The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for PHA in 2020?
2020 was a year of finding treasure in the trial amidst the bushfires and pandemic. More people were facing a crisis during pregnancy but at the same time, Australia was noticing that it’s the little things done with great love that make all the difference!
I think the biggest breakthrough came from realising that many of our in-house essential services could be provided online. Our network adapted swiftly to offer online counselling and mentoring sessions, online parenting education classes, online support groups and even online baby showers! The biggest blessing is that we’re now able to reach further afield and offer support to vulnerable clients in regional Australia!
Training and networking for volunteers and community members interested in starting a pregnancy centre went online too! We held our first virtual conference with over 260 attendees and 30+ workshops led by experts in the field of crisis pregnancy and reproductive loss. It was amazing to have speakers from the US, Canada and Australia provide a smorgasbord of specialised learning opportunities.
The response from our conference has been huge! More and more people are contacting us wanting to know how they can get involved whether that’s by donating, spreading awareness about our network or starting their own pregnancy help centre (concrete or virtual) to make a difference and pour love upon mamas-to-be regardless of the circumstances.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
Our biggest hope is that every person in Australia impacted by crisis pregnancy and/or reproductive loss has access to a pregnancy help centre. There are many suburbs and regional areas in Australia that don’t have a ‘little hub of love’ available to them and our most vulnerable clients i.e. Aboriginal, teen and migrant women often lack the resources to travel long distances. Our dream is to see a pregnancy help centre established in every neighbourhood throughout Australia and we’re currently producing start-up kits and online training resources to make it easy for those interested in starting an outreach.
Another huge area for development in 2021 is ‘reproductive loss’. There are so many women and men seeking healing after miscarriage, infertility, abortion, adoption, still-born birth and/or infant loss. This is a specialised area and we’re excited to help develop a national healing network specifically focused on bringing trauma and loss counsellors, coaches and support groups together under one directory.
We’re also excited to partner with our newest member Hello Bub in an effort to reach and help more people through the power of story. If you’re reading this and you have a hope-bringing, encouraging story of your own difficult pregnancy journey, we want to hear from you! Your story is a powerful testimony that may help others to see that seemingly impossible can be accomplished!
If you have been affected by this story, support is available through the 24/7 PHA helpline 1300 139 313. To find out more or to get in touch with Lara, visit the PHA website: www.pregnancyhelpaustralia.org.au. You can also follow PHA on Facebook and Instagram – @pregnancyhelpaustralia. To share your story with the PHA network visit the Hello Bub website – www.hellobub.com.au
