for the one
Empowering Women, Equipping Men, Changing Lives, Building Families
Fatherhood Initiative
Supporting and empowering men to be actively engaged fathers.
by Debbie Tracy – CEO Obria Medical Clinics Oregon
Foreign Encounters – Yes, through the years I have had many foreign encounters – encounters with THE fathers. The definition of foreign is… strange and unfamiliar. We serve hundreds of women a year through Obria Oregon, but unfortunately, very rarely do we get to help the father of the baby. They are a demographic that in our world is strange and unfamiliar.
I will never forget some of the encounters I have had. Like the high school boy who begged me to help him keep his girlfriend from aborting his child. Like the ‘skinhead’ gang member who put the 12-week-old baby feet pin on his hat to remind him of his child. Like the 20-year-old kid who was completely addicted to drugs who came to parenting class regularly because he was determined to be a better father than he had (his father started him on drugs at age 3). Like the father in parenting class who had NEVER been asked what he wanted to be when he grew up. He had never been given the gift of dreaming.
Did you know that Fatherhood and masculinity are in crisis in America?
Men as a demographic are doing statistically worse in every category than women. They are often thought of as toxic, and in the arena of unplanned pregnancies, they are in a lose-lose situation.
- 40% of young men 18-23 in the US show depressive symptoms
- 44% of young men had thoughts of suicide in the past two weeks
- 65% of young men say, “no one really knows me well.”
Most young men are not taught how to communicate well and are not what you would call mature in their relationship skills, so add a stressful situation like an unplanned pregnancy and it is no wonder that they say, “Just have an abortion”. Most are not well-equipped to be fathers. Many have not ever had a dad. Some only know a father as a source of pain. And we wonder WHY they aren’t willing to be a part of the process of choosing LIFE and being a dad. They don’t know what it means to be a husband and father.
What makes a good dad? That is different for all of us. Different traditions, different cultures, different abilities. What transcends the differences: the ability to love uniquely as men; the act of self-sacrifice, to choose to provide physically, emotionally, and spiritually; and to be present and supporting, to be there. To be present, consistent, intentional, nurturing, involved, an anchor, reliable, adaptable, caring, persistent, and humble.
REMEMBER:
- No man wants to kill his child.
- All men want to be good fathers.
- Men are not always equipped to KNOW HOW to make the right choices.
- Nothing you can do in your life will be as important as being there for your children, parenting.
When you give to Obria Oregon, you give to a life-giving mission to save not only the baby but the mother and father also. It is time for all of us to do a better job at equipping men for the most important role in their lives. It’s time to serve fathers as well as we do mothers. With that in mind, we are excited to announce that we have formed a team and begun work on a Fatherhood Initiative designed to support and empower young men who come through our doors to be present and engaged in their children’s lives.
Your financial partnership allows Obria to EMPOWER, SAVE, CHANGE, AND BUILD the lives of the patients that we serve: men, women, and children.
Thank you so much for all you have done to support men, women, and children in our communities. We cannot do it without you. We appreciate you and pray for you.
PS: As you have been faithful in your prayers for Obria, we know you’ve been equally diligent in your prayers for Debbie Tracy. Please continue praying expectantly for her continued strength and healing. Recent surgeries and chemotherapy have been successful at dealing with the cancer but have left her body weak and her immune system fragile. She and the rest of the Obria family covet your prayers for her throughout this journey.
For the One,
Debbie Tracy
Chief Executive Officer
Obria Medical Clinics – Oregon
Obria Oregon 2024
For Obria Oregon, 2024 has been another year of answered prayers filled with exciting opportunities. As a result of your partnership in prayer, the Lord has answered and opened the door to some incredible opportunities!
We have clearly seen the Lord’s answer to what you’ve been praying for. For example, you’ve been:
Praying for the young women who visit our clinics.
- Recently we were introduced to Emily. She arrived at Obria to find out if she was pregnant. When she discovered the news of her pregnancy, she was surprisingly ambivalent. With very little emotion, she weighed the pros and cons of keeping her baby. Her family approached the pregnancy much the same way. Abortion was something they were familiar with as some within the family had chosen that option in the past. Leaving the Obria clinic that day, the staff was deeply concerned that the ultimate decision would be to terminate the pregnancy. Then, you prayed. 6 weeks later Emily returned to Obria for a follow-up ultrasound. Our staff was thrilled to learn that because of their love and care, Emily had chosen to keep her baby and had already arranged prenatal care for its safe delivery. Opportunities like this happen regularly at our walk-in clinics!
Praying for ways to better serve young men.
- For 37+ years Obria has been serving both women and men in their pregnancy and parenting journeys. In recent years we have been made aware of a greater need for equipping young men to be healthy role models and engaged fathers to their children. Recently a generous benefactor donated to get the ball rolling, and in response Obria launched its Fatherhood Initiative. Curriculum has been developed, mentors established, and our first support group for young fathers launched in November! The opportunity to impact the lives of the next generation, through the equipping of fathers, is more than just a little exciting!
Praying for opportunities to reach more students.
- Obria’s Optimal Health program has been effectively reaching thousands of students since 2020 in Linn County at locations such as the 6th through 11th graders in the Lebanon School District, Eddyville High School, and the Linn County Detention Center. However, the doors have been closed to other school districts like Greater Albany Public Schools. That is until your prayers flung open the doors of opportunity! Our Optimal Health Educators recently finished up their first round of classes at West Albany High School effectively doubling the potential impact of this incredible program!
Praying for our MMU’s to have increased impact.
