Retro CPO: Cheryl Said

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Retro CPO: Cheryl Said

Each month we will feature a “retro” CPO article, one that is pulled from our archives of quarterly newsletters. Whenever possible we will provide details regarding the author and date of publication.
This month’s Retro CPO article was written by Cheryl Bauman, our founder and executive director. It was written in winter of 2009, and explains our need for volunteers… something we still always need!

This past year is the busiest that we have ever had at CPO. We have had so many girls come to us with absolutely nothing. They had no clothing, no personal care items, no cars, no places to live, and no families. The most painful part to see, however, is how emotionally and spiritually bankrupt they have been. Most of these girls are very convinced that they are worth “nothing,” and that they probably have deserved the abuse they have received at the hands of their parents or boyfriends. That breaks my heart – and I know it breaks God’s heart, too.

We all try to take part in the “damage control” that must be done. We give each girl unconditional love and acceptance and tell her how much we love her and how much God loves her. It often takes months for the girls to accept this truth. After having been abused by an earthly father, trusting a Heavenly Father that they cannot even see is a big leap for many of them. A very large percentage of our girls come to us addicted to drugs. Satan wants to keep them entrapped in that culture, and uses all of their “friends” to lure them back. That is when we lean heavily on our CPO mentors to come alongside these girls and let them see how real friends treat them.

This ministry has become multi-faceted, over the years , as we have constantly added new areas. It is only because of YOU that we are able to “be here” for these precious girls. Right now, we are in need of:

Your fervent prayers for those of us in leadership positions in CPO, and for the young women we serve.
Your financial support
Godly women who can be a special friend and “mentor” to one of our girls
Women who can drive our girls to their many appointments with the doctor, attorney, counselor, and support group. This need is desperate and ongoing.
Maternity clothing, women’s clothing, baby and children’s clothing
Baby equipment
Host homes who will allow a pregnant girl to live with them
Help with mailing
Help with the showers we provide for each birth mom and parenting mom
Help with picking up donated items
Help with fundraisers

I pray that God would speak to you regarding one of these areas. As you know, we are ALL volunteers at CPO. None of us take any financial compensation. We need MANY MORE VOLUNTEERS!!!

May God bless you, abundantly, as you consider the needs of these young women and their little ones. It will never be enough to talk about the problems with adoption. We must provide a loving alternative. Initially, these girls need “God with skin on.” You could be that person to one of these girls.

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Volunteers Matter: Linda Huber

Crisis Pregnancy Outreach has been 100% run by volunteers since its inception more than 30 years ago. No one has ever received a salary, which enables CPO to make an even bigger difference in the lives of Tulsa area women. We know that volunteers matter, and to honor them we periodically interview and highlight one of our volunteers. This week we hear from another volunteer, Linda Huber.

Q: How do you volunteer with CPO?
A: I work in the office, doing 2 hour shifts each time.

Q: How long have you been volunteering with us?
A: I began volunteering in August of 2015.

Q: How did you find out about CPO?
A: I have had several friends who have donated and some have volunteered there in some capacity over several years and some others who have adopted through CPO.

Q: Why did you choose to volunteer with CPO vs. other organizations? What is it about crisis pregnancies that drew you to us?
A: I’ve been involved in girls and women’s ministries through my home churches for 35 years. I do mentoring and lead and teach Bible studies. God spoke to me about doing work “outside the local body of my church” for some time. I also have a daughter and her husband (who live out of town), who feel called to adopt in the near future. I was drawn by desire to give to those in need of Godly counsel and since I raised two daughters of my own, it was a good chance to put my gifts to work and learn about the process of adoption. I feel especially called to minister to women in crisis because of others who have done so in times in my life. I am also a client advocate with MEND, working several hours a week.

