Positive experiences are important! Think about the last restaurant you went to. Was the food worth what you paid for it? Did they have good service? How was their location? If your responses to these questions are all positive, you’re likely to go back or recommend that restaurant to a friend; if it was a negative experience, chances are you’ll go somewhere else next time.
At Life Options, we do our best to ensure that all clients receiving services have a positive experience. Our statistics prove that we do this well! Since 2016, 594 of our clients stated that they heard about us either from a friend/relative, or from a previous visit. That totals 56% of our clients! Our numbers don’t lie. Word of mouth is the number one way that people find out about Life Options, and a positive experience (previous visit) is second.
Some time ago, Jessica* came into Life Options for a pregnancy test. She brought her sister for support. Nurse Ronda* met with Jessica and revealed that her pregnancy test was positive. When asked how she felt, Jessica became tearful at the thought of being pregnant. She shared that she was drinking at a party when she had sex with her partner, and admitted that she regretted her decision Immediately. Unsure of how the father would react, living with her sister and in search of a job, Jessica didn’t have much hope.
Jessica and the father returned for an ultrasound appointment, where they got to see the baby’s heartbeat. Even though the road ahead proved to be difficult, they chose to keep their baby. We gave Jessica 15 Bonus Bucks to be used in our boutique and offered parenting classes, but Jessica didn’t return.
Fast forward 1 ½ years later: two young women walk into Life Options, and one of them asks if she can spend her Bonus Bucks. The receptionist looked up her chart and noticed that she hadn’t been here in quite some time, but kindly agreed to let her shop. The woman who came in was Jessica, along with her sister. Jessica met with Mary*, one of Life Options’ consultants, to shop with her Bonus Bucks.
As she looked through the baby clothes, Jessica shared that she and the father of her baby broke up, although he remained involved in their baby’s life. She also shared that she was living with her sister, and struggling with depression. Mary listened and offered encouragement. At one point, Mary hand-picked some items and matched them up to make outfits, telling Jessica, “You can match so many different shirts with this pair of pants, what do you think?” Jessica’s eyes lit up and she smiled! She was excited about picking out clothes for her baby, and asked if there was any way she could still take parenting classes. This time, she wanted to take them with her sister, who also had children. Both Jessica and her sister made an appointment to return for classes to enhance their parenting skills.
Jessica had a positive experience at Life Options, and knew we were a place of help and hope. I know only God could have brought those 15 Bonus Bucks to her attention… 1 ½ years later! He knew she needed some encouragement. I know without a doubt that if any of Jessica’s friends are ever in a similar situation, she’ll point them to Life Options for help.
Experiences in life matter: we gain from them, learn from them, and help others through them. By supporting Life Options, you create positive experiences for so many people at their time of need. Thank you.
*Names changed for confidentiality.