HBI
Students for Life to Honor Heartbeat President
Heartbeat International President to receive Defender of Life recognition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday | Oct. 7 2014
CONTACT: Jay Hobbs, Director of Communications and Marketing, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
COLUMBUS, OH – Celebrating her nearly 42 years of hands-on involvement in the life-saving ministry of pregnancy help, the last 21 of which as President of Heartbeat International, Peggy Hartshorn, Ph.D., will be honored as a Defender of Life by Students for Life of America, the group announced Tuesday.
The award is set to be presented at Students for Life of America's West National Conference in San Francisco, Calif., on January 25, 2015. Students for Life of America has also announced Professor Robbie George of Princeton University as its East National Conference recipient.
"It is truly an honor to be recognized by an excellent pro-life organization like Students for Life," Hartshorn said. "The work they are doing among high school and college students around the country is remarkable, and I am so thankful to commend with them the great work that pregnancy help organizations are doing every day in every region of the world."
Jolted by the announcement of the U.S. Supreme Court's infamous Roe v. Wade decision Jan. 22, 1973, Hartshorn immersed herself in pro-life work almost immediately, becoming involved in Columbus (Ohio) Right to Life in the following weeks. She and her husband, Mike Hartshorn, then began housing pregnant women in 1974, which led to their realization of a call to begin a pregnancy help organization in 1978.
That call led to the 1981 founding of Pregnancy Decision Health Centers, in Columbus, Ohio, which now serves over 15,000 clients annually in eight locations throughout Central Ohio.
Peggy Hartshorn joined the board of Heartbeat's forerunner organization, Alternatives to Abortion International, in 1986, before taking the reigns as president in 1993. During her tenure, Heartbeat International's umbrella has expanded from around 100 centers to over 1,800, comprising the largest and most expansive pregnancy help network in the world.
Hartshorn's previous awards include the Cardinal John J. O'Connor pro-life award from Legatus International, the Norrine A. and Raymond E. Ruddy Memorial Life Prizes Award, the J.C. Penney Golden Rule Award, the Sanctity of Human Life Award, the Patrick Cardinal O'Boyle Award from the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars, the Founder's Award from the Christ Child Society, the Catholic Woman of the Year Award from the Diocese of Columbus (Ohio), and the President's Volunteer Service Award under President George Bush.
Previous Defenders of Life Award winners include Congressman Christopher Smith (R-NJ), Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, Father Frank Pavone, Abby Johnson, David Bereit, and Phyllis Schlafly.
Life Reach Global FAQs
Life Reach Global FAQs
Will all of my donation be sent to the international organization?
Generally all designated donations will be forwarded to the organization less any costs for transferring monies. In some cases an affiliation fee and/or an administrative fee (not exceed 3% of the gift) will be deducted. Current affiliation with Heartbeat is a minimum requirement for participation in the program and the international organization is given the option to pay directly or have affiliation fees deducted. (Currently the annual affiliation cost for an international organization is $70USD.)
In the unexpected event that an international organization is not able to receive the donation (i.e. discontinuing operation, disruption in communication, lapsing affiliation) Heartbeat reserves the right to return the gift to the donor or redirect funds to a similar international purpose.
What are “money transfer costs”?
Money transfer costs are the fees and charges associated with moving monies from our U.S. bank to the international organization. Usually money transfer costs include currency exchange fees and charges for an electronic transfer option (bank wire transfer, online money transfer, etc.). Bank wire transfers generally are a fixed cost (i.e. $40USD) while online money transfer requires a “transaction fee” which is usually a small percentage of the overall amount of the transaction (similar to credit card costs).
How soon will the international organization receive donated funds?
After internal processing of the gift, we will forward the funds to the international organization on, at least, a quarterly basis. However, amounts forwarded need to substantially exceed money transfer costs. Example, a single gift of $20USD might cost $40USD to transfer (assuming it’s to a country that does not permit online money transfers). In such cases, the donation will be held for additional donations to accrue to make the transfer of funds beneficial to the receiving organization.
Will I receive a receipt for my donation?
Heartbeat International will receipt all donations, usually as an immediate response to your gift given online via the specific campaign page. As a donor to Heartbeat, you should also expect to receive follow-up information about Heartbeat International and its missional efforts. As always you can unsubscribe to email sends and/or communicate directly with us to limit future communications. Heartbeat never sells donor information.
Will the international organization receive my donor information?
Heartbeat International will only pass along donor contact information and not any transactional information (like credit card or banking numbers) so that the receiving organization is in a position to thank their donors and provide additional information about their life-affirming outreach. A donor may opt to remain anonymous by checking the appropriate box at the time of making the gift.