Q: What have you learned about yourself since volunteering?
A: I have learned that I am exactly where God would have for me in this season of life: as a mother with grown children and a grandmother. I’m a retired dental hygienist and treating patients for 32 years prepared me for this volunteer work. My absolute joy is when I get to talk one-on-one with a woman and pray with her. It has amazed me to see the words God gives me for each uniquely created person. God has opened my eyes greatly to the amount of need in this area, even among the church body and especially in our lost and broken world. I desire only to be Jesus with flesh on it to these women and families.

Q: How have you seen God’s hand at work in the ministry of CPO?
A: I have been able to do some pregnancy tests and chat and pray with several new clients, which thrilled me to feel helpful. Two in particular with positive test results and both clients were believers, but knew they needed better walks with God. I also got to observe (from my desk) an adoption. It was amazing and very emotional. I cried and prayed for both parties all that day and think of how many lives were changed forever that day. God truly blesses and has called this ministry for such a time as this!

Q: What would you say to anyone considering becoming involved in CPO?
A: I highly recommend everyone I know to get involved actively and give a little time to support CPO. It takes and army, but together it works miracles. It is so much more than an alternative to abortions, as vital as that is. It is truly life-changing experiences for many. I thank God for the opportunity to serve and consider it an honor.

Parenting Success Story: Alex

Many women who come to CPO during their crisis pregnancies choose to parent their child. We are happy to support them in their efforts with counseling, mentors, parenting classes, and more. From time to time we would like to highlight one of our parenting success stories. This is the third installment in our series, again written by Ashley Ledbetter.

“What am I going to do?”
For Alex, it was the first question of many. It led her on a journey towards a beautiful and rewarding decision: to parent her son and daughter.
Alex discovered she was pregnant at age 18. She was living on her own, having graduated high school ahead of schedule. The news was difficult. “What am I going to do?” Being an extremely smart girl, she began exploring her options. She reached out to MEND; they were helpful. Although Alex was initially open to an abortion, MEND offers a video that reveals the abortion process. After viewing the video, she quickly ruled out abortion as an option.
Moving forward with her decision to protect the tiny baby inside her, Alex started surveying other resources around her. Since CPO has resources for parenting AND open adoptions, adoption was the next option she chose to explore. Soon, Alex had decided to attend two support groups- one group for parenting mothers and one for those who have chosen to make adoption plans. When the adoption support group didn’t resonate, she paid close attention to the girls in the parenting group. She began to observe a simple, yet monumental, truth: “It is possible!” These girls chose to parent, even though they hadn’t planned on becoming pregnant, and they were doing it. They were even doing it well. She started to think “I can do this.” Her choice to parent was made.
With a plan starting to fall into place, Alex was then able to address issues related to the remainder of her pregnancy and delivery. This phase of her journey became as critical to her experience as every other part, since it was during this final stretch of pregnancy that she was challenged and cared for by CPO volunteers. The medical volunteers, Dr. Ross, and one of CPO’s doulas, Marlita, were an incredibly strong support for Alex. She was prayed for at every prenatal appointment and had some difficult but honest conversations with Dr. Ross. Through that time, Alex realized how much she was experiencing depression and self neglect. She had grown up enduring heartbreak and difficulties within her immediate family that had affected her more deeply than she had previously been able to identify. While she had been aware of these struggles, they were unresolved and painful. Alex began to see the underlying condition of her heart. She began to reconsider her deep-rooted approach to life: “just get through it”. She started to understand that God had more for her than that, maybe even joy and freedom.
Even after all of these victories and blessings on her way to becoming a mother, Alex’s highest praise goes to Marlita. After all, the delivery of a baby is one of the most personal and valuable moments a woman will experience. Having a skilled and compassionate doula can really create a bond that will endure forever! Alex remembers, “Marlita was the only person I wanted in the delivery room with me.”
In the end, Alex had rejected abortion, chosen to parent, begun to experience the healing of her own heart, and delivered a baby. So, one question remained: “What is the best way to do this?” CPO’s parenting support group offered her plenty of answers. Through the community of parenting girls, Alex was able to learn the details of government housing as well as general strategies for single moms. She found community within the parenting mothers, who even handed down clothes and other child related items to each other.
She journeyed from “What am I going to do?” all the way to “It is possible!” For her and her two children, it was a journey worth taking.
6 years later, Alex is the beautiful mother of two children, Treten (age 5) and Georgia (age 4). Currently, she serves tables at Chuy’s while attending school for accounting.

