Category Archives: You can help us

Celebrate Life Gala

The countdown is on for the 2022 CPO Gala at the historic Mayo Hotel in Downtown Tulsa, Ok. We are excited to celebrate CPO and share how your support has impacted lives. We have some wonderful items in our live and silent auctions, and we are doing the “Best of the Best” raffle again this year! We still have a couple seats left so if you would like to attend, it’s not too late!

CPO Gala 2022

Saturday, October 1, 2022 at The Mayo Hotel 115 West 5th Street Tulsa, OK 74103 Doors Open at 5:30pm

To purchase tickets please visit our event site below.

Crisis Pregnancy Outreach – Crisis Pregnancy Outreach – Gala 2022 (bidpal.net)

 

CPO GALA 2019 RECAP

On Saturday, March 30, nearly 275 guests attended Crisis Pregnancy Outreach’s 15th annual Celebrate Life Gala at Tulsa’s iconic Mayo Hotel. The theme word for this year was Chrysalis, meaning a protecting covering; a sheltered state, or stage of being, or growth.  This theme fits perfectly with CPO’s mission to help women find wholeness in a secure environment.

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The guests at the gala believe strongly in CPO’s mission and are committed to helping better the lives of women and children in crisis.  Guests were provided the opportunity to give in a variety of ways. With over 100 silent auction items, 38 intricately designed desserts for the dessert bar, 13 exciting live auction packages, a Getaway Giveaway raffle, a Best of the Best raffle and a scholarship fund, there was a way for all to donate.  All of this love for CPO and the people it serves, helped raise over $190,000… the largest amount ever raised!

Also available this year was a fun photo booth with props, as well as professional photography, by Lilliana Ross.  Guests also dined on a delicious sit down dinner, while enjoying the evening’s program.  

We hope you’ll join us next year and be a part of this beautiful night. Save the Date for the Celebrate Life Gala, on Saturday, October 1, 2022 at the Mayo Hotel.

Tickets for our 2022 Gala can be purchased by visiting our event page.

Crisis Pregnancy Outreach – Crisis Pregnancy Outreach – Gala 2022 (bidpal.net)

A Christmas in July TBT

It’s great to look back at what Cheryl said and, in this Christmas in July throwback Thursday, Cheryl shared her vision of what is today a reality at CPO back in December of 2010, but the needs are still real. Click here to make a Christmas in July gift to CPO to help us continue to minister to these young women.

Dear Friends,

Please remember CPO in your end-of-year giving!

We are serving so many hurting young women. Our beautiful new offices and meeting area at Christian Chapel have brought in so many new girls. We believe that we will be a certified “Medical Clinic” in 2011 and have an ultrasound machine and volunteer staff of Registered Nurses who will be trained to use this additional way of saving even more babies, as their birth moms see their beating hearts and forming bodies at a very early stage of their development.

We need $10,000 to make all of these plans a reality. Please help us as we impact the lives of these little ones and their mothers for Jesus Christ.

May God bless you richly as you reach out to help these precious young women.

In His Service,
Cheryl J. Bauman

We’re happy to say that today we do have that medical clinic and do numerous ultrasounds each and every year. The need is still very real, and we can always use your help. Please consider a donation to CPO or volunteering with us.

Have Fun for a Great Cause!

CPO’s Super Hero Run

CPO's Super Hero Run

In case we haven’t mentioned it enough, CPO’s Super Hero Run is now only days away!

Check out this post for more information on how you can participate, volunteer, or sponsor!

Register online: superherorun2016.eventbrite.com
Facebook: Super Hero Run Tulsa
Instagram: @superheroruntulsa

Create a team, join someone else’s team, participate individually, or volunteer. And be sure to dress up!! No matter how you get involved at this year’s run: It is sure to be blast!

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.

CPO’s 4th Annual Super Hero Run: All the details you’ll need!

It’s almost time for our Super Hero Run! This is a fantastic way to have a great time while supporting CPO, a very worthy cause!
You can run, cheer, or volunteer! Whatever you choose, be sure to dress up in your best super hero costume!
Our race coordinator, Keli Boatman, has graciously answered some questions about the event. See below for all the details you’ll need to join in the fun.  shr-photo

Q: When is the race?
A: This year’s race is on November 12th. We love doing this event in November because it is recognized as National Adoption Awareness month. Sometimes it gets a little chilly, but it’s such a fun time to be able to get together and celebrate adoption in our own way!

