CCL Banquet 2026 'Cultivate'

Choices Clinic of Laurel
May 12
2 min read

The room was full of upbeat chatter as we gathered for our Choices Clinic Fundraising Banquet, a night where vision is cast, faith is stirred, and cheerful hearts say yes to God. Our theme this year was cultivating relationships with Christ, our clients, and the church. The entire night reminded us of what the Father’s heart is for women facing unplanned pregnancies.

Pastor Matt Olson opened the evening with a warm welcome that set the tone for the rest of the evening. His words helped us lean in with expectation, ready to celebrate what God has been doing through the ministry of Choices Clinic.

This year was especially meaningful as we celebrated 30 years of cultivating relationships in our community. Our Director, Jonna Smith, presented an Impact Award to the individuals who planted the very first seeds, those who dreamed of creating a place where women facing unplanned pregnancies could find compassion, support, and hope. Jonna then shared a heartfelt vision of what cultivating relationships looks like today: meeting women right where they are, so their hearts are ready to receive the seeds of life spoken over them.

The highlight of the evening was hearing a story of life. Kashlynn Norwood, one of our brave clients, willingly shared about her Choices Clinic experience. Her testimony beautifully illustrated what it means to cultivate a relationship from the moment a woman walks through our doors to the moment she holds her baby in her arms.

Her client advocate didn’t just support her—she walked with her. Their relationship grew so deeply that Kash asked her advocate to be in the delivery room the day baby Oaklyn was born. Kash shared how her relationship with Christ has grown and how she now carries a new identity with her: “It’s enough just to be a daughter.”

Watch the video here!!

Kash and Oaklyn are doing well, and their relationship with their advocate continues to flourish. It’s a living picture of what happens when the love of Christ is planted and nurtured.

Our keynote speaker, Amy Ford, challenged us as the body of Christ to show up for single pregnant women in the everyday, ordinary moments. She shared her own story of church hurt during an unplanned pregnancy—yet her testimony didn’t end in pain. It ended in hope. Out of her healing came Embrace Grace, a ministry that equips churches to welcome women facing unplanned pregnancies with love instead of judgment. It was a powerful reminder that cultivating relationships isn’t complicated; it’s simply choosing to show up.

As the evening drew to a close, we entered a time of giving. Every gift, large or small, helps us continue cultivating relationships where stories like Kash’s can take root and bloom.