For a pregnant woman who has been turned out of her home or who has run away from an abusive relationship, Vida y Familia, Asociación Civil (VIFAC) might be the only place they can turn to for help. VIFAC offers care for new mothers and their dear children throughout the critical events of pregnancy, childbirth, and nursing.
Envision Conference, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
With ASEA hosting its Fall 2016 North American Envision Conference in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, the Advancing Life Foundation sought out a local non-profit to partner with for a Have an Impact, Make a Difference day. Working with local ASEA associates, they found VIFAC.
When ASEA Diamond Executive LoriAnn Garner caught wind of the service opportunity, she immediately connected with it. “I personally loved the project, because, as a mother myself, I could relate to these new moms,” she recalls. “This was so inspiring for me to talk about to others, because we could make a big impact directly with pregnant mothers and get them prepared for the delivery of their babies.”
LoriAnn participated in the Advancing Life Mexico Expedition earlier in the year, working with locals to build water cisterns, indoor stoves, outdoor ovens, and chicken coops in the rural village of La Concepción. With those memories still fresh, she was eager to act. As she shared the cause with members of her ASEA team and her local church congregation, she received tremendous support and donations.
On October 14, 2016, ASEA associates gathered in Guadalajara to add clarity, motivation, and leadership skills to their vision of success. The training took on deeper meaning as they took part in their humble act of service: assembling the donated supplies into new baby kits for more than 25 grateful mothers. The kits contained essentials such as diapers, burp cloths, bottles, shampoo, and many other baby care basics.
“It brought tears to my eyes to think that just a bar of soap could mean life or death for the new babies and save the mother from infections,” says LoriAnn. “We will probably never know the impact these kits made in the lives of the children and moms, but the opportunity to give back to the world by helping a baby get the best start possible is priceless.”