Q: How early should participants arrive?
A: The 5K race starts at 8:30 AM so participants should try and be there about 7:45 or 8 that morning. Runners for the 1K, which starts at 9:30, should shoot for about 9. This should allow time for you to get parked and over with us and maybe even cheer on those finishing up the 5K as you come in!

Q: Is it okay to walk instead of run?
A: Walking is most certainly allowed! We just want to see all your super faces out with us. All we ask is that when we line up for the race that you hang to the back of the group. This allows the runners that are seeking a serious time to move to the front and set the new personal best at the Superhero Run! Similarly, we do allow strollers, but please single width only, and we ask you to also stick to the back at the starting line to allow those runners to pass.

Q: What kind of volunteers are needed?
A: Our volunteers are definitely the staple that holds this run together. We could never have had such a successful race the last few years without them. One of the biggest and most important volunteer needs that we have this year is running/walking! We have such a great turn out for volunteers that what we really need is people that will gear up to walk or run to celebrate our Superheroes. The second biggest need that we have this year is Sponsorship! We have so many different levels that fit any budget, corporate or individual. It would be phenomenal if we had some volunteers that would get out and get the Superhero run into the minds of business owners or individuals that have a heart for this organization and would be willing to donate to help us keep this run going. We are so blessed to have Serena Lowe joining this years’ team as our volunteer coordinator. I know she will do an incredible job working with our volunteers and making sure they’re in a spot that keeps everything moving smoothly.  If you would like to volunteer, email Serena at serenalowecpo@gmail.com. For sponsorship information email Keli at kboatman38@yahoo.com.

Q: What will the t-shirt design look like this year?
A: We are very excited that the long sleeve runner shirt will be back! Our Superhero Run logo will still be on the front and all of our wonderful sponsors will once again be loud and proud on the back!

Q: How can readers help get the word out?
A: Yes! Please help us spread the word. The way the website is laid out makes it so easy for you to create your team. Be it a company, church, or family… make a team and recruit like crazy! We have prizes for the biggest! We also have flyers that you can pick up and distribute in your office, church, gym, etc. We are also very active on our Facebook page which you can find by searching Super Hero Run and for some added fun you can follow us on Instagram this year. You can find us there @superheroruntulsa. I will be updating that page with progress sneak peeks to let you in on all of the fun so go find both of those pages and share, share, share! In the last few years, surveys reported that our biggest source of advertising was word of mouth. You are our biggest asset! Contact Keli at kboatman38@yahoo.com to get flyers for distribution.

Q: Where do we register and what is the deadline?
A: Registration is open at http://superherorun2016.eventbrite.com. From there you can register as an individual or as a team and get all ready to go! Be sure you get registered ASAP to get your t-shirt ordered. There is no deadline, we will be accepting registrations right up to race day, but prices increase by $5 on November the 2nd and the only way you’re guaranteed a shirt is if you’re registered by November 5th.

Q: Are there prizes?
A: We will have our wonderful runner medals again this year as well as prizes again for the best costumes and the biggest teams. We have so much fun with those fantastic masks, tutus, and of course the occasional cape! We will also be doing giveaways and prizes on our Facebook and Instagram pages leading up to the event so be sure to go “like” the Super Hero Run Facebook page right now or find us on Instagram here!

Q: Is there anything else you want us to know about the run?
A: I just want to thank you all for such an incredible race last year. I have the opportunity to plan this event with a great committee that is working very hard for you all. I’d like to thank Serena Lowe again for coordinating some incredible volunteers. I’m thrilled to announce that Becky Martin is back with us this year and I cannot say thank you enough for all of her help recruiting both sponsors and runners. Also a huge shout out to my wonderful momma, Angie Boatman, for hanging with us again as the very best Registration Coordinator I could imagine. I’m truly blessed to work with such an amazing committee. Please join us on race day to show your love, support, and encouragement to the incredible birth mothers that CPO has touched!

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Volunteers Matter: Brooks Parker

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 dedicated volunteer, Brooks Parker.

Q: How do you volunteer with CPO?
A: I work in the office occasionally, gather and organize baby/maternity donations so they are easily accessible at the CPO storage unit. I helped with donations for the gala in April and I will soon be writing some blog posts.:)

Q: How long have you been volunteering with us?
A: I began volunteering the end of November, 2015.