Happy Independence Day!

As you prepare to celebrate the independence of our great nation with friends and family, please also remember one of CPO’s perpetual goals: to guide women to become independent and productive members of society. Many women enjoy a different kind of independence thanks to years of support from our donors, volunteers, and leaders. Say a prayer for them all today.

20 May 1999 --- Independence Day parade --- Image by © Ariel Skelley/CORBIS

Retro CPO: Meet Becky Martin

Each month we will feature a “retro” CPO article, one that is pulled from our archives of quarterly newsletters. Whenever possible we will provide details regarding the author and date of publication.
This month’s Retro CPO article was written by Becky Martin, one of Cheryl’s assistants at the time. It was written in fall of 2008, and is her personal testimony.

It is my great pleasure to serve as an assistant director of CPO under the amazing leadership of Cheryl Bauman and alongside several other Godly women.
I came to know my Savior Jesus Christ on November 1, 1970, and from that day forward, my ambition was to serve Jesus as a missionary. I attended schools in Tulsa and Broken Arrow, where I graduated in 1980.
When I was a child, while traveling down I-40, I passed Oklahoma Baptist University. I could see the steeple from the highway and when my parents told me that was OBU, I said, “That is where I’m going to college.” My parents did not go to college and this worried my mother, because we didn’t have a lot of money. She mentioned this to our pastor’s wife at the time. She told my mother that God would provide a way. He did!
As some of you will remember, the early 80s were not a good time in our economy, but I remember, vividly, one semester when I went in to pay. My dad had told me to just write the check and he would put the money in my account. I had some scholarships and grants so I thought the bill would be close to $1,000. When it came my turn to pay, the clerk tallied it up and said, “You owe eighteen fifty.” I said, “$1850.00?” He said, “No, $18.50.” I was so excited! I went immediately to call my dad, who acted like it was no big deal. He knew God was in control.
I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education. I majored in Elementary Education so I would have a trade to take with me to the mission field.
It was very difficult to find a job in Oklahoma, so I got my first gob at a private Christian school in Florida. While I was working that year, my relationship with God grew and I learned a great deal. I was also communicating with an orphanage in Mexico about coming there to work.
Unfortunately, as it seems to happen sometimes when you are on the brink of your destiny, I made some bad decisions and became pregnant. I did not believe in abortion and I didn’t know anything about open adoption, so my plan was to come back to Oklahoma, live with my mom and brother, and raise my son on my own. Zach was born January 9, 1986, and was very healthy.
I was so worried that God was mad at me for messing up all His plans for my life, that I ran from Him for a while. In May of 1987, I won a car! I felt that He was saying He was going to take care of me and He was still my Father.
It was an extremely difficult time, raising Zach on my own with no child support. I did have a good job and a new car, but Zach didn’t have an earthly father. I met my husband when Zach was 2 years old, and we married two and a half years later. Phillip and I have now been married close to 18 years. It wasn’t always easy having a child who was close to 5 years old at the beginning of the marriage, but again, God helps us become a family. Phillip and I were blessed with a baby girl, Sarah, on June 19, 1991.
When we became members of Christian Chapel, Cheryl came to speak one day about the needs of CPO. As she was speaking, Phillip turned and looked at me as if to say, “Now you can do what you’ve always wanted to do, be a missionary.” Even though I thought my mission field was working with children, which I did do while teaching for 14 years, maybe God’s plan were different. Or maybe, as romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” I have enjoyed working with the girls and women who have come through the program. I have learned so much from them and I have been able to share my story with them, in hopes that my struggle would encourage them to seek God’s will for their situation.
For me, 2007 was a very eventful year working with CPO. I saw so many miracles. Many times, we all wondered why things were happening the way they were, but God’s plans were always better than ours. He did some mighty things in people’s lives, from saving several babies from abortions to saving the lives of some preemies and sick children. I call 2007 “the miracle year.”
I praise Him and thank Him all the time for allowing me to serve Him as a missionary with CPO. I am also grateful to Cheryl for this opportunity and to all the couple with whom I have had the pleasure of working. My faith has grown through watching your adoption stories unfold. My goal now is to keep working with CPO and not let anything stop me. God bless you all.