Can I give my donation directly to the international organization?
Yes, anyone can provide funding directly to a worthwhile work outside the U.S.; however, such donations will likely not be tax deductible since international organizations are not recognized by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (I.R.S.). Heartbeat International is able to receive such gifts and receipt for tax deductions because of our international mission and having taken the appropriate I.R.S. steps.
If tax deductibility is not a concern (giving already from a foundation or existing non-profit) then the primary benefit for a gift through Heartbeat is to leverage our connection with the international organization. Each organization is vetted through an approval process that includes length of affiliation (more than one year) and other proof of program activities and outcomes.
We’re a U.S. pregnancy help organization. Can we give directly to the international organization?
Yes, a U.S. non-profit can generally give a contribution to an international organization as long as there is clear missional alignment (identified within your articles, by-laws) and that of the intended international organization. If it is desired to regularly fund an international organization or multiple organizations your U.S. non-profit should investigate I.R.S. regulations and enact appropriate steps as Heartbeat has done.
Will Heartbeat receive funds for a group not on its approved list?
Heartbeat International cannot take responsibility for directed donations apart from our current list of approved organizations and joint affiliation partners. We welcome introductions to new life-affirming pregnancy help organizations outside the U.S. Affiliation with Heartbeat is always the first step toward a potential future listing through our Life Reach Global program. If the gift is received through our campaign page directed to a non-approved organization, Heartbeat’s options are to contact the donor for re-allocation, return (credit) the gift back to the donor or redirect the gift within the program.
How does a current or prospective Heartbeat international affiliate become part of the Life Reach Global program?
Interested life-affirming pregnancy help organizations need to complete the application process in its entirety for consideration in the Life Reach Global program. Current affiliation for at least 12 months is the first prerequisite.
Does Heartbeat International actively promote the individual international organizations in the Life Reach Global program?
Heartbeat International accepts no responsibility for advertising or promoting individual organizations involved in the Life Reach Global program apart from establishing the funding opportunity on our website and providing a related listing and donation page. From time to time we may highlight the program and potential success stories within it. Participating organizations should promote their participation in the program and their campaign page to their current and prospective supporters.

Heartbeat’s Life Reach Global is a way for our international affiliates, who meet our requirements and fulfill our approval process, to have a venue for U.S.-based donors to contribute funds to their life-affirming efforts.
If you are an international affiliate that would like to participate in our Life Reach Global, download the Life Reach Global Application:
Heartbeat has long valued and encouraged starting and supporting pregnancy help efforts in communities across the globe. The U.S. has a myriad of LIFE-minded citizens who have great interest or affinity for a particular country, people group or community in other parts of the globe. Life Reach Global can be a portal to extend to our international affiliates “life-giving help in a life-saving way.”
If you are not receiving regular correspondence from Heartbeat or feel we do not have your current contact information, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
All financial gifts received designated for our approved “alliance” affiliates will be forwarded to them in a reasonable timeframe (usually upon exceeding $250US). Heartbeat International deducts the cost of transferring funds plus a 2% administrative fee from the transfer, to help defray internal cost for money transfers, currency conversion, clerical costs, bank fees, and any processing fees that might be charged. Should any funds be unable to be forwarded – primarily related to the recipient - they may be reallocated for similar international work.
Click a country in green below to find a Life Reach Global partner.
International Partners
Country Index
Africa
Asia
Central/South America
Europe
Bosnia Herzegovina - Voice for Life (Glas za Život)
Bosnia Herzegovina - Center for Life LIGHTHOUSE (Centar za Život SVJETIONIK)
North America
Caribbean
Together, We've Reached an Amazing Milestone!