Q: How did you find out about CPO?
A: I heard about CPO from various people over the past several years.  When my niece was pregnant a friend recommended she utilize CPO’s services since she was young with an unplanned pregnancy.  CPO was helpful for her at that time in her life.  There are also several CPO adoptive families at my kids’ school and I have several friend/acquaintances at CPO that are heavily involved in volunteering at the organization.  I have always heard wonderful comments.

Q: Why did you choose to volunteer with CPO vs. other organizations? What is it about crisis pregnancies that drew you to us?
A: Well, I wouldn’t say “versus”.;)  I still volunteer a lot at my kids’ school and I also assist with computer work and am on the finance team at my church.  I have wanted to get involved with CPO for some time but the main motivator at this time is because we are now a waiting adoptive family.  I love that CPO requires volunteer hours to complete an adoption.  For someone like me that may be reserved to jump into a situation I am not familiar with, it has pushed me to put myself out there and learn the ropes of CPO.

Q: Why is our cause so close to your heart?
A: CPO cares for many facets of ladies in crisis and I love that.  Again, it is the love in action.  It’s not only showing the girls alternatives to abortion but helping them walk it out..for life.  Help doesn’t end at a free pregnancy test or delivering a baby or placing a baby for adoption.  The CPO girls are offered counseling and support for life and that is huge.  I am excited to be able to participate in a ministry that doesn’t just focus on one small area of an unplanned pregnancy but that it offers an all encompassing level of support for women.

Q: What have you learned about yourself since volunteering?
A: I have solidified my introvert status by realizing I really don’t like to talk on the phone. Haha!

Q: How have you seen God’s hand at work in the ministry of CPO?
A: I am very new to being directly involved with the CPO ministry, but what I have always seen through friends that have been involved and what I see now that I am there is: true love and care for the girls that come to CPO for help.  I see love in action and that is what God calls us to do.

Q: What would you say to anyone considering becoming involved in CPO?
A: Do it. The likelihood of CPO being able to put your God-given gifts and talents to use is pretty high.

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Volunteers Matter: Kate Wicar

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 dedicated volunteer (even from a different state!), Kate Wicar.

Q: How do you volunteer with CPO?
A: I have volunteered in several ways over the years, but I currently serve on the leadership team, mentoring out-of-state adoptive families who are waiting to adopt. I am also going to start coordination the Waiting Families Workshop. The Waiting Families Workshop is a time for prospective adoptive couples to come to Tulsa for a three day intensive, to learn about the heat and ministry of CPO, as well as the beauty of open adoption. The Waiting Families Workshop was an absolutely life-changing weekend for me and my husband, so I am excited to help facilitate that same beautiful experiences for other couples who are new to CPO.

Q: How long have you been volunteering with us?
A: I have been volunteering with CPO since the beginning of 2009. Actually, one of my favorite parts of our season of living in Tulsa was being part of CPO. I absolutely loved it. When we moved back to Colorado in Fall of 2011, I assumed that I wouldn’t be able to volunteer with CPO anymore. Thankfully, Cheryl thought to ask me if I would be willing to mentor out-of-state families who are waiting to adopt. I was thrilled to get to stay plugged into CPO, and truly love getting to encourage adoptive families.

Q: How did you find out about CPO?
A: A lady in the nursing mothers room at our church told me that she answered phones for CPO and told me a little about the ministry. I had wanted to get involved with a pro-life ministry for a while, so I was really excited to see how I could volunteer. Some close friends of ours were starting the process of adopting through CPO around that same time too, and they told us that CPO really needed Native American families. Really?! Since I am Cherokee, this was very intriguing. We started praying about adopting through CPO, just as our biological son was turning 1. We both felt strongly that the answer was “yes” and “now”, which didn’t seem entirely logical since our little guy wasn’t even walking yet, but we were so excited and turned in our application a few weeks later. And we’ve been on an adoption adventure pretty much ever since!

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 love how pure the ministry is at CPO, and how it is all about loving the birth moms. An adoption agency where no one receives a salary–just incredible! I also love that CPO serves both women who are parenting and women who are making adoption plans.

