Rena’s Story

Rena's Story

I remember well the night I decided to tell my mom my big secret. We had an hour car ride ahead of us and I was determined to finally spill the hurt that had been tearing my heart apart for five years. I spent the whole hour re-positioning (and sweating profusely) trying to form the words on my mouth.

I HAD AN ABORTION

I got pregnant. It was not planned. I was afraid and I believed the lie that abortion was a quick fix and would be the answer to all my problems. I would be able to go on living my life, but I was deceived. My life quickly began to spiral. I was depressed and self-destructive and filled with shame. I continued to believe the lies: “You don’t have a right to be sad. You chose this. You are alone. People would reject you if they knew what you did. You are unworthy of God’s forgiveness.”

I waited until we were in the driveway and I still couldn’t form the words. In God’s mercy, my mom just knew and she comforted me and told me that she loved me. A few days later, she referred me to a Bible study that she knew for women who had experienced the trauma of abortion. I felt like I had been drowning for so long and this was my precious gulp of fresh air.

Surrendering the Secret shattered the lies that had imprisoned my heart for so long. I was not alone. I found a group of women who understood what I was going through, who had no place of judgment or condemnation. I found a place where I could share my story. I was granted the space to be sad, where I could grieve my tremendous loss. Most importantly, I met with God through His Word and like a tender parent, He comforted me and told me that He loved me, unabashedly loved me.

Since then, I married a godly man and have since had beautiful babies. I have shared my story with women in my church about complete freedom in Christ. I have had the opportunity to lead this incredible study at Care Net with the gift of meeting other women whose lives are transformed by this study. I have shared my story with strangers who are hurting…the same story that couldn’t even form on my lips now flows shamelessly because of this recovery group.

For my fellow sisters who have experienced abortion, I know your heartache. I urge you: be a part of this Bible study. Let God’s light flood into those dark hidden places. “His light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” Believe the truth: You are loved. You are forgiven. You are not alone.

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2023 Year-End Letter from Our Executive Director

Together, we can continue to be that place of miracles and transformation for countless women and families in need. When you make a year-end gift to Care Net Peninsula, you are providing the help and hope that women need to choose life for their baby.

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Critical Year-End Ministry Update

Tragically, 15 children in Virginia died from Covid-19. But since March 2020, 300 times that number of babies died from abortion . . . on the Peninsula. That’s over 4,000 preborn lives taken from our community in less than 3 years. But it would have been more.

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Press Release

Press Release

Care Net Peninsula Names Ryan Holloway Executive Director

Newport News, Virginia, Release: April 15, 2019. For Immediate Release.

Care Net Peninsula, a community-funded medical clinic helping underserved women navigate pregnancy decisions and challenges, announced today that the Board of Directors has appointed Ryan Holloway (MBA) as its new Executive Director.

With his successful experience in the field of marketing and donor development, Mr. Holloway has served with International Cooperating Ministries (ICM) in Hampton since 2015, most recently as its Director of Marketing and Communication.

Dr. Kathy O’Connell MD, Vice-President of Care Net Peninsula’s Board of Directors has been quoted as saying, “Ryan is a proven senior executive with a strong track record for achieving results. He has done an outstanding job transforming ICM’s brand using industry-leading, customer-centric strategies. We are delighted that Ryan joins our team to continue the momentum of excellence and transformational change we have already gained for our surrounding communities.”

Prior to his leadership role at ICM, Mr. Holloway formerly served as Director of Development for the American Heart Association, where he raised over $1,000,000 locally for the fight against heart disease and stroke. After being recognized as 2012 Rookie of the Year in the Mid-Atlantic Affiliate, Mr. Holloway led five new fundraising events in Hampton Roads to Top 10 national benchmarks for American Heart Association. He recruited and managed C-suite executives to multiple successful chairmanship campaigns. From 2008 to 2012, Mr. Holloway worked in the Dominican Republic with Students International, where he founded a microcredit lending program in impoverished rural communities. He raised funding for start-up capital and operational expenses. His business plan was used to replicate the successful program in other countries. Born and raised on the Virginia Peninsula, Mr. Holloway graduated from James Madison University with a B.A. in Economics and Political Science and holds an MBA from Regent University.