A recent photo of Becky, still an active CPO volunteer.

Volunteers Matter: Jackie Potter

Q: How do you volunteer with CPO?
A: Currently, I am the Gala Sponsor Chair for our annual Celebrate Life Gala. I’m responsible for securing table sponsors for the event, as well as a lot of behind the scenes gala work. In the past Chad and I were mentors for the transition house, and I have also coordinated host families for birth moms, and out of town families.

Q: How long have you been volunteering with us?
A: I began volunteering with CPO in January of 2005, so 11 years ago!

Q: How did you find out about CPO?
A:My husband, Chad and I had experienced an interrupted adoption through another agency, and went to see Teri Burnett for some guidance. She introduced us to CPO, at that time. However, I’ve known of CPO since about 4th grade, when Cheryl’s daughter Natalie and I would carpool and go to Tracie’s house for after school snacks! 🙂

Q: Why did you choose to volunteer with CPO vs. other organizations? What is it about crisis pregnancies that drew you to us?
A: CPO just fell in my lap, after talking with Teri Burnett. We first came here because of our desire to adopt, and then it quickly turned into more than that. You see the work being done and how much more work needs to happen and you can’t help but want to be a part of that ministry. The one thing that keeps me volunteering at CPO is the constant need. There are so many hurting women and children in our community and I want to be part of their healing, and that’s what CPO does.

Q: Why is our cause so close to your heart?
A: CPO is so close to my heart because it stands for LIFE. Plain and simple. CPO respects the lives of the birthmoms coming for help, knowing they are worthy of goodness in their lives. They respect the lives of the babies, finding them their perfect forever family. And CPO respects the lives of the adoptive parents; knowing that God placed the desire to adopt on their hearts. And in such a seamless way, CPO unites all of these lives together.

Q: What have you learned about yourself since volunteering?
A: Through volunteering at CPO, I’ve learned that it’s ok to step outside my comfort zone. Because when I do that, God stretches me, and continues to form me into the person He created me to be.

Q: How have you seen God’s hand at work in the ministry of CPO?
A: God’s hand is in constant work at CPO. From the financial donations that keep our organization running, to the volunteers in the nursery so that we can meet without interruption, to the birthmoms that turn their lives around, to the adoptive families that have received answers to prayer…God is in constant work with those involved with CPO. He orchestrates it all so beautifully!!

Q: What would you say to anyone considering becoming involved in CPO?
A: If you’re interested in volunteering with CPO, I say go for it, please come help! The more we have doing His work, the more women and children we can help. We can’t do this alone. But, I would also say, be prepared for your life to change. God’s doing big things here!

Jackie Potter

Volunteers Matter: Melinda Hunley

Q: How do you volunteer with CPO?
A: I have volunteered in a number of different areas for almost 9 years. Initially as a mentor, then I became the mentor coordinator for about 4 years. I also planned many holiday parties for CPO and Grace Girls. Now I do a lot of volunteer coordinating for some of our fundraising events.

Q: How long have you been volunteering with us?
A: About 9 years.

Q: How did you find out about CPO?
A: Through my church, Christian Chapel.

Q: Why did you choose to volunteer with CPO vs. other organizations? What is it about crisis pregnancies that drew you to us?
A: I was drawn to CPO because of the stories I heard during the CPO Sundays at my church. I was completely struck by how God brought families together through open adoption and stories from the birth moms about how CPO helped to change their lives completely moved me!!!

