We want you to know you are not alone.

Join us for an 8-week abortion recovery support group beginning Thursday, Sept. 16 from 6-8 p.m. at Blue Ridge Women’s Center.

Your story is not over.

Call 540-362-4357 to register and to find healing and hope.

Weekly tasks include cleaning client areas, staff offices, conference room, classroom and more:

• dusting
• vacuuming
• mopping
• cleaning windows/blinds
• sanitizing surfaces and door handles
• seasonal cleaning projects

This volunteer position is unique because it’s almost completely flexible – come on a regular basis and clean on your own schedule (when we’re open). Checklists will be provided at BRWC to show what is available to clean on a given day/week, so you can easily jump right in.

Individuals interested in volunteering on the cleaning team should be able to carry out responsibilities with little direct supervision, and be in accordance with our Statement of Faith and Commitment of Care.

Would you like to be a part of the Cleaning Team? We’d love to have you! Just fill out the volunteer application here.

Qualifications:
A volunteer PA/NP should:

• Hold an appropriate Master’s Degree and be good standing with the Medical Board of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
• Exhibit skill in interpersonal communications.
• Be able to work flexible work schedule including some evenings.
• Carry out responsibilities with little direct supervision.
• Be in accordance with our Statement of Faith and Commitment of Care

Major Responsibilities

Medical Care

• Provide medical care: assess patient needs and make judgments which reflect safe practices.
• Maintain accurate records, care-plans and follow-through on physician’s orders.
• Implement physician’s orders and advise physicians of patient’s progress and changes in condition.
• Assist physician with exams and treatments as needed.
• Provide education for patient and family to develop an understanding of their health condition.
• Patient follow-up per patient care-plan and standardized procedures.
• Perform pregnancy tests.
• Perform ultrasounds (if adequately trained)
• Perform STD testing.
• Perform tasks as requested by the Nurse Manager.

To apply for the volunteer PA/NP position, please complete our volunteer application here.

It helps you and it helps the Blue Ridge Women’s Center

• HOW IT HELPS YOU: It can lower your taxable income and count towards your Required Minimum Distribution.
• HOW IT HELPS BRWC: We can put your gift to use right away in providing important funding to the Blue Ridge Women’s Center.

It is that time of year when many of us must take a Required Minimum Distribution from an IRA.  Normally, Required Minimum Distributions (RMD’s), are considered regular income and must be reported as such when you file your income tax return.  However, you can make a distribution directly from your IRA to any charity, including the Blue Ridge Women’s Center, without incurring taxes on the withdrawal.  Therefore, you can make a charitable contribution to BRWC and potentially reduce your taxable income with a Qualified Charitable Distribution from your IRA.

In order to qualify:

• You must be 70 ½ or older at the time you make the distribution.
• The distribution must be made from a traditional IRA directly to the charity.
• The gift must be outright with no material benefits received and cannot be used to fund gift annuities.

Your Qualified Charitable Distribution:

• Can total up to $100,000 per year
• Can be used to satisfy your Required Minimum Distribution
• May be excluded from gross income for Federal income tax purposes

For more information, contact your financial advisor or bank, and ask about a Qualified Charitable distribution from your IRA.

This blog post is written by our guest, Cassandra Laymon, President of Beacon Wealth

If you designate BRWC as your charity of choice, every time you shop Kroger donates a percentage of your purchase to us. Supporting BRWC is that easy – and it doesn’t cost you anything extra!

Here’s how you can do it:

1. Go to KrogerCommunityRewards.com
2. Below the I’m a Customer section, click View Details
3. Sign in or create an account
4. Search for VG701 or Blue Ridge Women’s Center
5. Click Enroll

You’re done! Thank you for partnering with our ministry!

You can’t control everything. Sometimes you just need to relax and have faith that things will work out. Let go and let life happen.

Earlier this week we learned that Wiley Drive will be closed during our time at Smith Park. Parking will be tight, our walk direction needed to be changed due to the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, and we missed applying for a needed permit.

Whew – thanks for letting me vent. Now I am letting go and letting life, the walk, happen. I am concentrating on enjoying time with all of YOU.

Grace changes everything.

YOU have made this our largest walk (over 270 registered) and highest fundraising walk (over $30,000 and this does not include the challenge money of $20,000). THANK YOU!!!! 

