Meet 24-year-old Makenzie Delorme, the leader of our very first Embrace Group in Atlanta, Georgia. Makenzie is a stay-at-home mom to two beautiful babies. She knew from a young age that she wanted to be a mother. Becoming a mom showed her how hard each day can be, and her heart began breaking for single moms raising their kids alone without a spouse or help. This realization sparked her desire to help women who don't have the resources or support to raise a baby. "I grew a love for being able to help moms. I felt called to it. I've always been pro-life. I've always been for giving moms the resources they need to feel they can achieve anything," Makenzie shares.
Makenzie previously lived in Florida, where she helped co-lead Embrace Grace at Bethel Assembly of God, where her desire to help single moms walking through unplanned pregnancies grew. Her plans to take over leading the group came to a stop when her husband's new job resulted in a move to Atlanta. In search of a new church, they came across the Atlanta Dream Center, their current home church. "It's such a hardcore Jesus-loving, God-fearing church, so it was a great fit for us. They have a lot of community outreach in general!" Makenzie exclaims.
On Makenzie's third Sunday visit, the church announced the launching of community groups. "They told us groups were coming soon. They had fun ones like a food group and more focused ones like a weekly prayer group. So they said to bring our ideas to them," she said. When Makenzie first came to Atlanta, she intended to find a local Embrace Grace group to volunteer with. She quickly learned there were no groups in her area, so when she got the chance to meet with Pastor Tommy Piowaty Palmer, she pitched a church partnership with Embrace Grace. "I asked him, have you ever heard of Embrace Grace?" Makenzie said. "I feel like Atlanta could really benefit from it."
Once she sparked the conversation, Pastor Palmer said the church wanted to host a citywide baby shower. "It really shows that God's timing is impeccable. When I brought it to him, he was shocked and said they've been trying to start something like Embrace Grace for months now, Makenzie said. "They've been looking for the right people, but nothing ever clicked." With only the concept of a community baby shower and nothing else, he then asked Makenzie to lead the event planning.
Makenzie understood the need was much bigger than a baby shower, so she got to work. "If you're coming to a baby shower on a Wednesday morning to get a couple of things, I'm assuming you need a little more help than that," Makenzie explained. She aimed to ensure single, pregnant moms looking for help could find it through the church. "We need to be able to show these moms there is community and resources around them," she stated. The Dream Center planned to use this baby shower to kick off its partnership with Embrace Grace.
The goal was to impact the lives of 100 moms. Out of 100 RSVPs, 70 attended! With the help of many compassionate volunteers, they connected with every single one of them. They discovered 50 moms who needed extra support and expressed interest in Embrace Grace. "There were about three moms to a table, along with their significant others and family," she explained. "We went table to table to minister straight to them. We wanted it to be intimate so we could really get connected with each mom instead of just having someone on stage talking."
Through the intentionality of seeking the needs of each mother, Makenzie learned that many couldn't attend on the chosen day for weekly classes, so they are finding an additional day or another solution so each mom can get the support they need. We commend the Atlanta Dream Center for going above and beyond for our brave moms!
Makenzie expresses her gratitude to Embrace Grace for their invaluable support. "Embrace Grace has been intuitive and plugged into my leadership journey. It's been very helpful!" Makenzie exclaims. "Leadership doesn't come naturally to me. I struggle with thinking people won't take me seriously because of my age. But I kept feeling God pulling me to start this community and pushing me to speak about Embrace Grace. Through that, my confidence has soared."
Makenzie's favorite part of leading Embrace Grace is witnessing our brave girls' incredible transformations. "It's truly beautiful to see these moms, who initially came in worried, confused, or scared, grow into capable, strong women, accepting and loving the baby God has put in their lives," she shares. "It's a testament to the power of love and support."
If you have been moved or inspired by Makenzie's story and want to know more about how to start your own Embrace Grace group, visit us at: https://www.embracegrace.com/forms/start-a-group-connect-with-us
Find a place of belonging in a support group for moms with unexpected pregnancies or single, young moms and dads.
