Angie Ivey met her husband Joe at the age of 18. The two fell deeply in love and soon eloped. Shortly after they got married, Angie became pregnant. But getting pregnant so soon wasn’t a part of their plan. “We lived two and half hours away from all of our family. So I really didn’t have anyone present to support me. Most of my friends were still single, and those who were having children were much older than me. I didn’t feel I had anyone I could relate to.”

WE WERE YOUNG PARENTS

When baby Nicole was born, Angie stayed home to care for her while Joe worked and attended college. “We were two broke young people who had to grow up fast. As a new mom, I felt extremely lonely.”

Looking back, Angie feels this difficult time served to give her an understanding and empathy for young women who are going through an unexpected pregnancy. “Because of my experience as a young mother, I understand the fear and isolation that young women may be feeling when they experience a pregnancy they were not expecting.”

STARTING OUT AS A VOLUNTEER

Angie first became involved in the pro-life movement in 2004 by working in a life-affirming pregnancy center. When a friend told her about this center, Angie says, “I couldn’t believe such a place existed. I drove straight there, walked in, and said, ‘I’m here!’”

She immediately began volunteering for the New Hope Center in Kentucky on a regular basis. But before long, Angie was also working as an abstinence speaker at local schools. She felt if she could help teens make better choices, then she could put them in a better position to obtain their life goals.

MORE TO DO

However, as Angie continued speaking at schools, she realized that even though she was seeing pregnant girls at her talks, none of them were coming into the pregnancy center. Angie knew there was a need for a center closer to the Alexandria area. So she went to New Hope Center’s executive director and Board of Directors to ask for their permission to start another clinic. They agreed and gave her their approval, but they told her she would have to come up with the funding on her own.

Angie set to work. She began by fostering interest and the help of her church. Then she went out into the community. Before long, she was operating the New Hope Center in Alexandria out of a huge warehouse and food bank. Miracle after miracle then took place. A hospital even donated an ultrasound machine! Angie took on the position of director of client services, and she even led a support group for teen moms of preschoolers.

FOLLOWING GOD’S LEAD

However, as two of their three daughters began starting their own families in Texas, Angie and Joe felt God calling them to move closer to their girls. After they moved to Texas, Angie took a job at a financial firm and started volunteering at a nearby pregnancy center. But she felt God calling her back to the pro-life movement full time. “I had become familiar with Human Coalition’s work and felt God calling me to their work and organization.”

Angie applied for a position in Human Coalition’s Contact Center and was thrilled to get it. “I loved working in the Contact Center and interacting with the clients.” Through her personal experience as a young mother, and her experience working at life-affirming pregnancy centers, God truly equipped Angie with a heart and love for women.

That care has now spilled over into her new position as the director of Human Coalition’s virtual clinic, overseeing this innovative clinic designed to help pregnant women and parents across Texas receive compassionate care and get connected to resources – even if they don’t live close to a pregnancy center.

Angie’s passion has always been to save the preborn from abortion and serve women who are experiencing an unexpected pregnancy. “However, being able to serve in this capacity, while having the opportunity to do something that hasn’t been done before in the pro-life arena before, and see it be so successful is truly amazing!”

To learn more about Human Coalition’s lifesaving work and how you can get involved, click here.

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