Photo by: Care Net
“Running with Purpose”
By: Kayla Reiss
Care Net is hosting their annual 5K Run at Turtle Bay. This is a community involved event that is open for Simpson students to enjoy.
Care Net is a Christian nonprofit Center that aids women facing unexpected pregnancy in California. Their website explains more about their purpose. Care Net exists to be a haven for women and men facing an unexpected pregnancy in Northern California.
The event on October 22nd is open to those who would like to race for prizes, run, or even walk. The website explains that there will be three sections catering to each of these categories.
The 5K is a fundraiser and an unveiling of the new mobile ultrasound unit. The current director Wendy Reasner shared some of the benefits of the new unit,
“The unit is the first of its kind and will offer free ultrasounds to rural communities in Redding and the greater Redding area. The unit will provide services in a huge radius; Burney, Mount Shasta, Hayfork, and Weaverville.
Although the run came to a halt from 2015 to 2020, the number of attendees reached 120 last year. This is an exciting event for the community to connect and play lawn games. This is also a great time for the Care Net Staff to meet their donors. Reasner shared more about the efforts of the donors,
“We are excited because this is one of the two opportunities to see all the donors in one area. We normally only get to meet our donors twice a year. It’s a great opportunity to thank people.”
The mobile ultrasound unit was funded entirely by donor contributions. It took a year to fund and create the unit. Reasner also commented on the appeal of the event for Simpson students,
“Since Roe v. Wade, everyone has been looking for an opportunity to do something. People are asking “How can I help and volunteer?” Care Net is a great place to help. At the run, you can buy raffle tickets for gift cards, cheer people on, and even run or walk with the participants.”
Shasta county is in a critical position to receive help. Brenden Ojala, another employee at Care Net mentioned that the teen pregnancy rate is higher in Shasta County in comparison to the rest of the state. In fact, the rate sits at 17.7 per 1,000 compared to the state average of 12.3.
Ojala also explained more about how Care Net services clients in difficult circumstances. Clients can drop in or schedule an appointment. The organization is dedicated to sharing the love of Christ with anyone who comes through the doors.
If you are interested in serving the community, Care Net may be the place for you to get involved.
The first link is a website including statistics on information regarding state demographics. The second is a link to Carenet.
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