Q: Why is our cause so close to your heart?
A: Because CPO provides real/tangible solutions and help to girls going through crisis pregnancies.

Q: What have you learned about yourself since volunteering?
A: By helping with CPO I feel like I truly have a hand in helping God’s cause on earth!!! And that I’m pretty good at party planning!!! But on a serious note I’ve learned to rely more on God when sharing about the gospel. Working with CPO through the years I’ve had several opportunities to minister to girls in desperate situations and I always feel so incapable on my own. But these were the times that I just let go and let God! This was a huge boost to my own spiritual walk.

Q: How have you seen God’s hand at work in the ministry of CPO?
A: I’ve seen girls transformed from addiction and living of the streets to becoming a stable wife and awesome mother… all because of what God has done through CPO!!!

Q: What would you say to anyone considering becoming involved in CPO?
A: I would tell them to do it and prepare to watch God’s grace transform girls’ lives… and their own!

Volunteers Matter: Amanda Hudson

Q: In what ways do you volunteer at CPO?
A: I volunteered as the Mentor Coordinator for a short time, and I also have helped with the CPO gala. In addition, we have served as a host home for waiting families from out of state, and have been able to be a part of helping to provide Christmas to a CPO mom in need.

Q: How long have you been volunteering with us?
A: I started volunteering in December 2013. There are so many places where someone can volunteer within CPO. I think volunteering really allows someone to familiarize themselves with all the different facets of CPO.

Q: How did you find out about CPO?
A: We knew numerous people that had been involved with CPO, but my friend, Carrie Szatsmary, has been a close friend of Cheryl Bauman for years. When I expressed our desires to adopt, Carrie reached out to Cheryl and told her about us. I had actually gone to high school with some of Cheryl’s children, and we knew previous volunteers of CPO, as well as adoptive parents.

Q: Why did you choose to volunteer at CPO versus other organizations? What is it about crisis pregnancies that drew you to us?
A: I chose to volunteer at CPO because we have always volunteered at various organizations, but adoption is close to our hearts, and I believe that we are called to this organization. When we came to CPO we needed an organization that would treat us as a real couple with real life hurts and not just another waiting family to check off the list. The way CPO is with you through every step of the process really drew us to the organization.

Q: Why is our cause so close to your heart?
A: My husband and I fostered children before we adopted. Adoption, fostering, and loving children the way that Jesus adopted and loved us is what makes CPO’s cause so special to me.

Q: What have you learned about yourself since you began volunteering?
A: I have learned that I need to be more organized! I have also learned that I need to exercise more faith. It is my nature to worry, or try to fix things, and volunteering at CPO has exposed me to many people from different walks of life and taught me to let go. There is something so much greater than myself at work in this organization and volunteering has shown me that even in terribly difficult circumstances, there is hope.

Q: How have you seen God’s hand at work in the ministry of CPO?
A: God’s hand is all over CPO. It would be hard for me to pick one specific element, but for me personally, I witnessed how faithful God is through how He ministered to my husband and I because of CPO. As a ministry, CPO has restored my faith in God’s faithfulness to His children. When my husband, Kent, and I initially came to CPO, our hearts were broken. After failed fertility, the loss of our son, and very difficult fostering situations, we felt hopeless. God’s hand was ALL OVER our adoption. From us matching with our birth parents, all the way up to finalization, I watched God’s hand at work. We were blessed with our first baby, our daughter, Maris, on March 21, 2014. When we decided that we would like to adopt again, I never could have dreamed that we would be welcoming another baby so quickly. We received a call on March 7, 2015 telling us we had been picked to adopt another baby. On March 10th, our sweet daughter, Marion, was born. We had always said that if God dropped a baby in our laps we would know it was His will for us to adopt again. As my dad has said regarding Marion, “He didn’t just drop her in your laps, He put her in your pocket!” As someone who thought I might never have a baby, I stand in awe of how God has used CPO to minister to us.
CPO is a ministry that He used to give us the ultimate gift. There are daily stories of adoption, successful parenting in spite of crisis situations, and children whose lives are forever changed because of God’s hand on this ministry. As a ministry, CPO has changed the lives of many mothers who have placed and parented alike. It is amazing to watch what God has done in the lives of so many CPO mothers through this organization.