Q: Why is our cause so close to your heart?
A: I started out volunteering simply because I wanted to help with a pro-life effort. I had deep convictions about protecting life in the womb and being a voice for the voiceless since I was a young girl. But now, the cause is even closer to my heart because I am the mother of four boys, three of which were adopted through CPO. Since we live in Colorado, people sometimes ask why we don’t adopt a baby locally. We tell them that after working with CPO, other adoption agencies kind of pale in comparison. We have such peace adopting through CPO, because our sons’ birth mothers have access to free counseling for the rest of their lives, a weekly support group, a doula for their births, a wonderful community, and so much more. There simply isn’t a place like CPO where we live, and that is why we wait a little longer and travel a little farther to adopt our babies.

Q: What have you learned about yourself since volunteering?
A: I’ve learned that God can use me even with my quirky personality and inadequacies. I still get a little nervous each time I speak to a group, or interview a prospective family, but God is faithful. Once I push through a bit of fear, I’m always so glad I did. I’ve learned that it is okay to just be me, and that I don’t have to be perfect or have it all together for God to use me.

Q: How have you seen God’s hand at work in the ministry of CPO?
A: Oh, where do I start? God is awesome and being involved with CPO is like being on the front row of a really good movie. There are twists and turns, and ups and downs, but in the end God is good! I am always impressed at God’s attention to detail and encourage the families that I mentor to keep a journal while they are waiting. It is pretty amazing to see some of the timing that occurs, and to see what God was doing behind the scenes all along. His goodness is consistently weaved throughout the fabric of this ministry.

Q: What would you say to anyone considering becoming involved in CPO?
A: I would say with my whole heart: do it! Many hands make light work, and it is so fulfilling to be part of what God is doing at CPO. Even volunteering in the office for just two hours a month is a huge help. Also, don’t be afraid to involve your children or to drive to an unfamiliar part of town. Being part of CPO is being part of a family, and we are all there because we love Jesus and want to cheer women on who are choosing life. So if you are thinking about volunteering, I would encourage you to go ahead and jump in. You will be blessed and God will use you in mighty ways. And when you are volunteering, it might not always feel super significant, but with many volunteers working together in small ways, the overall results are pretty remarkable!

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Retro CPO: Meet Paige Tooman

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 Paige Tooman, one of Cheryl’s assistants at the time. It was written in fall of 2009, and is her personal testimony. 

I am so honored to be part of such an incredible ministry! I love serving alongside Godly women who have been doing this for so many years and I continue to learn more and more each day! Being an Assistant Director never crossed my mind as we began our journey with CPO.

My husband Brent and I were baptized together in 2002, and we were on the amazing road of Christianity together. We had just found out that we were pregnant, after one round of Clomid, a fertility drug. We were so thankful that God had blessed us and couldn’t wait for our newest family member. Our 34 week check up went great, but then I began to get very sick. I tried to play it off as part of being pregnant, but after a week of sleepless nights, I called the doctor. I was admitted to the hospital and they determined that my liver had shut down and my kidneys were next. This was part of the HELLP Syndrome, something I had developed during pregnancy. Needless to say, we were rushed to the OR for an emergency C-section and Hank was born! He was a strong baby and he and I were both in the hospital for about 10 days. After arriving home, I basically was on “lock down”, as I didn’t want my preemie to get any kinds of sickness at all! He is now a strong, healthy six year old, no one would ever even know about his early arrival if I didn’t tell them.

We decided we wanted to add to our family, but we were told that I could get HELLP again. We had heard about CPO through several different friends and we decided to give Cheryl a call.That is when it all starts happening. We received a call several months into the process about a baby that was being born in three hours. THREE HOURS?? This was out baby, Barrett, or as we call him, Bear. His birth parents rode to the hospital on a motorcycle, in the rain, so we knew they were a spirited pair! We started to get to know them in the hospital and then we lost touch with them after the hospital stay. We were so sad about not having the open adoption that we had thought about so often. We wanted to minister to a girl and help her find God and get her life on His path. Fortunately, God had His plan in place and Bear now has a baby brother that was adopted by the Hiseys and we have an incredible Christian family to share our lives with!

After all of the love and time that Cheryl and Kelly showed us, I decided that I wanted to give back to CPO and I got involved with the fundraising banquet. I loved sharing CPO’s vision with others and trying to get funds for our “all-volunteer” agency! When I became an Assistant, I knew that this was my calling. I am the type of person that needs to be involved. I also knew that if I was going to be volunteering and away from my kids at times, this would be perfect because when I am volunteering for CPO, I am multiplying His kingdom. I can truly see God each day as I look into the faces of the birth mothers, the babies, and the families. My you all find your place in CPO, as I did. It is truly a blessing!

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