Annual Report 2024

• In 1982, God called, and Dan Eischen answered. After reading an article in the Moody Monthly Magazine, Dan felt called to open a space for life-affirming pregnancy care to women in need in the Portland area. Phyllis Gross soon joined Dan in the mission, and they began to operate a crisis pregnancy hotline, and soon, their first brick and mortar location in 1984. 

• From 1984-1999, we opened our three currently existing clinics in Beaverton, Southeast Portland, and Gresham.

• The time came to expand our services to meet the needs of our patients. On June 22nd, 2000, we started offering limited ultrasound services and saw our first ultrasound patient!

• First Image was launched in 2015 to be an umbrella nonprofit over our Pregnancy Resource Centers and other programs to serve the donor and partner side of our organization.

• In 2023, we rebranded our pregnancy clinics to “Ava Health,” to ensure we were a welcoming space to those considering abortion, who often didn’t think they needed “pregnancy resources.”

Ava Gresham

Leah Phillips- Clinic Manager

Yadhira Nuñez- Assistant Manager

Reese Foglio- Receptionist

Rachael Collmer- Ultrasound Nurse

Katarena Mazurenko- Sexual Wellness Nurse

Lilia Corona- Volunteer Patient Advocate

Headquarters

Rachel Wilson- CEO

Anka Raduitu- Director of Nursing

Jeanette Galceran- Program Director

Stacy Mills- Operations Coordinator

Jeffrey Rief- Finance Manager

Rachael Holland- Support Services Coordinator

Haley Parks- Events Coordinator

Holly Lasha- Partner Relations Manager

Lucia Taylor- Partner Relations Specialist

Alyssa Reimer- Communications Manager

Catherine Higgins- Communications Assistant

Kayla Connor- Social Media Assistant

Celebrating 40 Years

Recently, we had the chance to sit down with key members from the last 40 years of First Image, including some of our founders, Dan and Marilyn Eischen. Click the button below to see the conversation we we had with both past and current partners of First Image.

Church Partnerships have been a vital piece of this ministry since the very begininng. In the year leading up to the official start of what is now First Image, Dan Eischen and Phyllis Gross visited over 60 churches, sharing their vision and growing support. That averages more than one presentation per week for a year! Over the past 40 years, hundreds of churches in Greater Portland have partnered with us to support women in our clinics.

The role these generous churches have played in helping to financially support our work has been a critical element of our mission. However, this is just one of the crucial roles they play. Churches have been faithful partners of First Image in prayer as well as being an important voice in spreading awareness to their congregations and communities. This has helped to ensure that women finding themselves in need of support in their pregnancy find Gospel-centered compassionate care.

While we as a ministry get the privilege to walk alongside our patients only for a short time, we are blessed to know and trust our church partners to provide a safe place for these women to continue receiving support and love. First Image is so grateful for these church partnerships that are focused on discipleship: each doing our own part well, as unique parts of the body (1 Corinthians 12).

The Importance of our Schedulers

Alyssa Reimer | Communications Manager

Interview with Annika, Patient Scheduler

In that moment, after being certain that the woman had the medical resources she needed, Annika felt the Lord prompting her to just listen and stay on the phone with the woman until she found the right number to call. Even though we weren’t able to offer her any medical services, Annika knew it was important that she listen to this woman to ensure that she didn’t feel alone.   Though we didn’t end up scheduling and bringing this patient in, this woman now knows there’s a place in Greater Portland that she can go, be listened to, considered with care, and treated with medical excellence.   Patients often remark how seen and at peace they feel in our clinics. We strive to foster connection at Ava Health, and this begins with our schedulers.

Looking to the Future…

Rachel Wilson | CEO

2024 was a formational year for First Image; filled with many transitions while remaining anchored in the original mission established 40 years ago.  Over this past year our team has prayerfully and tirelessly sought the best ways to steward what has been entrusted to us  to reach women who are considering abortion.  As we continue to seek God’s guidance in all areas of the organization, we are met with the abundance of His affection – especially for those carrying young ones.   

In 2025 we hope to see our impact expand, reaching more of the thousands of women facing an unexpected pregnancy in our community ; all while growing towards courageous and compassionate engagement in the abortion conversation amongst the people of God.  We hope this work will be carried out through various initiatives including hiring our first Advanced Practitioner who will work with our medical team to expand our medical capabilities to best care for our patients.   Secondly, we are also seeking to strengthen our reach to the Hispanic community, the second highest demographic in our area that pursues abortion.   

Finally, we hope to have the opportunity to help more people consider God’s heart for the vulnerable – both the unborn and the woman carrying the child.  We at First Image have been captivated by the invitation to care whole-heartedly for those involved in unexpected pregnancy and are eager to share what God has given to us with more of His people.  There is more available to us than the spirit of fear, shame, and condemnation that the world has offered to those with an unplanned pregnancy.  May the compassionate love and joy of Christ be our guide as we go with great anticipation into 2025.