A look back at 2025
Letter from the CEO, Jennifer Pace
Two statistics from the book Forbidden Grief by Theresa Burke have truly resonated with me lately.
In a study of 252 post-abortive women, researchers found the following:
- 70% opposed abortion morally, yet went through with it in violation of their conscience.
- 80% said they would have carried their baby to term under better circumstances, or if they had just one person willing to stand alongside them and offer support.
There are not enough words to describe the power of standing with someone.
Think about it this way: When Moses was leading the Israelites through the wilderness, he voiced his concern to God. In Exodus 33:12, Moses says, “See, you say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me.” Just a few verses later, Moses makes his position even clearer: “If your presence will not go with us, do not bring us up from here” (Exodus 33:15). Moses was unwilling to move forward without the presence and companionship of God.
Throughout Scripture, we see this same theme repeatedly:
God gave Moses both Aaron and Hur to hold up his arms when he can no longer do it on his own.
God gave Naomi Ruth to stand with her after the loss of her husband and sons.
God even gave Mary Elizabeth to stand with her as she carries and prepares to give birth to the Lord Jesus Christ.
There is real power in standing with someone.
Because of you, First Coast Women’s Services was able to stand with more than 5,240 male and female clients last year. As a result, 1,731 babies were saved.
That is the power of standing with someone. At some point in our lives, every one of us needs an Aaron, a Hur, a Ruth, or an Elizabeth. We need someone willing to come alongside us, hold us up, and offer the steady presence we need during our most vulnerable seasons. And for thousands of women and families each year, you are that presence. Thank you for standing with her.
Alex’s Story
The most rewarding choice
At 17, Alex received the troubling news that she might never be able to have children. A diagnosis of PCOS shaped her expectations for the rest of her life. Years later, after a painful divorce, she moved to Florida hoping for a fresh start. When she discovered she was pregnant at 40, fear quickly took over.
Alex came to one of our centers with a friend for a pregnancy test, convinced abortion was her only option. She was not in a relationship with the father of the baby, unsure how she would manage financially, and overwhelmed by the idea of doing this alone. As she walked through her options with one of our client advocates, she wept. In that moment, she realized she could not live with a decision to end her pregnancy.
Today, she is blessed to be the mother of a beautiful baby boy. While she’ll admit that having her son has been the hardest thing she’s ever had to do, she also believes it has been the most rewarding. Through it all, she has drawn closer to God and cannot imagine life without her son.
