By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer
ALEXANDRIA, La. (LBM) – More than 1,000 individuals will gather Sept. 17 inside Alexandria’s Randolph Riverfront Center for the sixth annual ‘Gift of Life’ banquet to hear inspirational testimonies of two women who experienced radical redemption through the ministry of pregnancy centers and pro-life advocates.
The largest fundraiser for the CENLA Pregnancy Center’s locations in Alexandria, Marksville and Vidalia will feature keynote speaker and pro-life activist Toni McFadden, who will share how the love of Christ helped her experience redemption from an abortion she underwent as a scared teenager. Additionally, a client of CPC will talk about how the ministry helped save her baby girl through reversal of her chemically induced abortion.
“The theme for this year’s event is ‘You Are Not Alone,’ a message known by our team and the many women who have received services from one of our centers,” CPC Executive Director Kim Lyons told the Baptist Message. “This year’s theme focuses on how we all have experienced a season of wandering in the desert.
“These pregnant women who come to us may feel as though they are in a desert, with no support, with no one by their side,” she continued. “They often feel as though they cannot imagine bringing a baby into this world, and this is where we come in. We are here to help bring them out of the desert.”
The event also will feature the Highs and Lows, Alexandria Senior High School’s a cappella choir, under the direction of Naomi Baker; a preview of the center’s donor website that will launch soon; information on how businesses can receive a tax credit for supporting pregnancy centers in 2025; and much more.
“As we expect to see our 2,000th client in the next few weeks, we will highlight the ways God has used this ministry to help serve moms in need so they can experience healthy pregnancies,” Lyons said.
Since the Alexandria location was launched near to the Baptist Building in 2017, the CPC’s three locations have served more than 1,900 women and completed more than 8,000 client visits, 2,000 pregnancy and 1,500 ultrasounds, a vital service to the decision-making process for many pregnant women.
Visit cenlapc.com and the ministry’s Facebook page, Cenla Pregnancy Center, or call at 318.314.3061.
