We sat down with Teri, our Program Coordinator and Pregnancy Outreach Worker, to talk about the heart behind our Pregnancy Outreach Program (POPs) and what it really means to show up for women during one of the most vulnerable and life-changing times in their lives.

Teri’s journey into this work began as a birth doula and childbirth educator, where she discovered a deep love for supporting women through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. After completing her Social Services Diploma, she knew she wanted to keep doing this work—just in a way that reached women who might otherwise be navigating it alone.

That’s what POPs is all about.

For Teri, the most meaningful part of her role is the relationships she builds every day.

“The most meaningful thing is getting to know the women and their children,” she shares. “Listening to them and supporting them in any way I can.”

And that support shows up in ways big and small. A typical day might mean answering a steady stream of texts from moms with questions, worries, or just needing someone to check in with. It might mean a home visit with a new baby, bringing essentials and a home-cooked meal. Or gathering around a table with women and their children—sharing food, learning new skills, and building connection.

Because beyond the practical supports, that connection matters just as much.

“I strive to be a safe person in their life,” Teri says.

Through POPs, women who may have felt isolated begin to find community. Teri sees it in the small, beautiful moments, like when two moms meet over lunch and leave having made plans to see each other again.

“Our goal is to reduce the isolation many moms feel,” she explains. “It really warms my heart when I see those friendships forming.”

Over time, she witnesses something powerful. Women who arrive feeling overwhelmed, unsure, and alone begin to grow in confidence—learning, connecting, and finding their footing as mothers.

“Every text, every question, however big or small, reminds me why this work matters,” Teri says. “When someone comes in not knowing what they’re going to do, and leaves feeling supported and not alone… it means everything.”

For many of the women in POPs, there isn’t anyone else to turn to.That’s why this work matters so deeply.

Through the program, women can access essentials like diapers, clothing, and baby supplies. They can join parenting programs, learn new skills, and connect with community resources for housing, income support, or legal needs. But what they’re really gaining is something harder to put into words:

A sense of being seen. Of being supported. Of not having to do it all alone.

For Teri, being part of that journey is something she holds with deep care.

“It’s an absolute privilege,” she shares. “It’s such a life-changing, empowering, and often scary time. I feel really passionate about walking women through it.”

This is what your support makes possible.

Every message answered. Every meal shared. Every moment of reassurance. Every new friendship formed.

It all adds up to something bigger, a community where women and their children can feel safe, supported, and hopeful about what comes next.