Together, We've Reached an Amazing Milestone!On July 16, at 12:08 am, a Heartbeat International Option Line consultant answered a call. The young woman on the other end of the line was looking for abortion information. She needed someone, especially when she felt most alone. Option Line—Heartbeat’s 24/7 helpline—was there. And, the young woman was referred to help in her community, Heartbeat affiliate in Northeastern, Ohio. But what was so special about this midnight call? After all, Option Line has been reaching women with life-affirming help and hope for nearly 100,000 consecutive hours—including holidays—and carefully connecting women in need with local Pregnancy Help Centers. This particular call was worthy to celebrate because it marked the 2 millionth time Option Line has answered since we first said, "Hello," in 2003! |
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Your financial support has helped Option Line realize one of the five original goals of Heartbeat founders back in 1971. "I am so thankful the Lord has allowed Heartbeat's Option Line to be an amazing instrument bringing help and hope to so many," says Peggy Hartshorn, Ph.D., who has been at Heartbeat's helm for 22 years. That's why we invite YOU to celebrate with us, because it is truly “our” celebration together! Please consider giving a gift today to commemorate this milestone. It costs $4.00 to answer each call at Heartbeat’s Option Line. How many calls can you answer today through your gift? (Click here to see the power of one call.) Without your prayerful and financial partnership, Option Line would be unable to answer the call—via phone, live chat, email, and text—of themore than 15,000 women reached every month 24/7. Thank you for faithfully partnering with us each and every day to answer the call of women in need through Heartbeat’s Option Line. We are grateful to reach this goal together and look forward to the future! |
One in Two Million, but Never Forgotten
Morgan stood in the airport, watching the crowds of humanity bustle by.
Businessmen checking their phones for emails, travelers standing in line in the food court. Everybody seemed so occupied.
Nobody could know her inner turmoil.
Carrying a pregnancy she hadn't expected, Morgan's family was deeply divided between life and death. She was only 18 years old.
As she boarded the plane for her mother's town, Morgan felt lost and insignificant. Forgotten in a crowd.
Did anybody care?
At her mother's house in Washington state, Morgan knew she had come to the right place.
She'd become pregnant while living with her father. Morgan's father wanted her to abort her baby. The appointment was scheduled.
But Morgan never went to the clinic. Instead, her mother paid for a flight to her town.
In the meantime, her mother called Option Line. She wanted to know if there was a pregnancy help center nearby.
There was. And, as it turned out, it was the very center where Morgan and her mother had volunteered when Morgan was a young girl.
Now, Morgan is in good hands, thanks in part to the help of Option Line®, Heartbeat International's 24/7, 365-day per year pregnancy helpline.
Morgan is one of two million lives touched by Option Line since we first answered in 2003. Each day, Option Line answers 500+ calls, texts, emails, and live chats from women who, just like Morgan, are caught between a rock and a hard place--between life and death--and find life-affirming help, right when they need it most.
Even though she's one in two million, Morgan, her mother, and her child won't be forgotten in our crowd.
Thank you for your submission
Heartbeat will contact you directly to let you know if you qualify to continue the process of the scholarship application.
Please note, your survey submission does not mean you are automatically granted a scholarship and these funds would only be available to those attending the New Director Track.

South Korea: Women's Hope Center
Korea’s abortion rate is estimated at 75 percent, driven by the international sex trade and intense cultural pressure to abort pregnancies outside of wedlock.
Women's Hope Center (WHC) exists to see every life valued from conception and every exploited woman in Korea free, healed and empowered.
We currently offer crisis pregnancy and post-abortion counseling nationwide via our online chat and in-person in 5 major cities, as well as educational seminars, long-term housing, and education and job training opportunities.
We are building a social enterprise to provide safe employment to our clients, and also hope to establish a “safe house” for sexually abused women.
Client Testimony:
This boy’s teen mom saw her baby's heartbeat on an ultrasound at 6 weeks. From then she began to run to save his life. She survived severe beatings before she found WHC, arriving only with the clothes on her back. Once her son was born her parents forced her to give him up for adoption but recently, miraculously, she was allowed to get him back though at the expense of being severed from her parents.
She chose her son.
She is staying at a short-term shelter close enough to her high school so she can complete her last semester of high school.
Thereafter, in December, they will be returning to the House of Peace (an apartment owned by WHC) for long-term care and support (for job training and potential employment in our future social business).
All financial gifts received designated for our approved “alliance” affiliates will be forwarded to them in a reasonable timeframe (usually upon exceeding $250US). Heartbeat International deducts $30 plus 3% from the transfer, to help defray internal cost for money transfers, currency conversion, clerical costs, bank fees and any processing fees that might be charged. Should any funds be unable to be forwarded – primarily related to the recipient - they may be re-allocated for similar international work.

Pregnancy Care Center: A Place for Me
The mission of our Pregnancy Care Center is to affirm LIFE by providing confidential and non-judgmental assistance in a caring and supportive environment to all who are facing unexpected pregnancies.
To prevent abortions, child abandonment, and separation of children from their families in 2015 through our program The NEST we started to offer accommodation for pregnant women and moms with babies who do not have the needed support of their families or partner.
The NEST Maternity Home's mission is to minister Christ’s love and grace and provide different opportunities for pregnant women and their children in a safe and stable home environment, to empower them and educate them in many areas to help eliminate generational cycles of broken relationships, unplanned pregnancies, poverty and the need for community social services.

