice, and I have a soft spot for women's centers, so I signed up to volunteer at the beginning of the week and decided to help out on Thursdays. 


I am helping out with their post abortion ministry. They are training me to counsel the clients at the center who have had an abortion. She gave me a list of names to call this week and is even letting me pick the curriculum I want to use in the recovery counseling. She wants me to eventually go to churches and share my story, but it may be awhile before I can do that. 


Today I learned how the center works, how to do the paper work, and schedule appointments, how to take donations, etc. Watched some instructional videos. And I got to shadow one of the other volunteers in one of their intake sessions so that I can learn how to do that too. (They are going to give me the clients who are considering an abortion, and it will be my job to do their intake and try to talk to them about their options.)


Everybody there is so nice. Most of the people there are volunteers and they have a real passion for that sort of work too. My Mom had Samantha, and Samantha had a lot of fun. I am sure it was a nice change for her to spend some time with my Mom, and I wasn't gone too long, maybe 4 or 5 hours, but I accomplished so much today. I think this is going to be a good thing. The only thing I worry about is it is a 70 mile round trip (including dropping Sam off at my Mom's.), which is a lot of gas, but we will figure it out. 

EDIT: It has been difficult finding something Samantha can do at her age, volunteering, so I have been trying to find away for her to help me. She volunteered to raise money. She took a baby bottle and she carries it and some papers about the women's center, and this is what she says, "Hi. I am raising money for babies. It is time to save lives. Would you like to read or talk about it?" Sometimes she will also add that she is doing it for her sister, Lucy, who is in Heaven with God. And sometimes she will give them the paper to read. She has raised a good bit of money so far, mostly change, and she has donated a lot of her own money out of her allowance and piggy bank. I am very proud of her and hope she continues to love helping others.