- As a result of your prayers our Oregon City location has launched a fully functional Mobile Medical Unit (MMU) capable of offering care around Clackamas County. Several churches have provided locations to park the MMU near Planned Parenthood, giving us opportunities to deliver life affirming care on the battle lines of those decisions.
At Obria the value of life is immeasurable. This is why we boldly ask for more!
- We ask for more opportunities within our communities, our school districts, and in our nation.
- We ask for more personnel to staff and assist in the increased workload.
- We ask for more resources to better and more effectively reach those in need.
As you plan your year-end giving, we invite you to partner with us as we strive to take advantage of every opportunity the Lord provides. It is through your support that Obria can influence the hearts of men and women in life changing ways.
Even a gift of a dollar a day makes a significant difference. 365 dollars, a dollar day, is what it costs us to see a young woman, provide a pregnancy test, ultrasound and counseling that leads them to make a choice for life. 92% of abortion determined women who reach out to Obria for care choose life!
Will you continue to stand with us as we push forward to make a difference in the lives of women, men, children, and our precious youth?
Thank you for all that you have invested in Obria to serve the men and women that walk in our doors God is opening more and more opportunities to make a difference in their lives.
Please join us with a financial gift and fervent prayer that will allow us to continue saving babies, empowering women, equipping men, and building families.
Sincerely,
Brian Gosser
Chief Development Officer
Obria Medical Clinics – Oregon
What does it feel like to be all alone and pregnant?
Answer? You believe that there is no other choice but abortion.
At least half of the patients we see at Obria say the same thing… I just can’t be pregnant. They have a reason WHY they feel that abortion is their only choice, and they are determined to have that abortion. Their reasons are well thought out and their minds are always made up before they walk in our doors.
We are their last stop before they end the life of their baby… and 92% of the time they choose life!
When Amy walked in our doors, she had NO HOPE AT ALL. Amy came with the father of her baby and her two young children. Neither of them wanted any more children. They were desperate to make this whole situation just go away. They shared the absolute turmoil, anxiety, sleeplessness, and guilt they felt over this decision. But the only answer they could think of was abortion.
They felt trapped in a decision they didn’t want to make when they walked in Obria’s doors.
So, the battle for the life of their child began.
First, they had an ultrasound exam, where patients can SEE their child. What an amazing gift to be able to see the life inside you. Amy and the father got to see the 5-week-old tiny life she carried. This small image of his baby had a profound impact on this father’s heart.
But the absolute most important thing that we could do for this family was to give them a hug – and hope. When you receive hard news, the best gift is for someone to stand right beside you. To let you grieve. To let you come to grips with the decisions that you must make. To reassure you that you are not alone.
This is the gift of Obria and our team of people that CARE about our patients.
We will ALWAYS make Obria a place where they feel welcome to walk back in our doors.
Obria Oregon was founded on the promise of Isaiah 61: 1-3: to bind up the brokenhearted; to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners; to comfort all who mourn and provide for those who grieve in Zion… to bestow on them a crown of beauty; the oil of joy for mourning; and the garment of praise instead of despair. This is our mission.
As you plan your year-end giving, we invite you to join us as we grow and serve more and more patients determined to have an abortion. We are casting our nets out to reach the harvest, with two medical facilities plus a mobile medical unit that parks in front of the abortion clinic. We serve 12 men and women a day for their reproductive medical needs. 50% of those patients are determined to have an abortion.
In addition, we serve over 100 families a year in our parenting classes. And last school year we served 2000 students and inmates with our Relationship Education classes.
As you can see, Obria Oregon is GROWING!
Will you continue to stand with us as we push forward to make a difference in the lives of women, children, and our precious youth?
So what decision did Amy and her partner choose?
They chose LIFE!!!! Because that image that the father saw changed his heart toward his child.
They are doing well and looking forward to the future.
Thank you for all that you have invested in Obria to serve the men and women that walk in our doors. God is opening more and more opportunities to make a difference in their lives.
Please join us with a financial gift that will allow us to continue saving babies and empowering women.
Sincerely,
Debbie Tracy, CEO
Did you know?
Obria Oregon is an affiliate of a national organization called Obria Group. We have affiliates in Washington, California, Texas, Ohio, and Georgia. Our goal is to have the Obria model of care in all 50 states.
What is the Obria model of care?
Comprehensive reproductive health care for men and women with a licensed provider (in our case, our fantastic Britney Frank, NP, WHC, ….). Oh, except abortion and birth control.
How is Obria Group doing with our mission?
In 9 months of 2023, together, we have…
Saved 1452 babies and their mothers from abortion.
Performed 3789 Ultrasound Exams.
Had 15,267 Patient visits.
NOW THAT IS WHAT YOU CALL HAVING AN IMPACT!!!!
PS: Thank you for praying for my health journey! I can’t tell you how much I LOVE notes, cards, and texts. Please keep praying!!! The journey isn’t over yet!
At Obria Medical Clinics Oregon, our mission is to provide medical and educational services to equip individuals to make healthy choices related to pregnancy, relationships, and parenting. Our vision is to provide comprehensive women’s health care to women in Linn and Clackamas Counties through our Lebanon and Oregon City locations, and our Mobile Medical Unit.
what our clients are saying…
from the founder...
Thank you for standing with us to provide a place like Obria. With your help we can not only provide services in Lebanon and Oregon City, but with our Medical Mobile Unit, we can reach women all over Linn and Clackamas Counties! Please consider how YOU can help us make a difference FOR THE ONE!
Debbie Tracy, CEO
Obria Medical Clinics Oregon