The NEST Maternity Home Building Project
Help us build a home for vulnerable moms and babies
The cost of the building project will be USD 450,000.00.
Thanks to our partners – individuals, and churches – USD 290,000.00 has been already raised!
We appreciate every donation!
Please join our adventure by donating now or by helping us in fundraising for the NEST Maternity Home building project in your church, organization, or company. We can send a more detailed building proposal at your request to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

All financial gifts received designated for our approved “alliance” affiliates will be forwarded to them in a reasonable timeframe (usually upon exceeding $250US). Heartbeat International deducts $30 plus 3% from the transfer, to help defray internal cost for money transfers, currency conversion, clerical costs, bank fees and any processing fees that might be charged. Should any funds be unable to be forwarded – primarily related to the recipient - they may be re-allocated for similar international work.
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Centre Za Bebe
Where do we serve?
Belgrade, Serbia, and the abortion statistics
Belgrade is the capital of Serbia, located in Southeast Europe. In Serbia, abortion was legalized in 1969, and it is estimated that by 1990 there were around 200,000 abortions annually (800.000 in the whole Ex-Yugoslavia). Based on these numbers, it is estimated that over 10 million abortions have been performed in Serbia, which is higher than the total number of victims in both World Wars and national conflicts in the former Yugoslavia during the 20th century.
Today, fewer people live in Serbia than the number of abortions performed.
Nowadays, Serbia is facing a demographic downfall. There are multiple reasons for that, some of which are ill-informed and ill-educated young people, lack of individual support for pregnant women and parents, and most of all lack of awareness about the value and sanctity of every human life.
In 2024. the lowest number of babies was born in Serbia since official statistics have been recorded.
Mission of the Pro Baby Center
Our mission is to see more babies born in Serbia — by standing alongside women and couples facing unexpected pregnancies, offering them the support they need to choose life, and helping them build a stable and hopeful future for themselves and their children. We also want to provide sustainable and compassionate solutions to the most common challenges that women face during unplanned pregnancies, after childbirth, or in cases of pregnancy loss (including miscarriage, abortion, ectopic pregnancy, or IVF failure).
We support women through information, education, counseling, and practical assistance. While helping them develop their parenting and entrepreneurial skills so they can live independently with their children and families — and reach their full personal and professional potential.
From our beginnings in a small 6m² office in central Belgrade in 2012, where we met with clients referred to us by word of mouth, we’ve grown into a center that, through various projects such as:
- YOU ARE NOT ALONE – Counseling for pregnant women,
- BABY PLUS – Humanitarian initiatives for mothers and babies,
- Educational workshops for youth, couples, and parents,
- Filming of the testimonies of our clients and
- Publishing YOU ARE NOT ALONE book
…has now served over 7,500 clients.
We believe that no woman should go through pregnancy alone, without support or options. Every woman who turns to us receives:
- Free counseling – psychological, emotional, and informational support during pregnancy and after birth;
- Personalized support plans based on the individual needs of each woman;
- Help with accessing healthcare and social services;
- Legal and financial guidance in crisis situations;
- Material support (baby clothes, hygiene supplies, food packages, etc.);
- Connection with a community of women who have gone through similar experiences;
- Continued encouragement and guidance throughout pregnancy and early motherhood.
Through this mission, we aim not only to support women through immediate crises but to empower them to rebuild their lives, discover their purpose, develop their skills, and create a better future for themselves and their children.
To sustain this project alone, we need $60,000 annually.
Our Story – 10 Years of Supporting Mothers Across Serbia
Our first client was a 17-year-old girl who had been left on the street by her partner with a seven-month-old baby. At the time, we didn’t even have an office, so she lived with our family and her baby for several weeks. Ten years later, that young woman became our colleague and dedicated herself to helping other mothers overcome crisis situations.
Since then, we’ve come a long way—we’ve changed locations seven times and provided counseling to hundreds of women throughout Serbia. We offered support during pregnancy and after childbirth, and each individual life story inspired us to develop new projects and programs to address the various crises mothers face.
Our counseling center initially operated in person in Belgrade, and since 2018, we’ve been offering free advisory and practical assistance to women across Serbia. We also developed a distribution network to send packages with donated items from our generous donors—cosmetics, clothing, and baby supplies.
Due to the frequent questions we received from teenage girls who believed they might be in unplanned pregnancies, we launched a school-based project focused on reproductive health education and reducing the rate of teenage pregnancies.
