When Teresa “Terry” Winship volunteered at Casper, Wyoming’s pregnancy center during the mid-1990s, she did not anticipate that she would become the leader of the ministry within a few short years. A quarter-century later, as president/CEO, she has overseen numerous changes at True Care Women’s Resource Center, including relocations, name changes, and program modifications.
In anticipation of her retirement the following year, Winship engaged in a discussion with Pregnancy Help News regarding the impending changes, including her future plans.
From materials to medical services
The organization that would become True Care was originally known as The Caring Center. Its primary function was to provide material assistance, including infant formula, diapers, and maternity and baby clothes. Pregnancy testing was conducted by the clients themselves. Winship initially served as a volunteer advocate and receptionist, and subsequently assumed the role of director.
Winship stated that she did not feel a calling to enter the political arena. She had been a stay-at-home mother throughout her life. One evening, after returning from a staff meeting, she observed a number of closed doors. She perceived this as a divine indication that she should consider entering the political arena.
After discussing her thoughts with colleagues in the ministry, including the director who was leaving, she received valuable support. She then prayed about the decision.
Winship stated, “I felt a sense of divine guidance urging me to at least entertain the notion that He would take care of the rest.”
The doors she had envisioned opening began to do just that and have continued to do so throughout her tenure. The center underwent a transformation from materials to medical, becoming the first pregnancy center in Wyoming to convert to a medical clinic model.
First years as president/CEO
Winship recalled that her initial responsibility in a leadership role was to identify a new location for the organization. The Caring Center (which remains the corporate name) had leased a building that was being sold. The board had decided not to purchase the property, so Winship initiated a search for a new home for the ministry. Many individuals offered assistance in relocating to a downtown location. Other changes soon followed.
Winship noted that the organization’s operating hours were erratic and unpredictable, necessitating the implementation of a structured schedule. To this end, a volunteer training program was initiated, with the objective of expanding the pool of available volunteers and establishing regular operating hours.
The organization is affiliated with Heartbeat International and other national groups, including the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA). These associations assisted the organization in expanding its scope to include the implementation of a parenting program called Mommy and Me. She attributes the concept to Heartbeat.
Winship asserted that his primary skill is not invention. Rather, he considers his strengths to lie in the implementation of already established programs.
Another objective was to enhance community awareness. Winship collaborated with other organizations, agencies, businesses, and pastors. These efforts were fruitful. One day, after a pastor’s luncheon, one of the ministers requested additional time with her.
The pastor’s visit and commitment impacted her.
“It was encouraging to have a pastor with a long tenure in Casper, who had overseen the largest church in the city,” she said. “As a novice director, to have him offer his support and say, ‘We believe in your mission and in the way God is preparing you to lead…’ was a welcome gesture.”
The implementation of the annual Baby Bottle Boomerang initiative also had a significant impact, as it served to enhance awareness and enthusiasm for the ministry, according to Winship.
“That was a significant achievement. It was an effective means of disseminating information, and the public responded favourably.”
Growth and gifts
For nearly six years, The Caring Center remained in the downtown area. However, the necessity to accommodate growth, the opportunity to reduce costs, and the vision to offer medical services led Winship and the board to once again consider a different location. The second building that she and the board chair viewed became the chosen location for the organization, which continues to reside there to this day.
Additional opportunities were made available. A local financial institution provided the mortgage with the organization’s down payment, a rare occurrence, according to Winship.
“I was previously unaware that banks typically do not extend loans to nonprofit organizations. It is sometimes beneficial to be uninformed and naive,” she stated with a slight smile.
An established family foundation provided financial support for the initial operational period, including remuneration for nursing staff and training initiatives. The Caring Center affiliated with Care Net and subsequently became the Care Net Pregnancy Center, subsequently reopening as a medical clinic.
Further modifications were implemented. The organization, previously known as the True Care Women’s Resource Center, underwent a rebranding in 2011 following input from a focus group of women. The Mommy & Me program was renamed Baby & Me to enhance the comfort of fathers-to-be. The growth of male participation led to the launch of Fathering in 2015. The program has experienced significant growth, particularly following its transition to an online platform due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Its continued high level of participation is a testament to its success. Furthermore, three Casper churches provide support to True Care patients through Embrace Grace. A staff member serves as Resource Coordinator, assisting patients with Medicaid, housing, employment, addiction programs, smoking cessation programs, and other needs.
