The Spring 2020 ALTERNATIVES newsletter from Care Net of Dane County announces that longtime CEO Liz Osborn is stepping down. On April 1, 2020, she was succeeded by Sara Patterson, who has been in leadrship with Care Net for the past four years.
Care Net operates out of a two story building on Mac Arthur Road on Madison’s east side, a building that contains not only a medical clinic that offers free services but also The Elizabeth House, a safe home where pregnant women can live free of charge. Last year Care Net also began operating a mobile clinic, serving women in Fitchburg and Sun Prairie with such services as pregnancy testing, ultrasound, and STI testing.
This is a far cry from 35 years ago when Care Net began as the Pregnancy Information Center in a small office just off of Odana Road with a monthly budget of $1375. And it illustrates how successful Osborn and Care Net have been in uniting the Christian community in the Madison area around the goal of eliminating the need for abortion.
As recently as 2017 we reported that 40 different area churches were represented at the annual Care Net banquet at Monona Terrace. Gifts and pledges of $277,000 were taken, 35 percent of Care Net’s annual budget at the time. That year’s banquet also recognized 6,200 volunteer hours of assistance from area residents, supporting their activities.
“Although I am leaving my current position, pleasae know that I am not leaving this vital, life-affirming ministry God raised up,” Osborn said. “I’m not leaving it behind, simply moving into a different way of serving.”
Sara Patterson served most recently as Care Net Chief Executive Director, after originally joining the staff as advancement director in 2016. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration and worked with other nonprofits before CareNet.
UPDATE: Pregnancy Centers Shift Their Strategy – Christianity Today