About Care Net Peninsula:

Care Net Peninsula is a non-profit on a mission to provide practical help and hope in Jesus to women facing pregnancy decisions on the Peninsula. A 501(c)3 charitable organization, Care Net Peninsula operates an entirely community-funded pregnancy medical clinic which provides no-charge services such as pregnancy tests, pregnancy confirmation by ultrasound, community referrals, parenting enrichment, and material assistance. Established since 1986, the clinic served nearly 600 women and was voted The City of Newport News Human Rights Commission’s Non-Profit of the Year in 2018. To learn more about Care Net Peninsula please visit cnpeninsula.org.

Contact info: Name: Anne Sych

Organization: Care Net Peninsula

Company URL: www.cnpeninsula.org

Address: 11747 Jefferson Ave, Suite 2D, Newport News VA 23606

Phone: 757-591-0303

PDF Version: Download

Get to Know Rachel!

Over the years, God has been very gracious to our team by bringing the right people to the mission at just the right time, and we’re excited for you to meet our newest team member, Rachel González.

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A Message from our Outgoing Executive Director

A Message From Our Outgoing Executive Director

Anyone walking with Jesus for a bit discovers that He is happy to interrupt your plans! God did so to me six years ago after I reluctantly drove to a Peninsula coffee shop to meet with Care Net Board Directors about possibly leading their pregnancy centers. The rest is history. My tenure for a fifth of this ministry’s legacy is a great privilege of my life.

Now God has newly interrupted my plans. Once again, I find myself in a coffee shop, this time across from a vibrant leader who is impressive in his qualifications, confidence of purpose, sense of humor, and humble spirit.

What God has done with your prayers and support in the years between is remarkable. The demand for our services by women in unexpected pregnancies has burgeoned; thousands of families have been touched. These women are effusive in their gratitude and give highest ratings for our safe place that didn’t judge them as they processed options. As we pursued excellence and growth and built a network of referral partners, our cities started taking notice. We stand on a threshold, in a culture of abortion, as a community-funded gem of a resource that changes lives and is needed more than ever. We are entering a new era.

So it surprised me a little when God whispered it was time to step aside. With grace upon grace, the Lord helped me fight for the unborn and their parents while fighting in my husband’s battle with cancer. I fought for those we serve while I fought to regain my footing as a widow without her faithful mate. The Holy Spirit is now clear that I am invited into a season of rest and restoration. I will seek God’s face in prayer until He reveals my next assignment.

What a joy you all are! I will be right beside you as we stand behind Ryan and his team and watch God pour out His life to the fullest through this noble work!

Get to Know Rachel!

Over the years, God has been very gracious to our team by bringing the right people to the mission at just the right time, and we’re excited for you to meet our newest team member, Rachel González.

Read More »

Meet Our New Executive Director

Meet Our New Executive Director

After leading Care Net Peninsula for nearly six years, Kimberly Logsdon is stepping down this Spring. The Board of Directors performed much ‘due diligence’ in evaluating candidates and is delighted that Ryan Holloway answered God’s call to serve in this role. Ryan is the first male Executive Director in the ministry’s 33-year history.

Born and raised on the Peninsula, Ryan brings an MBA from Regent University, service on the mission field, and successful executive experience at multiple non-profits. Kimberly recently interviewed him over coffee.

Tell us about yourself. I have been married to Caroline for 11 years. We met at James Madison University. We have four children, James (8), Penny (5), Claire (2), and are currently expecting a baby. We are very involved at Coastal Community Church. It’s a big part of our life.

You’ve been an exec at a national health charity and a global ministry, but you started vocational life in the Dominican Republic. What did you do there? My wife and I served as full-time missionaries for Students International, which creates ministry sites to help local impoverished communities in a variety of ways. Then students from across the U.S. can come alongside on shorter missions, working beside the staff. I started a microfinance site and my wife led the social work ministry. I helped small entrepreneurs in the community (mostly women) start businesses out of their impoverished and broken homes.

How did that experience prepare you for this mission field? I arrived with this Word document business plan to start the ministry and was walking down a street with the document in my hand, this plan, and thinking in shock “How am I ever going to get this to work in the real world?!” But I had a good leader and good ‘river banks’ of encouragement to make it happen. I had to learn many different things, from Spanish to accounting to fill in the blank. I learned how to figure things out as I go and how to implement good ideas in positive ways. Those lessons have dramatically impacted the way I lead, my understanding of how nonprofits work, my ability to fundraise, all those things.

More significantly, it was a window into the lives of moms working hard to survive amid severely challenging difficulties.

Ryan starts at Care Net Peninsula on April 15, 2019

Get to Know Rachel!

Over the years, God has been very gracious to our team by bringing the right people to the mission at just the right time, and we’re excited for you to meet our newest team member, Rachel González.

Read More »