The future growth of the organization will include the association with a midwife and a family nurse practitioner, who will share space next door to True Care starting in January 2022. The incoming President/CEO, who will assume the role at the same time, will inherit the endeavor. Winship, who plans to work alongside the new leader until June, looks forward to the start of that venture.
“The focus on the mission and the trajectory we’re on for that seems, to me anyway, one way of providing even more comprehensive medical care for our patients,” she said. “I just see God’s hand in that.”
Discovering critical tools to help the mission
Winship identified the implementation of the Optimization Tool, developed by CompassCare in Rochester, New York, as a notable aspect of her tenure.
“The deliberate, linear process and the method of marketing to the woman contemplating abortion has been highly effective,” she stated.
In addition, True Care collaborates with Choose Life Marketing to disseminate information to the organization’s target audience.
Winship indicated that she had experienced a profound sense of frustration prior to the discovery of these efficacious instruments.
“Despite our efforts, we were unable to achieve our objective,” she stated. “If our goal is to eliminate the perceived necessity for abortion, and we are primarily treating patients who choose to carry their pregnancies to term, we have not yet succeeded.”
In 2008, she became acquainted with the Optimization Tool.
Winship stated, “It simply resonated with me.” As the organization’s leader, he now had a method for communicating with donors and proclaiming, “We are no longer going to be this benevolent, local ministry. We are on the front lines. We are targeting these women deliberately—we have the expertise to do so.”
The majority of young women utilize social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Google. Consequently, partnering with Choose Life Marketing enables the organization to reach women who are searching online for abortion information.
In the five-year period preceding 2020, approximately 38% of patients at True Care were identified as being in the abortion-minded/determined category. By 2020, this percentage had increased to 50%, and as of the present, the number is estimated to be closer to 54%.
Sweet stories of saving lives
Although a significant proportion of patients who have undergone abortions continue to opt for this course of action, it is evident that some do indeed change their minds. A recent case in point is a patient who, following her visit to True Care, was made aware of the national organisation Let Them Live. Her primary concern was financial, and it was this that was addressed by both True Care’s Resource Program and Let Them Live. As a result of this intervention, her financial concerns were alleviated, and the life of her unborn child was saved.
Winship has been involved in numerous cases where lives have been saved, including instances where individuals have either been born again in Christ, recommitted their lives to the Lord, or saved the lives of babies. She served as an advocate for a couple during the ministry’s tenure in the downtown area, where the couple went from considering abortion to advocating for the pro-life position.
“Planned Parenthood was operational at the time. By the grace of God, they arrived at our doorstep,” Winship recalled. “Although we were not a medical clinic, and we could not demonstrate the unborn fetus to them, he listened attentively to everything I had to say. I could tell he genuinely cared for her.”
She presented evidence indicating that abortion can negatively impact relationships. To illustrate this point, she showed a video in which women and couples discuss their decision to terminate a pregnancy. The young couple agreed to view the video.
Winship observed that the experience had a profound impact on the young woman and her family. The potential for abortion had been averted, and the parents had demonstrated their commitment to advocating for the organization. Such instances are not common.
She had the privilege of introducing this family during a fundraiser a few years ago. She also had the opportunity to introduce a woman who chose adoption over abortion, and last year, she had the honor of presenting to the fundraising audience a mother and her daughter, who could have been lost to abortion. Additionally, Winship had the pleasure of traveling with a True Care patient to Washington, DC in 2017 for Heartbeat’s Babies God to Congress event.
Those abortion-to-life stories bring her joy.
“It’s truly remarkable,” Winship said. “To be able to witness this process and see the impact of the mother’s choice to bring life into the world is truly inspiring. It’s a testament to the incredible work of God.”
Daniel Miller is responsible for nearly all of National Right to Life News' political writing.
With the election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency, Daniel Miller developed a deep obsession with U.S. politics that has never let go of the political scientist. Whether it's the election of Joe Biden, the midterm elections in Congress, the abortion rights debate in the Supreme Court or the mudslinging in the primaries - Daniel Miller is happy to stay up late for you.
Daniel was born and raised in New York. After living in China, working for a news agency and another stint at a major news network, he now lives in Arizona with his two daughters.
