What happens when a woman facing an unexpected pregnancy finds more than a pregnancy center—she finds a church family ready to walk beside her? In Lake Charles, Louisiana, Becky Girola and her team at ABC Pregnancy Center are helping create a community where women and families can find practical support, encouragement, friendship, and a place to belong.
On this episode of the Help Her Be Brave Podcast, Amy Ford talks with Becky Girola, Director of ABC Pregnancy Center in Lake Charles, Louisiana, about why pregnancy centers and churches are stronger when they work together. Becky shares how she began volunteering at ABC in 2013 as a young mom who wanted to share her faith, eventually becoming the center’s director in 2017.
As Becky began serving women at the pregnancy center, she noticed something missing. The center could offer support, resources, and meaningful conversations, but many women returned to difficult circumstances without an ongoing support system or church community. Becky began praying for a way to connect these women with local churches, and Embrace Grace became an answer to that prayer.
Amy and Becky explore what it looks like when churches throughout a community choose to serve together rather than compete for the same ministry opportunity. Becky shares why she hopes every church in Lake Charles will eventually have an Embrace Grace program, giving moms more choices for where and when they can find community and support. They also talk about the importance of personal follow-up, making a warm introduction to a church leader, and helping a woman feel comfortable taking that first step through the church doors.
One of the sweetest parts of Becky’s story is seeing the full-circle transformation of women who once came to ABC needing support and later return to help other moms. For Becky, the goal goes beyond providing physical resources. She wants women to experience the grace of Jesus, become connected to a church community, and discover that they are not alone.
This episode is an invitation for pregnancy centers, churches, volunteers, and individuals to consider how they can show up for women and families in their own communities. When the church opens its doors and people are willing to say yes, a woman facing an unplanned pregnancy can find a place where she is welcomed, supported, and loved. No woman should have to navigate an unplanned pregnancy alone.
<iframe title="Embed Player" src="https://play.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/42590440/height/128/theme/modern/size/standard/thumbnail/yes/custom-color/fb94db/time-start/00:00:00/playlist-height/200/direction/backward/download/yes/font-color/FFFFFF" height="128" width="100%" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="" webkitallowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" oallowfullscreen="true" msallowfullscreen="true" style="border-width: medium; border-style: none; border-color: currentcolor; border-image: none;"></iframe>
Becky Girola is the Director of ABC Pregnancy Center in Lake Charles, Louisiana. She first became involved with ABC as a volunteer in 2013 and stepped into the director role in 2017. ABC Pregnancy Center is a faith-based pregnancy resource center that serves young families, moms, dads, and their community who are facing an unplanned pregnancy.
Find a place of belonging in a support group for moms with unexpected pregnancies or single, young moms and dads.