Things you NEED to know about the Walk

1. Where is Smith Park? Near downtown Roanoke along the Roanoke River. The official address for the park is 1618 Wiley Dr.
2. Where are we walking? We will walk from Smith Park along the greenway to the other end of Wasena Park and then turn around. The walk is 2 miles and for Roanoke fairly flat.
3. What time is registration? Registration starts at 9:00 a.m. and runs through 10:00 a.m. Every one must check in. There will be three lines – 
   1. Walkers who have registered online and have NO $ to turn in
   2. Walkers who registered online but do have $ to turn in
   3. Walkers who have not registered online

1. What time is the walk? The walk will begin at 10:00 a.m. Due to the abundant blessing of walkers we will have rolling walk starts – most likely 9:20 and 9:40 as well as 10:00.
2. Where can I get my shirt? Shirts are actually at the Center now for pick up. We will bring them to the walk for those who cannot stop by. We will also have any extras for sale at the walk for $10.00
3. What if it rains, are we still walking? Yes
4. The BIG question – where should I park? Please carpool if you can. There are tons of events happening along the Greenway this Saturday. Wiley Drive is closed. WE do have options –
   1. We do have permission to park at the Ramada Inn (1927 Franklin Rd). We will have someone there directing you where to park. The lot is fairly large.
   2. There is parking behind the Green Goat. This is a gravel road right before the railroad tracks heading towards Wiley Dr.
   3. There is parking along the greenway near the Green Goat.

If you have any questions, please call me. 540-362-3007×220

One more item to know – The greenway will be used by others as well as us. PLEASE only walk in pairs. There will be joggers, bikers, other walkers and we want to be courteous walkers. THANK YOU!!

It will be a fun morning – see you Saturday!!

Terrie B

Development Events Manager

P.S. Tomorrow is the day. The weather is looking better and better. The rain chance for the morning is low with partly cloudy skies – perfect weather for a walk. WE are in unchartered territory – we have over 300 registered walkers. This really is exciting. Thank you again!!! 

We are excited you’re on board and ready to rally your friends and family to support women and babies in our community!

You can ask friends, family, co-workers and others to sponsor you by sharing your fundraising page (contact terrieb@blueridgewoman.org for more info), or by printing the below brochure.

Printable brochure —> click here.

Not registered for the walk yet? Sign up here!

When a woman walks through the doors of Blue Ridge Women’s Center, she’s often feeling scared, alone, and unsure of what to do. We meet her with love, hope, and support. No matter what choice she makes, it will change her life forever. While we recognize it’s a woman’s legal right to choose, we want her to know the truth about all her options before making her choice.

Client advocates provide support, resources, answer questions and provide information about each of the choices for her pregnancy – adoption, parenting & abortion. No matter what choice she makes, Blue Ridge Women’s Center will also be there for her.

A client advocate at the Blue Ridge Women’s Center:

• Has a growing relationship with Jesus Christ
• Believes in the value of each human life
• Cares deeply about women
• Knows her own strengths and weaknesses
• Listens with empathy and understanding
• Genuinely connects across cultural differences

To become a client advocate:          

• Meet with our Director of Client Services to see if this is a good fit for you & BRWC
• Complete the client advocate education training course taught by BRWC staff
• Commit to at least one 3.5-hour shift at BRWC each week
• Develop your counseling abilities during a period of internship
• Begin advocate and counseling clients!

The chaperone will be present as a Blue Ridge Women’s Center representative while the sonographer/nurse performs an ultrasound for clients. Chaperone is not responsible for meeting any client needs or providing medical services.

4 hour time brackets preferred. Total time of 4- 20 hours each week as volunteer prefers. Daytime or evenings available during Center hours (M-F 9:30-4pm & Tues & Thurs til 8pm)

Chaperone will work directly with Nurse Manager for scheduling, and alongside of our Nurse Manager, sonogorapher and other nurses as they provide medical services.

All training is provided. This is a volunteer position.

Earlier this month uPrinting reached out to us with an exciting offer – year-round printing discounts and tax exemption on all orders since we’re a non-profit. This is uPrinting’s way of giving back to the community. While it’s a small thing, we greatly appreciate their generosity and commitment to helping many non-profits like us.

This effort by uPrinting is a part of their UCommunity Program, which is centered around the philosophy of bettering our world through supporting non-profits throughout the world. UPrinting supports several causes through this program, including children’s welfare and education, environmental sustainability, animal rights, health, and domestic violence awareness.

We’re so excited to be a part of this program and look forward to our new partnership with uPrinting! Thank you for investing in our ministry as we serve the women and their families in our community. Your investment in Blue Ridge Women’s Center is greatly appreciated!