NEWS
Many people have heard the name Inside Connection but may not know the amazing things that are offered within its front doors. Located in Rock Springs, Wyoming, Inside Connection is a pregnancy resource center that provides free services to women, men, and families facing pregnancy-related decisions and challenges. Its stated mission is to offer practical, emotional, and spiritual support while creating what the organization describes as a culture of life, hope, and support in the community.
Those services include medical-grade pregnancy testing, limited obstetrical ultrasounds, pregnancy-options education, abortion-pill reversal, post-abortion support, parenting education, community referrals, and access to baby supplies through its baby boutique. The organization says all of its services are provided free of charge, and that insurance is not required.
Inside Connection’s work goes beyond confirming a pregnancy. The center also provides classes covering pregnancy, childbirth, baby care, budgeting, emotional health, and other practical areas of parenting. Families can receive items such as diapers, wipes, formula, and baby clothing, along with one-on-one support and referrals to other community resources when additional help is needed.
Inside Connection also works with fathers. Its Men’s Support Facilitator and Advocate works with men on the practical responsibilities of fatherhood and family life while also providing mentoring and spiritual guidance.
This year, the organization has placed a particular emphasis on reaching people before they ever walk through its doors. Inside Connection Executive Director Kimi Seymour describes this year’s vision with three words: “reach her first.” The idea is simple. When a woman discovers she may be pregnant and picks up her phone looking for help, Inside Connection wants to be one of the first resources she finds.
To accomplish that, the organization has expanded its online presence, launched a new website, added HopeSync chat and a 24-hour Live Nurse chat service through Infinite Worth, and invested in paid Google advertising.
Seymour explains that a woman in crisis may simply search, “I think I’m pregnant. What do I do?” The goal is for Inside Connection to appear in those results and connect her with someone who can answer questions, provide support, and help schedule an appointment.
The organization has also invested in the technology behind those services. Inside Connection upgraded its security systems, firewalls and equipment and partnered with Sweetwater Technology to provide ongoing IT support and cybersecurity monitoring.
Seymour says participation in Inside Connection’s Bright Course educational program continues to rise. The organization expanded its subscription so more people can participate and now has nurses serving as education facilitators. Another nurse serves as Client Services Case Manager, helping coordinate both the educational and medical sides of the organization’s work.
Inside Connection has also partnered with Heartbeat International and the Abortion Pill Rescue Network since 2019. According to Seymour, the center saw its first abortion-pill-reversal patient this past spring.
The organization does not perform or refer for abortions. Its website says staff will discuss parenting, adoption, and abortion with clients while providing pregnancy confirmation, ultrasounds, and information about their options.
The Christian foundation of the organization is also not something Inside Connection hides. Its mission specifically states that its purpose is to share the love of Jesus Christ while helping women, men, and children facing pregnancy or abortion-related concerns.
Looking ahead, Inside Connection has even bigger plans. Seymour says the organization wants to expand its medical services, bring additional nurses and higher-level medical providers onto the team, continue expanding Bright Course and community outreach, and eventually purchase a facility of its own.
Those plans are part of what makes this year’s Bella Vida Annual Fundraising Gala so important to the organization. The gala will be held Thursday, September 17, at 6:30 p.m. at the Sweetwater Events Complex, 3320 Yellowstone Road in Rock Springs.
Inside Connection has set a $400,000 fundraising goal for this year’s event to help continue funding its ministry and services. The organization is fully donor-funded, does not take any government funding, and is thriving.
For an organization that provides its services without charging the people who walk through its doors, community support is what makes that possible. Inside Connection says volunteers, donors, churches, and community partners all play a role in keeping those services available. Its current volunteer needs include client advocates, men’s support volunteers, nurses, Spanish translators, church ambassadors, and event volunteers.
Perhaps the clearest explanation of Inside Connection’s mission is, behind every website visit, every search, every phone call, and every appointment, is a woman or a man who may need help. The center’s goal is to be ready when that person reaches out.
“We will be ready when she searches. We will be ready when she calls. We will be ready when she walks through our doors,” Seymour says.
For those in Wyoming who have wondered what Inside Connection does, the Bella Vida Gala offers an opportunity to learn more about the work happening locally and the families being served. And for those who already support its mission, this evening will provide an opportunity to help make sure those services remain available when someone in the community needs them most.
If you would like to donate to this incredible organization and help Inside Connection continue providing free support, education, medical services, and practical resources to women, men, and families in our community, you can learn more or give through iclife.team. Every donation helps Inside Connection continue its mission of being there when someone needs hope, compassion and support the most.