We have also recorded video testimonials and published a book featuring original stories written by mothers and fathers who received support from our counseling center. The book includes original photographs, was published in Serbian, and we are planning to print an English edition as well.
More recently, we’ve developed online questionnaires to help women recognize and address various challenges such as relationship crises, baby loss, pregnancy-related workplace discrimination, postpartum depression, and more.
We also maintain active contact with the business community in Serbia and have helped many women find employment.
Our Next Goal
Our next major objective is to build a center where women, both during pregnancy and after giving birth, can have a safe place to stay. For single mothers in Belgrade, it is nearly impossible to cover all the costs of living and housing. Our center will offer:
- Safe accommodation during the most critical period of their lives,
- Personal development training to help women discover their life’s purpose,
- Talent development and professional skills training,
- And a clear path toward independent living with their children and families after the crisis period.
For more information, you can visit www.centarzabebe.rs, and in case you have any further questions, you can contact Mila Todorovic, Centar ZA BEBE President, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Heartbeat International Annual Report
Margaret (Peggy) Hartshorn, Ph.D., Board Chair
Margaret H. (Peggy) Hartshorn, Ph.D., currently Chairman of the Board of Heartbeat International, has served on the Board for 30 years, as Chairman previously from 1990-2004. She also served as Heartbeat’s President for 22 years (1993-2015).
Peggy co-founded Heartbeat International’s Option Line in 2002. It is the only 24/7, bilingual, internet-based, pro-life call center in the world. Option Line handles about a quarter of a million calls for help each year, connecting callers to their community-based pregnancy help center for life-saving and life-changing help.
Peggy and her husband, Mike, joined the pro-life movement in 1973, first working with the educational, political, and legislative arm of the movement. They housed pregnant women in their home (beginning in 1974), attended their first Heartbeat conference in 1978, opened the first pregnancy help center in Columbus, Ohio, in 1981, and Peggy joined the leadership team of Heartbeat International in 1986 (as a member of the Board, later Chairperson and President of Heartbeat).
Peggy has traveled to 52 countries, teaching and training, visiting existing pregnancy help organizations, and helping to start new ones in Eastern and Western Europe, Australia, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. She has also appeared on television and radio as a spokesperson for pro-life and life-affirming alternatives to abortion, and she is the author of Foot Soldiers Armed with Love: The First Forty Years of Heartbeat International.
Peggy is the recipient of many awards for pro-life work, including: President’s Volunteer Service Award under President George H.W. Bush, the J.C. Penney Golden Rule Award, the Defender of Life Award from Students for Life, the Cardinal John J. O’Connor pro-life award from Legatus International, the Norrine A. and Raymond E. Ruddy Memorial Life Prizes Award, the Sanctity of Human Life Award from Care Net, the Patrick Cardinal O’Boyle Award from the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars, the Founder’s Award from the Christ Child Society, the Catholic Woman of the Year Award from the Diocese of Columbus (Ohio), the Life Champion Award from Pregnancy Support Services of Asia, the Woman of Impact Award from WRFD Christian Radio, and the Praesidium Vitae Award from Aid for Women.
Peggy has been married to Mike for over 50 years, and they have two children, adopted as infants, and 5 grandchildren.
Jor-El Godsey, President

Jor-El Godsey serves as President of Heartbeat International. He leads a staff dedicated to equipping, empowering, and encouraging the thousands of leaders and developing leaders of Heartbeat’s affiliated pregnancy help centers, maternity homes, and adoption services, in the U.S. and on every inhabited continent. He oversees Heartbeat’s core mission to be the leadership supply line for the growing pregnancy help movement worldwide by providing accurate information, training resources, leadership development conferences, programs, and daily support to help affiliates start, grow, and expand their services to women and couples at risk for abortion.
Jor-El comes to Heartbeat having served in the pregnancy help movement since 1988. He first served as a volunteer at Hope, the pregnancy help centers in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Then he joined their board, served as Chair, then as Executive Administrator. In 1999, Jor-El became Executive Director of Life Choices in Longmont, Colorado. Six years later, in 2006, Jor-El accepted the call to help Heartbeat International meet the diverse and expanding leadership needs of the pregnancy help movement as Vice-President. Now serving as the second President in Heartbeat International's 50+ year history, preceded only by Peggy Hartshorn, he continues to remind us all that we are better together.
Jor-El met his wife, Karen, at a volunteer training meeting for the Hope Center in Ft. Lauderdale. They currently make their home in Columbus, Ohio, and have three children.






