Why Should Our Services Be Free?

25 Mar, 2019

 

As a non-profit organization, Your Options Medical is proud to reach out to women and families who are facing unexpected pregnancies and seeking compassionate support. Our mission is simple: to create a culture of life by serving those who would otherwise turn to abortion.

We often receive a question, however, that we believe is important to address in order to clarify our goal here at Your Options Medical.

Why do we provide services at no cost to the patient?

Your Options relies on generous donors like yourself to fund our mission of ministering to abortion-vulnerable women in our community, and here’s why: If a woman is struggling with the decision to keep her baby, there’s a reason.

Most women know and recognize that they’re carrying a human being, whether they’ll admit to it or not. The issue often isn’t that she doesn’t know; it’s that she’s terrified of doing it alone, without any support. She may be suffering financially, relationally, physically or spiritually, and it’s difficult to comprehend the pressure that comes with facing an unplanned pregnancy. It is likely that she is afraid and possible that she has no emotional or financial support. Whatever her situation, as followers of God and protectors of His image-bearers, we are called to care for “the least of these.”

In Matthew 25, Jesus shares a highly quoted but powerful scenario:

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’

Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’”

Just as the righteous characters in this story ministered to Jesus through their ministry to others, we desire to provide proverbial food and drink to those who are hungry and thirsty for love and care. Our neighbors who are often facing extreme and stressful circumstances need our compassion, and we believe that when we provide empathetic care without expecting compensation in return, we are ultimately serving the God who forms each child in the womb.

 

In addition, if we want to support a culture of life, we must help carry the burden. For those who feel like they have no choice, we must give them a choice. If they have another option- an affordable, practical option- it’s possible they will take it, and we find it a blessing to provide it for them.

We can’t meet every need or touch every life, but we can try. We can serve with the resources we have and provide the support women need to choose something other than abortion, whether it be adoption or parenting. Here are some ways our free services make a difference to women:

 

• Free pregnancy tests –
  This service opens the door for women to get to know us and find safety in our walls. Without the concern of cost, patients can relax knowing that we are here and care despite their situation.
• Ultrasounds –
  When a woman does not have to worry about finding the funds to see the child in her womb, we believe her focus will be shifted from the stresses of her circumstances to the beauty of her baby.
• Options Counseling –
  Support is the key for many women who are unsure of what to do now that they’re experiencing an unplanned pregnancy. Through our counseling sessions, we educate patients about their options and provide the caring presence that they need without adding any financial pressure.

 

As we seek to leave a legacy of life, we find it to be a privilege to relieve one more financial stress off our patients so that their focus may be on the child in their womb, not the money in their wallet.