Did you know you are a Builder? Welcome to the Builder Update!
Last year, Building Generations blessed more than 150 women and their families in the Mid-Del and Eastern Oklahoma County area!!! We are so excited for the work God has been doing to build families in our community through Building Generations Pregnancy & Family Services. Read below for a more comprehensive update from the last year of Building Generations. Please read the information below for updates as well as prayer points for our programs and families. Are you ready to become a monthly Builder? Click here to create a reoccurring tax deductible gift!
Maternity & Newborn Closet
Building Generations was given a new opportunity to open a Maternity & Newborn Closet with a new partner, Mission Mid-Del/Masters Market at their Grocery, Clothing, and Household Pantry. Masters Market has served 80 families each Tuesday and Friday for over 30 YEARS! How amazing is that! Their faithfulness was a testament to us that they knew who needed our services most. We approached this early this summer to partner and they graciously allowed us to use part of their space and serve every pregnant woman and mother with children ages 0-3 years with BG's services. This not only allows for a more comprehensive care of these moms, but also gives us direct access to those who already know about Master's Market. The best part? We get to sit down one-on-one with these mommas, hear their stories, heart, and get to pray with them by request! We have seen many women be encouraged, strengthened, and provided for with the Father's heart because of this new and significant partnership.
Prayer Points- Pray that the moms that come through our doors are touched by the presence of God for healing, breakthrough, and security. Please pray for our volunteers and intake counselors as they meet and pray with each mom while providing services. Pray that the gospel will be received, as well as families become more stabilized in heart and home.
Maternity Transports
In June of this year, we were fortunate to purchase a van for our maternity transportation program, Every Baby through a grant through Taste of Midwest City! We will use this in-house vehicle with our expectant mommas to take them to and from their prenatal and postpartum appointments. This was such a huge milestone in our organization. Eastern Oklahoma County has NO OBGYNS! The closest labor and delivery center is also either downtown or in Shawnee. They may not seem very far unless you are a mother without consistent transportation. Moms in our area who do not have this transportation must rely on Uber/Lyft rides and unreliable rides through the state medicaid program. Many times, they will skip their prenatal appointments in order to use their previous resources for things like food. Before we got this van, we were using volunteers and their vehicles as well as providing Uber/Lyft gift cards for rides. One of our moms after giving birth had a child in NICU downtown Oklahoma City. There were days where she had to choose between lunch or seeing her baby in the hospital- until we stepped in. We were able to provide her rides so she didn't have to choose, bettering the health of her baby as well as her own mental health as a mom who had just given birth until baby was released. We have also been able to help moms go to resource centers like in person appointments for SNAP (foodstamps). We are currently in need of $300 for a repair that will help boost the efficiency of our vehicle. THIS WILL FAST FORWARD our ability to help more moms. You can give here if you feel led to this immediate need.
Prayer Points: Please pray for financial provision, as well as more volunteers for this program. We have also applied and been approved to gain an Americorp worker to help us launch this program but it is an added expense, though very affordable compared to hiring someone for part-time traditional pay. Please pray for opportunities to speak into the lives of every young woman on the way to and from their appointment and safety of our worker and the moms as they travel on OKC streets.
Community Groups & Events
Alongside our community partner, Midwest City Moms, we have been able to serve over 150 moms in our community with once a month community groups (Mom Crew) and our annual event with Midwest City Moms, Chosen Moms. At the monthly groups, we host a different themed activity that includes childcare and refreshments/brunch foods that educate, encourage, and strengthen moms in their motherhood, faith, and interpersonal relationships. Some activities included mom speed dating, a local therapist who shared boundary strategies with family members during a high stress time of the holiday season, a swap meet, and a life skills education event called Mom University. At these events, we get to build new relationships with new moms, be vulnerable, and as well as have child free time. Why have our basic needs met as moms without a community to share and thrive with? This program is one of the ways we are set apart as an organization.
Prayer Points: Please pray that each and every meeting is filled with the glory and presence of God. That the moms will walk in and their burdens will become lighter and they find peace and truth in Jesus. Please pray for wisdom for me (Malana) and my team as we choose each theme and that the right moms come through the door who are in need of this group. Please pray for the children we get to share Jesus with and our childcare workers to show the love and goodness of the Lord.
Community Pantry
Our most frequent program is our local community pantry, also known as a Blessing Box built by a generous donor Builder. This is currently in Midwest City and is literally used every day!! We are very fortunate that the local community mainly supports and supplies the food in the pantry. We get 3-5 donations a week from strangers who want no credit for their giving (we've tried! haha) and many families both young and elderly who visit this. It has been a blessing for us to see the community come together. Our organization monitors the supplies, has a reserve set up to fill the pantry when supplies are low, and promotes awareness of its location. We have had approximately over 300 visits since it opened in October 2023.
Prayer Points: Please pray that each family that uses our pantry experiences the love of God and experiences God's miraculous provision and continue to grow in their faith. Please pray that each anonymous donor will be blessed for their giving of the heart!
OK Choosing Childbirth Reimbursement State Program Funding Update- Why your Giving is More Important Than Ever!
Last year, we were made aware of state funding for organizations like ours set aside by Oklahoma legislation to further incentivize moms who choose life for their children so we can love mom and baby too. As a faith-based entity, we have special access to this fund and recently found out more updates on how to qualify. As per last week, we learned that this will be a reimbursement program where all of our current expenses related to our work with pregnant mothers and mothers with children 0-3 years can be submitted for reimbursement! This is an organization changing opportunity that we are doing everything we can to attain. This will increase our capacity to use the funds given and practically match every dollar donated to BG. This is especially timely as we get Every Baby, our maternity transportation program, off of the ground. This is where MONTHLY BUILDER DONORS will be integral as we become connected to this life changing program.
Please pray and ask the Lord what your partnership and relationship is to be in this season of Building Generations. We trust the Lord that either through your donation or another means- we will be able to fulfill our mission to do something for every baby born in Midwest City and EOC but we would love to run with you in this!
THANK YOU for partnering with the Lord with your giving to help make this possible. It means so much to us. Thank you for being a blessing!
Let's Build Generations Together!
-The Building Generations Team
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