Under the banner “Not Ashamed,” New Path Pregnancy Resource Center hosted its annual fundraiser on Saturday, Sept. 14, at Marmon Valley Farm. Almost 350 people joined the effort, which raised $53,505 to help the ministry in their work to strengthen families, save the lives of preborn children and share the Gospel.
“Our heart’s desire,” Kathleen Shanks, executive director, stated, “is to glorify the Lord and for your hearts to be filled with love for Jesus and a deeper compassion for those we serve.”
The evening included dinner from City Barbecue, music led by worship director Paul Vertucci and violinist Anna Miller, the reading of Scripture from area pastors, and several testimonies.
One of those testimonies was rather unusual in that a man shared how New Path had impacted him. And it demonstrated how the ministry helps people through a variety of difficulties.
Devon Butler, who struggled with drug addiction for years, found a “new path” when he and his wife, Hannah, started getting encouragement and counseling at the resource center.
“I missed so much because I chose drugs over my family,” Devon said. “How could I cling to God instead of these drugs?”
Over time, the Butlers found a church home and turned to the Bible for answers. That’s where Devon claimed he found the answers he was looking for to become “sober-minded” and turn his life around.
“New Path takes time to explain things and help you understand things. Even when I was at my worst … they prayed for me,” Devon concluded.
Attendees also heard from a young woman who asked to be referred to as “KB.” By the age of 19, KB had miscarried three times. She too became dependent on drugs, admitting she’d been on “meth, cocaine, you name it.”
Though she eventually gave birth to a healthy baby boy, her problems led to Child Protective Services (CPS) starting an investigation.
“I felt like a failure as a mother,” KB confessed.
Then, as a result of the investigation, CPS required her to take a parenting class at New Path. And it changed her life.
“My heart was waking up,” she admitted. “I found myself yearning for God.”
The transformation led her to realize God had a plan for her life before she was born; she was not an accident. KB discovered she could trust Jesus and learn to love herself as He loved her.
Saturday’s lineup also included a testimony from Paul Deardurff, who has volunteered with New Path for three years. Though he called himself an “old, retired guy,” Deardurff felt compelled to be a part of the work the more he learned about abortion and the over 60 million deaths since Roe v. Wade passed in 1973.
“Do we believe God can heal our land?” he asked the people gathered in Marmon Valley’s barn Saturday night. “If in our work we save one life, it’s all been worth it.”
To learn more about New Path or to receive counseling, contact Emily Berry, Bellefontaine director, at [email protected] or call (937) 592-7734.