Summer 2015

Angelorum/Next Step
Pregnancy Services
www.angelorum.org
www.nextstepnw.com
(425) 329-4569
SUMMER 2015 NEWSLETTER
Marilyn Thornton
President
Bill Kessler
Vice President/
Legal Counsel
Chris Haag
Secretary
Denise Mullins
Treasurer
Michael Lounsbery
Board Member
Angela Crabtree
Board Member
Kathy Dizard
Executive Director
Nancy Tribble
Center Director
Mary Mullins, RN
Nurse Manager
Office Volunteers
Mary Ann Smith, RN
Lisa Tollenaar, RN
Sherry Prescott, RN
Joyce Egan
Mary Beth Herold
Deborah Marcel
Alisha Steich
Rosa Fernandes
Thuy Cook
Theresa Santos
Jessica Jordan
Andra Amador
Kristie Alexander
Tanya Bozukova
Julie Krusenstjerna
Summer 2015 at Next Step
We are very thankful to the following
for their support & prayers:
Our Monthly Commitment Donors
Our Angel of the Day Supporters
The Vitae Foundation
The Lynnwood Food Bank
Holy Rosary Parish in Edmonds
The Biella Foundation in Redmond
Microsoft Matching Gifts Program
Bank of America Matching Gifts
St. Pius X in Mountlake Terrace
St. Alphonsus Parish in Ballard
St. Luke Parish in Shoreline
St. Jude Parish in Redmond
Holy Family Parish in Kirkland
St. Brendan Parish in Bothell
Expedia Matching Gifts Program
St. Monica Parish in Mercer Island
St. Mark Parish in Shoreline
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Bothell
The Lynnwood Sr. Center Knitters
Alderwood Community Church
The Mountlake Terrace Food Bank
The Seattle U Students for Life
With the auction behind us, we
give thanks to our Heavenly
Father for a successful event and
ask for His continued guidance
and direction as we take our next
steps, in accordance with His
will, for those He brings through
our doors. Every person who
comes to Next Step brings an
opportunity for us to love, to love
unconditionally, to love because
love is what is missing in the
lives of so many, to love without
boundaries or expectations.
Thank you, dear supporters of
Angelorum, for providing the
means to which this heavenly
love is reaching thousands of
men, women and children. Thank
you for the prayers that have the
power to melt away fear, anxiety
and panic from a mother’s heart
when she is introduced to her
baby while having an ultrasound
at our office. Thank you for being
the proof that love still exists!
Thank you, Seattle Archdiocese
Missions Office, for awarding Angelorum
a $500 grant for
us to buy baby
formula ~
this will help a lot
of families!
There was a lottta love at St. Matthew’s on Saturday, June 13, 2015,
at our 14th Annual Auction of the Angels!
A lotta fun and games!
A lotta special moments!
A lotta reasons to have another
one on June 11, 2016!
“Worthy are you, Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you
created all things; because of your will they came to be and were created.”
WE ARE THANKFUL TO THE FOLLOWING BUSINESS AND GROUPS FOR DONATING
SOME FANTASTIC ITEMS AND SERVICES TO OUR 14TH ANNUAL AUCTION
OF THE ANGELS AND WE ASK THAT YOU REMEMBER THEM AND THANK THEM
FOR SUPPORTING US SHOULD THE OPPORTUNITY ARISE!
Act Theatre
Alleluia Catholic Bookstores
Anthony’s Homeport Edmonds
Arts West Playhouse and Gallery
Aspenwood Cellars
Ballard Health Center
Blessed Sacrament Knights of Columbus
Canlis Restaurant
Brent Zepp, Chambers Bay Golf Pro
Bumpkins Finer Baby Products
Burgermaster
Calabria Ristorante Italiano
Campbell Nelson VW & Nissan
Central Market
Century Ballroom
Choir of the Sound
Christian Renewal Retreat Center
City Vacuum and Sewing Center
Corepower Yoga
Dacels Jewelers
Dick’s Drive-In
Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley
Disneyland Resort
Double D Meats, Inc.
EMP Museum
Everett AquaSox
Gaiam, Inc.
Georgetown Brewing Company
Golden Arrow Music
Hillard’s Beer
Holy Family Respect Life Committee
Hoodsport Winery, Inc.
Imagine Children’s Museum
Indigo Kitchen & Ale House
Ivar’s and Kidd Valley Restaurants
Jackson Park Golf Center
Jet City Improv
Kaufer’s Religious Supplies
Landmark Theatres
Laurie’s Hair Design
Lynnwood Parks and Recreation
Lynnwood Police Department
Maple Leaf Ace Hardware
Marshalls
McMenamins Pubs and Breweries
Melitta
Mill Creek Family YMCA
Museum of glass
Northwest Outdoor Center
Northwest Railway Museum
Outerwall “Redbox”
Outside the Box
Panera Bread
Quality Sewing and Vacuum
Rainier Glass Studio
Retreat Center at the Palisades
Rock Solid Learning
Rootz Hair Studio
Savor Seattle Gourmet Food Tours
Seattle Children’s Museum
Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Shakespeare Company
Seattle Sounders
Seattle Symphony
Seattle Theater Group
Snappy Dragon Restaurant
Sparkle Nails and Hair
Sparta’s Pizza
St. Alphonsus Sancta Vita Group
St. Brendan’s Cursillo Group
St. Brendan’s Respect Life Committee
Stickney Research Company
The 5th Avenue Theater
The Comedy Underground
The Parlor Live Comedy Club
The Picture People
T.J. Maxx
Total Wine
Town Hall Seattle
Two Tomatoes Records
Underground Tour
University of Washington Athletics
Vacation Internationale
Warm Beach Camp and Conference Center
Wild Waves Theme Park
Wolf Haven International
Woodland Park Zoo
Meet Lisa Tollenaar, RN
I am blessed beyond measure to be a part of the ministry at Next Step
Pregnancy Services. I was raised in Michigan and moved to California in
2001 as a travel nurse. It was there that I met my husband Bob, and in
2003, we moved to Seattle for what began as a three month stay for my
husbands job. Eleven years and three children later, I can say with all
sincerity, the Lord lead us to a community we call home.
