My name is Carlie Scheff. I am a volunteer and advocate at The Advocacy Pregnancy and Parenting Center. In the early part of my adult life my focus was primarily on the world of art, creativity, and event planning. I plunged into the hospitality industry head first after graduating college, enjoying the excitement, beauty, and intricacy of the event world. Planning events was both challenging and exciting. Each one complex and nuanced. However, at some point during this era God took hold of my heart and changed my life. My heart song changed from "what do I want?" to "what does God want?", and this shift in perspective led me down many unexpected paths. It led to helping with bible studies, volunteering in church administration, visiting trafficking victims in shelters, fostering babies, serving our country as a military spouse, loving my family with all of my might, and, now, serving the beautiful women and families in our community through pregnancy center work. God works in unexpected and delightful ways. His plans are often a mystery to us, but they are so so good. 

What do I love about The Advocacy Pregnancy and Parenting Center? The Center provides tangible displays of God's love. We do this through biblically-based educational classes, material assistance, and emotional support for women and families in challenging circumstances. We come along side women, help them through some deeply complicated decisions, and empower them to thrive throughout motherhood. Providing education and support during pregnancy and the early years of motherhood helps create stronger moms, more unified families, and can ultimately impact generations for the better. Life is changed through one decision at a time, for better or for worse. The center helps women take one positive step at a time on the road of life, which will ultimately produce a healthy life and healthy future generations. 

I often think in terms of the bottom line. What's the bottom line? What's the point? What's the crux of the issue? There are organizations and ministries that aim to heal communities at the deepest level. The Advocacy Center is one of them. It's not a quick fix or a bandaid organization. It's aim is to deeply impact and heal other human beings at the root, with the ultimate goal of healing entire families and communities at large. What a privilege it is to support and serve in an organization that plays such a pivotal role in the long-term health of a community!