THIS PLACE DOES NOT SUPPORT WOMEN LOOKING FOR AN ABORTION. They have no doctors on staff, do not offer abortions, pressure women to keep their baby and to "not kill the precious life growing inside you, you monster" and I felt very attacked and vulnerable. DO NOT GO HERE
Best volunteer job I have ever had. Volunteers are seen in this organization as an important role which is awesome. It makes me want to do the best I can. Thanks to all of you.
I have volunteered at Heartbeats for over 10 years and have seen the very positive impact Heartbeats has on the clients that they serve. I was very interested in serving at Heartbeats after a very personal interaction with Merridy Hoover, one of the founders of this outstanding non-profit. I have seen many young women and many couples participate in the 'learn-to-earn' Bridges program and turn their lives completely around with jobs, schooling, a more stable home life, as well as bringing Christ into their lives. All because of the positive, loving, Christ-centered staff and volunteers and the wonderful programs they offer. My husband and I co-chair the Sanctity of Life committee at our church. We have fundraisers year-round so we can buy and donate diapers, wipes, and other items to their boutique that the clients shop in using their 'earnings' from Bridges. And we both volunteer at Heartbeats and support them financially.
I also, on a more personal note, was able to finally find peace and accept the forgiveness of Christ for my abortion. The post-abortive healing program at Heartbeats is amazing and the women that give their time to minister this program to those who need healing are even more amazing. Heartbeats provides a much needed service in our community and I am happy to have an opportunity to serve our community through them.
I worked and volunteered at Heartbeats for 7 years until the demands of my own growing family pulled me away. But the time I spent there was unlike any volunteer service I had done before then. The staff and volunteers at Heartbeats genuinely care and feel for every clients that calls or comes through the door.
And not only that, but the more time you spend there, the more the people feel like family, whether you're a volunteer or client. There have been clients that have the same consultant for years, and they love it!
Heartbeats gives women and men all the information they need to protect their families and make choices that promote life rather than extinguish it. Heartbeats really is a great place to be!
My husband and I had heard about the work of Heartbeats through our church, and had supported the ministry through prayer and some one-time donations. Last year, however, the ministry become near and dear to our own hearts. We were a waiting adoptive family, and the birth mom of our son was a client at Heartbeats. We had our meetings at the Heartbeats facility, and the Heartbeats counselor for our birth mom was at those meetings. When our son was born, the Heartbeats worker was at the hospital with the birth mom and also helped us as we navigated meeting our son and building a relationship with his birth mom. We are thankful for their culture of life which was part of our journey to become parents.
I came to Heartbeats to volunteer hoping to help young women and families in our community. I was very aware of the struggles a young and single mother would face since I had my daughter at the very young age of 16. The team is very kind and knowledgeable and I received excellent training to prepare me to meet and assist clients.
I was very surprised to learn of all the different services that Heartbeats offers. As a pregnancy resource medical center with nurses on staff, offering pregnancy tests, limited ultrasounds, prenatal vitamins, guidance through pregnancy, parenting classes, and abortion healing groups. There is a boutique which provides the tangible items needed to care for a child such as clothes, diapers, wipes, bottles, pacifiers, blankets and so much more. All of the services offered at Heartbeats are at no cost to the client.
I participated in the eight week post abortive healing group. I had always regretted my choice to abort my second child. Participating in the group was a life changing time for me. The healing I received emotionally and spiritually transformed my perspective of God and how I viewed myself. I am forever grateful and now help lead those groups. There is a men's group offered also.
There is so much more happening here! Heartbeats is in the local jails meeting with women, teaching healthy relationships in our local schools, and a part of supporting foster children and their families. I love volunteering, meeting with women and men and their families and being a part of what God is doing here.
In 2011 my wife and I were clients. I was between jobs and there was a gap in our insurance -- all of this was nicely timed with us finding out that we were going to have another child. We made an appointment with Heartbeats to get a limited ultrasound, we wanted to know if there were any glaring issues while we worked through the job/insurance stuff. It's been a while but I recall the staff being friendly, informative and transparent. They genuinely want their clients to succeed in all areas of life!
Fast forward a couple of years, we started attending the annual fundraising banquet in Newark and took on a new role as donors. We began financially supporting the ministry that helped us when we needed it. We continued to give and attend and eventually started hosting tables and volunteering at the event.
Move forward a couple of more years. My wife and I are both involved with the organization as staff/volunteers depending on the occasion. Having seen the organization through the lens of a client, a donor and a team member -- I can't say enough. The lengths that they go through to maintain integrity and transparency in the work done here are amazing. Financial accountability is a huge deal, money is spent wisely and timely. Interaction among staff is unlike anything I have seen in the corporate environment and they look out for and support each other.
While my time as a team member (staff) will soon some to an end, we I will continue to give time, money and energy to this organization. They are outstanding and I look forward to continuing to serve them as they care for our community.