Q: What would you say to anyone who may be considering becoming involved with CPO?
A: I would say to them that there are so many ways to be involved with CPO, and you can give a little time, or a lot of time depending on what you choose to do. I would also say that volunteering is critical, because it shows you the many different parts of CPO. For example, as a waiting and now adoptive CPO parent, my perspective of CPO as an organization would have been completely different if I had not volunteered and gotten to meet parenting moms, and some of the other people involved with CPO outside of waiting families. I have also met amazing friends through CPO that I would never have been blessed to know otherwise.

Parenting Success Story: Kaci

Many women who come to CPO during their crisis pregnancies choose to parent their child. We are happy to support them in their efforts with counseling, mentors, parenting classes, and more. From time to time we would like to highlight one of our parenting success stories. The article below, written by Ashley Ledbetter, is the first of such highlights. Stay tuned for more!

One area of focus for Crisis Pregnancy Outreach is, naturally, the Realm of Parenting. When girls and women make the decision to partner with CPO their immediate needs may be healthcare and mental/emotional support, but after several months of pregnancy the point is eventually reached at which their cumbersome bellies leave- and their precious baby stays. In many cases Baby is placed with an adoptive family, chosen by the birth mother, to be raised up and trained in the way they should go. Other times, the mother chooses to parent. It is not a simple choice.
In the case of Kaci Caruthers parenting wasn’t the first choice. As she will tell you though, “everything happened the way it was supposed to happen.”Kaci became pregnant at age 16. The birth father, Winston, was 18. As a high school sophomore she sought out CPO with the intention of making an adoption plan. She took part in the free counseling that CPO provided her and attended the monthly adoption support groups. She was even able to choose the adoptive family that would care for her son. As with many CPO stories, Kaci’s plan didn’t exactly come to pass as she had anticipated. The delivery day came. Things changed. In short, Winston and his relatives were unwilling to consent to the adoption. In response to the unforeseen conflict, Kaci ultimately decided to become a parent to her newborn son, Bryson.
Since Crisis Pregnancy Outreach is equipped to support girls in adoption AND parenting, Kaci continued to receive its resources. She continued weekly counseling, one of the most treasured resources available to her, and began to attend the parenting support group where she identified with other girls going through similar journeys as herself. Kaci’s mother took on an extremely supportive role, helping and babysitting (to say the least) as well as caring for Bryson at night while Kaci slept so that she could continue her education. In May of 2010 Kaci graduated from high school with honors… and a 1 year old. kaci2 kaci1 One of the most inspiring and encouraging things about Jesus Christ is His ability to restore. He makes old things new. He lifts the needy from the ashes and seats them among princes… He has them inherit a throne of honor (1 Sam 2:7) It has been 5 years since Kaci brought her son home. She is, undeniably, a story of success and restoration. Her once rocky relationship with Winston has grown away from tension and uncertainty and towards stability and maturity. They have been living on their own for almost 2 years, working steady jobs and allowing Bryson to participate in Asbury’s preschool program. The extended family dynamics that were once conflicting are now at peace. Kaci and Winston consider both sides of their families to be there for them whenever they need help. Kaci’s relationship with Jesus has grown deeper. She is progressively enjoying the experience of placing others above herself, even if it means her grown-up shopping trips bring home bags of Baby Gap instead of new clothes for mommy- something ALL moms can relate to! Her life is not as simple as it might have been if she had not become pregnant at 16 years old, or had her adoption been completed as planned. Fortunately, now she gets to end her days playing “Barbie and Batman” in the bathtub with her son. She has the privilege of learning to care for another human being. No one can be a perfect parent but Kaci and Winston are striving to train Bryson to know and understand right from wrong while teaching him to “trust God and know that He always has a plan.”Kaci made a decision early in her pregnancy that she would encourage every girl in her situation to consider: ‘think about the baby.’ Years later she continues to embrace the same decision, “It’s my goal to give him the best life he could ever have!”
She recommends Crisis Pregnancy Outreach to everyone she knows.

