Meet our New Director, Jennifer Davis!

 We sat down with new Executive Director Jennifer Davis to find out what influenced her decision to work at Hannah, what we might be surprised to know about her, and what future changes we might expect to see at Hannah. Read her answers below!

• What has surprised you most about working with Hannah?

What continues to amaze me more than surprise me, is God’s unfailing love of this ministry. I’ve been on staff in the past and then served as a board member, so I’ve seen Hannah face its share of challenges and attacks from the enemy and every time, God has protected us, even when things looked their worst. This is His ministry, and He continues to provide for it, through the time, talents, and generosity of His people.

• What would you tell someone who is thinking about volunteering or donating to Hannah?

Please don’t hesitate - do it! Every prayer, every act of service, and every dollar given directly impacts the lives of both the living and the unborn. In South Arkansas, we have many amazing nonprofit organizations, and I wish for each one to be blessed abundantly, but if God has put Hannah on your heart, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We will find something for you to do and will put your money to good use! I have been blessed to be a part of something bigger than myself, something that literally saves and changes lives, and you will be too!

• What do you think will change about Hannah over the next five years?

Growth! We have big plans to add new programming and services to meet the growing needs of our communities. We will continue serving women and their families facing unplanned pregnancy, facilitating life skills for incarcerated women, while growing programs to include men and other demographics.  Stay tuned!

• What might someone be surprised to know about you?

Many people are surprised to learn that I lost my son KJ to prescription drug misuse in 2009. The epidemic of prescription drug abuse touched our family deeply, and it has now become a personal mission to share my son’s story so other families might not have to go through what we did.

• What do you do when you aren’t working?

 I have discovered a love for woodworking and crafting angels. I also love to spend time with my four grandchildren- 3 boys and 1 little girl.

•  What would you say are some of your strongest beliefs about Hannah’s mission?

I believe that God is the Creator of all life and that it begins at the moment of conception. The greatest gift we can give others is to point them to God - through His Word, and by showing them His love through our actions. At Hannah, we speak the truth in love- even if someone chooses abortion. We are not perfect, but we know the One who is. Christ is central to our mission and absolutely essential to carry it out.

• What do you wish other people knew about Hannah?

While we initially started off as a small organization offering pregnancy tests and pregnancy decisions counseling, Hannah is SO much more! Since 2004, we have offered ultrasounds, parenting classes, adoption support and truthful abortion information. In 2006 we started an abstinence-only education program and in 2010 we implemented our “Earn While You Learn” incentive program that includes both parenting and a myriad of life-skills classes, allowing clients to accrue points to spend in our Baby Boutique. We also began serving court-appointed parents to help strengthen their parenting skills. We now facilitate re-entry and addiction relapse prevention classes in the local jails, and we are a parent organization to 100 Families, a community-led initiative to help families move from crisis to career using existing community resources.

•  Tell me about someone who has influenced your decision to work with Hannah?

When I first heard about Hannah, I felt a connection to it because I was adopted as a baby, and because I had had an unplanned pregnancy myself. Even though I had the support of family and friends at the time, I will never forget the moment I told my dad that I was pregnant and the fear I felt, not knowing how things would turn out.  However, my son KJ was born and was such a huge blessing to everyone who knew him before we lost him in 2009. But because of his life, when I heard about the mission of Hannah, I was compelled to apply. I can’t thank God enough for letting me be hired- twice now!

We are loving our new director, and we know you will too! Jennifer is definitely a "people person", so if you're in the vicinity, drop by - she'd love to meet you!