Viable Options Inc

IN 2017, THE VISION FOR VIABLE OPTIONS UNDERWENT A DRAMATIC SHIFT. AS WE ENGAGED IN THE WORLD OF PREGNANCY CARE, WE WERE CONFRONTED WITH A POLARIZED POLITICAL WORLD FUELED BY AGENDA AND IDEOLOGY, IN WHICH HOLISTIC CARE WAS ALMOST ALWAYS ABSENT FROM THE SERVICES AND APPROACH OFFERED BY AGENCIES, ORGANIZATIONS, INSTITUTIONS, AND INDIVIDUALS. FOR THE PAST 40 YEARS, THE NATIONAL CONVERSATION SURROUNDING UNINTENDED PREGNANCY HAS BEEN PRIMARILY APPROACHED THROUGH THE LENS OF POLITICS. NO LONGER IS PREGNANCY VIEWED AS A PERSONAL AFFAIR TO BE ADDRESSED BY INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES. TODAY, IT IS A DIVISIVE SOCIAL ISSUE. THE FOCUS OF CARE AND CONCERN HAS GREATLY SHIFTED AWAY FROM THE NEEDS OF PREGNANT WOMEN AND ONTO THE PROTECTION OF AN AGENDA AND THE PURSUIT OF AN IDEOLOGICAL VICTORY. ALL TOO OFTEN INFORMATION REGARDING THE DECISIONAL OUTCOMES OF UNINTENDED PREGNANCY IS POLITICIZED AND FREQUENTLY SHARED THROUGH CAREFUL SELECTION AND OMISSION WHICH REFLECTS PERSONAL OR ORGANIZATIONAL BIAS. EDUCATION SHOULD NEVER BE POLITICIZED AND INFORMATION SHOULD NEVER BE WITHHELD. SHARING SELECTIVE, PARTIAL, OR INACCURATE INFORMATION IN ORDER TO PROTECT A PERSONAL BELIEF OR IDEOLOGY IS A FORM OF MANIPULATION - A GRIEVOUS INJUSTICE TO ALL THOSE SEEKING GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT. VIABLE OPTIONS IS BREAKING THE BARRIERS OF THE BINARY WORLD OF "PRO" VS. "ANTI" TO PROVIDE THE THIRD CHOICE - AN APPROACH TO UNINTENDED PREGNANCY THAT IS NON-POLITICAL, NON-MANIPULATIVE, AND RELATIONAL. WE ARE CONFRONTING CULTURAL PATTERNS INTEGRATED DEEP INTO OUR SOCIETAL BEHAVIOR AND MINDSET. THIS TYPE OF CULTURAL CHANGE IS A LONG-TERM PROCESS, BUT ONE WE FULLY EXPECT TO SEE. IT REQUIRES ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT IN OUR COUNTY, REGION, AND BEYOND - EQUIPPING INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES TO RESPOND HOLISTICALLY TO THE ISSUES OF UNINTENDED PREGNANCY IN THEIR OWN SPHERES. IT REQUIRES TEACHING PEOPLE TO LEAD WITH RELATIONSHIP, CARE, AND CONCERN-NOT PERSONAL OPINION-AND TO BECOME THE SOLUTION TO THE PRACTICAL NEEDS OF THOSE FACING AN UNINTENDED PREGNANCY. IN A WORLD IN WHICH WE HAVE BEEN CONDITIONED TO RESPOND POLITICALLY AND IDEOLOGICALLY TO THE ISSUES OF UNINTENDED PREGNANCY, A RELATIONAL RESPONSE IS UNCOMFORTABLE AND COUNTER INTUITIVE. AND IN ORDER TO MOBILIZE OUR CULTURE IN THE THIRD CHOICE APPROACH, WE MUST FIRST PROVIDE A NEW "LENS" WHICH RESTORES A FOCUS ON RELATIONSHIP AND MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE INDIVIDUAL. NO LONGER CAN WE SIMPLY VOTE OUR CONSCIENCE OR GIVE MONEY TO THE NONPROFIT OF OUR CHOICE. WE MUST NOW SEEK TO BECOME, IN SOME WAY, THE ANSWERS TO THE NEEDS OF WOMEN, MEN, AND FAMILIES FACING UNINTENDED PREGNANCIES. IF WE DESIRE TO EMPOWER WOMEN WHO FACE THESE DECISIONS, TO CARE FOR THEM, AND TO SEE THEM PROSPER, IT IS NECESSARY TO RECOGNIZE THAT POLITICS IS NOT THE ANSWER. OUR APPROACH IS RADICAL. IT DOESN'T FIT INTO THE CURRENT CULTURAL LANDSCAPE. BUT OUR GOAL IS FOR THE THIRD CHOICE TO BECOME COMMONPLACE AND FOR UNINTENDED PREGNANCY TO SHIFT FROM A BINARY FRAME OF "PRO" VS. "ANTI" TO ONE OF RELATIONAL ADVOCACY AND SUPPORT - RECOGNIZING WOMEN'S STORIES DON'T END WITH A PREGNANCY DECISION AND THAT THE GREATEST NEED OF EACH PERSON IS RELATIONSHIP. PREGNANCY MUST BE RECLAIMED FROM THE POLITICAL STAGE AND THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR WOMEN'S CARE RETURNED TO COMMUNITIES, FAMILIES, AND PROFESSIONAL, NONPOLITICAL AGENCIES. THIS REQUIRES INVESTMENT IN THE NEXT GENERATION, CHANGING THE NARRATIVE IN OUR INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITIES, AND PLANTING SEEDS OF COMPASSION AND HOPE THAT WILL TAKE ROOT IN THE HEARTS OF THOSE WHO WILL ONE DAY STAND IN OUR PLACE. NO LONGER DOES PREGNANCY NEED TO BE POLITICIZED. NO LONGER DOES EDUCATION AND INFORMATION NEED TO BE AGENDA DRIVEN. NO LONGER DOES POLITICS HAVE TO INFLUENCE PERSONAL CHOICE. HOPE FOR THOSE FACING PREGNANCY DECISIONS LIES IN THE WILLINGNESS OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO LAY ASIDE THEIR POLITICAL VIEWS AND WORK TOGETHER TO SERVE AND SUPPORT THEM. AND ALTHOUGH IT MAY SEEM IMPOSSIBLE TO CHANGE THE CULTURE SURROUNDING THE CONVERSATION OF PREGNANCY, WHAT IS RIGHT CAN NEVER TRULY BE IMPOSSIBLE. IN 2017, VIABLE OPTIONS' VISION EXPANDED TO INCLUDE ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY THROUGH MARKETING, EDUCATION, PRESENTATIONS, MEETINGS, DESIGNS, AND TABLING, IN ORDER TO BRING THE THIRD CHOICE TO OUR COUNTY. THIS BECAME A CENTRAL PRIORITY AND FOCUS OF OUR ORGANIZATION IN 2017, HELPING TO REFINE OUR STRATEGIES AND GOALS. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN 2017, VIABLE OPTIONS MADE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT A CENTRAL PRIORITY - LOOKING TO EDUCATE THOSE IN OUR COUNTY ON THE THIRD CHOICE APPROACH AND EQUIPPING PEOPLE TO RESPOND TO THE ISSUES OF UNINTENDED PREGNANCY IN A NON-POLITICAL, NON-MANIPULATIVE, AND RELATIONAL WAY. THIS REQUIRED MANY MEETINGS WITH INDIVIDUALS FROM THE EDUCATIONAL, SOCIAL SERVICE, GOVERNMENTAL, MEDICAL, AND RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WE CONDUCTED OVER 120 MEETINGS - NOT ONLY INTRODUCING LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS AND PROFESSIONALS TO THE WORK AND SERVICES OF VIABLE OPTIONS, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, HELPING THEM TO UNDERSTAND THE THIRD CHOICE APPROACH. 30 OF THESE MEETINGS INCLUDED TOURS OF VIABLE OPTIONS WHERE PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO SEE FIRST HAND, OUR LOCATION AND HOW WE SERVE THOSE COMING THROUGH OUR DOORS. THESE MEETINGS ALLOWED US TO FURTHER OUR MISSION THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AS WE WERE GIVEN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE WITH INDIVIDUALS, SPEAK AT COALITIONS, AND PRESENT AT COMMUNITY CLUBS. THE THIRD CHOICE PUBLICATION STARTING IN MAY OF 2017, A PRIMARY PROJECT WAS THE DESIGN AND RELEASE OF OUR PUBLICATION, THE THIRD CHOICE - A BOOKLET DESIGNED TO COMMUNICATE TO OUR COMMUNITY AND CULTURE OUR UNIQUE APPROACH TO THE ISSUE OF UNINTENDED PREGNANCY. THE PROJECT, IN ITS ENTIRETY, ACCOUNTED FOR ROUGHLY 400 STAFF HOURS. INCLUDING 24 PAGES OF METICULOUSLY FORMULATED IDEAS, THIS PUBLICATION BREAKS DOWN THE PROBLEM CURRENTLY FACING OUR CULTURE REGARDING UNINTENDED PREGNANCY, OUR SOLUTION TO THAT PROBLEM, OUR VISION FOR THE FUTURE, AND THE PRACTICAL STEPS FOR BECOMING INVOLVED WITH VIABLE OPTIONS. IT INTRODUCES THE THIRD CHOICE-AN APPROACH TO UNINTENDED PREGNANCY THAT IS NON-POLITICAL, NON-MANIPULATIVE, AND RELATIONAL. IT IS AN APPROACH THAT FOCUSES ON MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE INDIVIDUAL IN ORDER TO EMPOWER THEM TO MAKE A CHOICE THAT IS WHOLLY THEIRS - LOOKING TO COMMUNITIES, INDIVIDUALS, AND FAMILIES AS THE SOLUTION FOR THE NEEDS OF THOSE FACING A PREGNANCY DECISION. 2500 COPIES WERE PRINTED AND HUNDREDS WERE DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR TO MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, PROFESSIONAL AGENCIES, AND THE LOCAL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS. GALA IN OCTOBER OF 2017, WE HELD OUR ANNUAL GALA. THIS EVENT IS A STAPLE IN OUR CALENDAR EACH YEAR, AS IT SERVES AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO FRAME FOR OUR DONOR COMMUNITY OUR MISSION AND APPROACH TO UNINTENDED PREGNANCY. WITH WELL OVER 130 PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE, THE NIGHT WAS NOT ONLY AN OPPORTUNITY TO RAISE FUNDS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE OPERATIONS OF VIABLE OPTIONS, BUT TO SHARE WITH OUR DONOR COMMUNITY OUR EXPANDING VISION, WHICH INCLUDED ADDING A NEW STAFF MEMBER TO OUR TEAM. VIABLE OPTIONS' APPROACH AS A NONPOLITICAL INTERMEDIARY IN THE CULTURAL CONVERSATION OF UNINTENDED PREGNANCY IS NONTRADITIONAL AND REQUIRES A GREAT DEAL OF EXPLANATION, EDUCATION, AND FRAMING. AT EACH YEAR'S GALA, WE UPDATE OUR DONORS ON OUR ACTIVITIES AND GROWTH AND DISCUSS THE OUTWORKING AND IMPORTANCE OF THE THIRD CHOICE - BEING NON-POLITICAL, NON-MANIPULATIVE, AND RELATIONAL.