Birthright of Spencer to host annual benefit and meeting

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
February 23, 2006

SPENCER - Birthright of Spencer, serving greater northwest Iowa, is hosting its annual benefit dinner and meeting on April 1.

A non-alcohol social hour will begin at 6 p.m. with dinner scheduled to follow at 6:30 p.m. in the Harbor of Hope Room at Hope Reformed Church in Spencer.

"This is our main fundraiser that Birthright of Spencer does for the year," said Charlene Hamrick, co-director of Birthright of Spencer along with Marie Thomas. "We have hostesses that invite people to be at their tables. It is open to the public by making reservations ahead."

The theme of this year's event is "A Still Small Voice."

"It is a special night to get together," said Hamrick. "We do our yearly meeting to elect the board of directors for the following year. We have a financial report by our treasurer. It is a fun night to get people acquainted with Birthright."

Birthright is a free, referral coordinating service available to women of

any age, color or creed, who are faced with the dilemma of an unplanned

pregnancy. Anyone interested in learning more about Birthright is invited to attend the annual benefit dinner.

Women who are faced with an unplanned pregnancy are able to go to Birthright to have a free pregnancy test done as well as talk to a volunteer in the office. Once the woman has her baby, Birthright provides her with a layette full of items for the baby.

"It is a quiet organization and a quiet way to fight for life, which I believe in with all my heart," said Hamrick. "I think that is what is unique about us."

At one point in the evening, the volunteers and the board of directors are introduced to the attendees of the benefit. There will be a keynote presentation titled "A Day in the Life of a Birthright Volunteer" given by two Birthright volunteers.

"They will be sharing about helping clients," said Hamrick. "It is going to be neat. They both have unique stories about helping a client from when they walked in the door through the pregnancy."

The money raised at the benefit is used for most of the yearly budget.

"We use it for our rent, our utilities," said Hamrick. "A lot of it goes to advertising. We use it for billboards and radio ads as well as different things in the community for advertising."

Depending on the amount raised, Birthright of Spencer tries to send two or three volunteers to the yearly national convention. This year the convention will be held in Cincinnati, Ohio.

"That is for further training," said Hamrick. "Then they come back and share and train all of us with it."

According to Hamrick, the whole organization is run by volunteers.

"There is no money ever paid for salary here," she said. "We are funded totally by contributions. We have no city, county or government funding."

There is no cost for the evening. It is solely freewill-contribution based. Each person invited knows that this is Birthright of Spencer's fundraiser for the year.

Reservations are necessary and may be made by calling Theresa Rasch at

(712) 264-6737 or Leah Cauthron at (712) 580-2565.