Photo credits: First and last taken by Ashley Ledbetter, second taken by Alexis Newton, third taken by Melinda Hunley.

The CPO Gala: A Night of Huge Importance

Written by Angela McLaughlin

When a woman comes to Crisis Pregnancy Outreach, a tremendous weight can be lifted from her shoulders. She will receive love, understanding, compassion and assistance throughout her entire journey. This assistance comes in many forms. It may be something as simple as clothing to wear during her pregnancy, or something as large as a safe environment to live in during and after choosing to make an adoption plan for her child. Some women need help to keep the lights on at their homes; some women simply need the comfort of a shoulder to cry on. Whatever the needs of the women who come through CPO’s doors are, they will be met. I write from experience, as someone who has been truly touched and changed by the help I received from this organization.

Like many non-profits, CPO holds an annual fundraiser, which allows them to continue their amazing ministry. It’s an inspiring evening, filled with stories from birth mothers, adoptive families and their children, volunteers, and women who are parenting their children. It’s a chance for the many lives that have been transformed by CPO to come together and celebrate this amazing, life affirming organization.

Unlike many other organizations, no one at CPO receives a salary. Volunteers who care deeply about the mission and the families they serve are the driving force behind all the amazing things that CPO accomplishes. And the same goes for the Gala. As Stephanie Johnson (a member of the gala planning committee) told me, “The secret to putting the gala together is volunteers! There is a committee each year that works for months on every little detail. Other volunteers help by picking up donations, working at basket wrap day, setting up the day of the event, working the event and even cleaning up afterward. If it weren’t for our CPO volunteers and the team at Hampton Creative, the Gala would not be possible.”

One of my the most extraordinary and inspiring moments of the Gala each year is the video testimonial. Volunteers work to put together a video, capturing the resilience and strength of the women who have been healed, helped, and loved through their crisis pregnancy. The video is always a show stopper, bringing tears and laughter, and reminding everyone in attendance of the tremendous impact of their help, whether the donation comes in the form of time or money. Stephanie describes it as “the moment we at CPO can share what our ministry is all about and why it is so amazing!”

The response is equally amazing. In 2013, CPO raised $80,000, enough to pay off the Transitional Home, ensuring that women who choose to make adoption plans for their children are able to rest and begin the next chapter of their lives in a safe and loving environment, something some of them have never experienced before. In 2014, CPO raised $100,000, enabling the organization to purchase a van, allowing them to provide reliable transportation to counseling, group meetings, and doctors appointments. This allows the mission of CPO to be delivered in an even more efficient manner, ensuring that no woman has to miss an opportunity for help and healing due to transportation issues.

As a birth mom whose life was changed dramatically by making an adoption plan for my beloved Samuel, I hope to lend my voice to this event for years to come. While the most valuable services provided by CPO are indeed free, it’s difficult to focus on healing when you’re unsure of your living situations, burdened by medical issues, or unable to attend much needed counseling because you don’t have transportation. The CPO Gala is a wonderful and beatific event, with a silent auction, delicious food and fabulous decor. But it’s more than that. It’s a request, a request for the ability to continue to provide birth moms, adoptive families and the children they love with the support that they need and deserve. It’s a party, definitely, but it’s also a vital fundraiser for a cause that truly transforms lives. And what could be more important?

Want to get involved? There are still opportunities to help with this year’s gala. We will have a silent auction prep session (wrapping up the baskets and items) on February 19th from 10-2 at the CPO office. Childcare and lunch are provided.
Help is also needed the day of the gala setting up for the night, working the event and cleaning up. If you would like to help please email stephanie@cpotulsa.org.

Want to attend? All the info you need is included on the invitation below. Here’s the link to purchase tickets: cpotulsa.org/rsvp.