A few months ago we were
blessed with an amazing nurse,
Lisa Tollenaar, when she
began volunteering at Next Step.
Here she is holding a most
precious photo of twins, of whom
she had the pleasure of introducing to their mother just a few
moments earlier! Lisa’s smile is
contagious and her loving spirit is
obvious to everyone she meets!
When my youngest son was a year and a half old, the Lord called me to
serve the unborn and their families. I began as an advocate at a wonderful
organization where, over time, I was also able to serve as a nurse. After
seeing first hand the role of a nurse sonographer in helping vulnerable
women make life-affirming choices, God put it on my heart that this was
the role He had chosen for me. Through His grace and the support of my
employer and my church, I was able to receive the necessary training to fulfill what has become my life’s work. It is often far from an easy role, but it
is one with blessings beyond compare. Being given the opportunity to show
God’s love and compassion while helping women find strength to choose
life is truly an honor.
The Lord has seen me through many challenges as He directed my path
through the door of Next Step, and I do not have the words to express how
grateful I am to have the opportunity to serve at this worthy ministry and I
look forward to continuing the amazing work He began in this community
for many years to come.
Patient Story—”Sharon” Sharon’s story begins with a phone call to our office. She needed a verification
of pregnancy to take to her abortion appointment. She also wanted information on abortion procedures– from
us. When Sharon arrived at our office, she had a very busy little boy with her. We learned that he was her
youngest son. Youngest son, I thought, this means she has at least two other children. At first glance, Sharon
seemed a little older than our average pregnancy test patient, was very business-like and avoided eye contact.
Our Nurse Manager, Mary Mullins, spent a lot of time with Sharon and when Mary told her the only way to
verify the pregnancy is viable—meaning in the uterus with a beating heart—was by having an ultrasound,
Sharon agreed to having one. While she was waiting for the ultrasound, she read the abortion procedure
information. Witnessing her baby’s heart beating on the ultrasound screen, however, Sharon said she could
not go through with the scheduled abortion. Long story short, when she left our office, she looked years
younger, she was smiling and she was thanking all of us for taking the time to help her. She was a different
person, she was a mother in love with her baby.
Sharon has been back to our office a few times since this first time and she is so happy and outgoing she is
barely recognizable! Her youngest son is still very busy but he has two older siblings to help keep an eye on
him, her husband is totally onboard with number four and they appear to be a very happy family.
This is just one story where life was chosen ~ thanks to the miracle of ultrasound, we have many!
What is 4US (4 UltraSound) 4US is the life-affirming answer to the
questions “What can I do in the pro-life movement, how can I help
a pregnant woman in crisis and how can I share the joy of working
for life, while I’m having a great time and getting exercise?” By
going to the Rally Round 4 UltraSound, you will be helping to
provide ultrasound machines and training to pregnancy resource
centers that provide entirely free services to pregnant women, like
Next Step Pregnancy Services ~ in fact, we received our ultrasound
machine from 4US! There are several family friendly events to
choose from ~ something for everyone. Friday, August 14, there is
a 5K Luma Glow Fun Run and a Live DJ with entertainment.
Saturday, August 15, there are walks, runs, a bike ride, a motorcycle rally, a diaper dash and more, including what they hope will be
the world’s largest squirt gun fight—they need 5000 for this to
happen! Kids 17 and under are only $5 for all events, and kids 18 and older will appreciate the low-cost
registration fees because this is an all volunteer ministry and all money earned at this event will go towards
the purchase of ultrasound machines and training! Go to www.4us.org for more information, to register and
to learn how you can be a volunteer hero yourself!
This is Mary Lou emptying her piggy bank
and proudly holding her baby bottle after
she carefully placed all her change in it!
We would like to thank Blessed Sacrament, Calvary
Fellowship, St. Alphonsus, The Seattle University
Respect Life Students, and Mary Lou’s parish, Holy
Rosary in Edmonds, for holding Baby Bottle Campaigns
for Next Step this year! If you would like to hold one of
these fun-fundraisers at your church, please contact our
office at 425-329-4569 or email [email protected].
We have lots of bottles all ready to go and we will even
count all the change for you! This is a fun way to promote
our ministry and very beneficial for us financially ~ the
average amount we receive per bottle is right around $20!
A little more about the 2015 Auction of the Angels
Thank you to everyone who made this our most successful auction ever! To everyone who donated the
fantastic auction items ~ the Seahawk ticket basket alone went for $2500! The dessert auction was also
very exciting with Nancy’s Whiskey Apple Pie going for $950! For our amazing Auctioneer, Mr. Tim Leahy ~
YOU ROCK! For Patrick Mulick delivering such an inspirational Make-A-Difference talk ~ and to his wife, Bree
for not being in labor that day! For all the volunteers who made MY part so much easier ~ I will forever
remember the 2015 auction as the one when I locked up the St. Matthew’s doors at 11:300pm, not
12:15am! There are so many folks to thank but mostly everyone who came and showed their support ~
your nearly $98,000 of support! God Bless you all and we hope to see you June 11, 2016 for more fun!
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