Meet Our Team
Aide Grossesse Quebec will establish a multi-location network of pregnancy care centres across the province of Quebec, supported by an executive team, wherever the need and community capacity is identified.
Executive Team
Chelsea Henman
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Chelsea, a native Montrealer, joined Aide Grossesse as its Executive Director in July of 2023. Her previous work experience and education include her role as the Financial Coordinator for a reputable Orthodontic Clinic in Westmount and running her own business in the field of home organization and design for 8 years.
Having experienced an unplanned Pregnancy at the age 17, she also possesses the compassion and understanding to know what someone facing an unexpected pregnancy is going through, remembering her own need for support and resources when she was pregnant at 17. She employs her creative abilities as well as her entrepreneurial spirit to carry out this role. It is her personal mission to ensure the success of this project - to build a network of pregnancy centres across the Region of Quebec so that Aide Grossesse can fulfill their mandate of “No one left alone when facing unexpected pregnancy and its effects”.
Chelsea is married with two children. Her husband Alex Degrasse, who works for the RCMP also gives of his time and energy at Speaking Engagements with Chelsea and is on Aide Grossesse’s fund development committee. Chelsea and her husband and younger son Philippe are followers of Christ. They attend Church 21 in Delson, on the South Shore of Montreal, where they enjoy the rich blessings of an amazing Church community that is united by faith.
St-Hyacinthe Team
Johanne Patenaude
facilitator
Johanne, now retired, finds Aide Grossesse to be an excellent opportunity to serve the Lord in her community. As a single mother, she had the privilege of receiving help from her parents on many occasions. This support enabled her to recover more quickly after her divorce and opened the door to certain career opportunities.
On a professional level, she has oriented herself around caring for others. Driven by a deep concern for the well-being of those around her, she worked as a nurse in mental health, in a CHSLD, and then in rehabilitation, where she cared for, supported, and encouraged young adults and adults as they regained their functional independence. Johanne also has experience volunteering at a Prenatal Consultation Centre, where she offered support and practical help to young mothers and women facing an unexpected pregnancy.
Johanne was also a teacher for many years, training young adults and adults entering the health sector. Her passion for caring for vulnerable individuals and for seeing her students attain academic success, contributed to her decision, at the age of 47, to undertake a bachelor’s degree in vocational teaching, while her daughter was simultaneously completing a bachelor’s degree in special education. What a joy it was for them to share their passion for both pedagogy and for seeing the fruits of success in their students.
On a spiritual level, Johanne has found hope, comfort, and reliable support in Jesus, both in daily life and when facing life’s challenges (divorce, death, illness, financial insecurity, etc).
She knows from experience how difficult an unplanned pregnancy can be. Since she herself has been helped, supported, and encouraged throughout her life, she now desires in turn to reach out a helping hand to those facing similar challenges.
Myriam
Primeau
facilitator
Myriam has always had a heart for others, especially when it comes to reaching out to those in need. She is the mother of two adult children, a daughter, aged 23 and a son, aged 20. She is also the grandmother of a baby boy of eight months, through her daughter.
Myriam experienced a difficult childhood and as a result, adulthood did not feel much easier at first. She became a single mother early on, caring for a child with special needs/autism. She also experienced an unexpected pregnancy, which ended in abortion. The sum of these events left her with deep scars.
However, these hardships developed in her, a passion to do good for others. She even changed her profession to one that was more oriented towards helping others. Myriam now works at the Centre d’Entraide Maskoutain, an organization that provides material goods and support people in need, and volunteers on her day off, with Aide Grossesse. This ministry is especially close to her heart, giving her the opportunity to provide practical help to women experiencing unexpected pregnancy, and impart hope, as well as the knowledge that they don't have to go through this trial alone.
For Myriam, this past season has been marked by her own hoped-filled spiritual journey, which came through faith in Jesus Christ. It was truly transformational to discover just how much God loved her and desired a personal relationship with her. In addition, she recently got married to her best friend & fellow believer Bruno. Together, they attend Église Carrefour Chrétien des Maskoutains, where she serves in children’s ministry.
Having abundantly experienced God's comforting presence and being surrounded by a loving Church community has given her the desire to offer the love that she herself has received to others.
Board of Directors
MARCY AMENDT, BOARD CHAIR
Marcy and her family moved from British Columbia in 2013, feeling called by God to serve in pregnancy care in Quebec. Though Marcy is the director of a pregnancy centre for youth in Chateauguay, she felt strongly that a new organization needed to be created to serve individuals facing unexpected pregnancy at any age. Since 2017, Marcy has passionately pursued the vision of a network of pregnancy centres, supported by an executive team, so that no one in Quebec would be left alone when facing unexpected pregnancy and its effects.
ASHLEIGH DECLET, VICE CHAIR AND SECRETARY
Ashleigh and her family moved to Quebec from Colorado in August of 2017. Ashleigh originally came to Montreal to work with survivors of sex trafficking and then felt God calling her to work with women faced with unintended pregnancies. Having planned an adoption when she was 18, she wants to work with women facing the same difficult choices she has had to make in her life. She has a passion to help and encourage those around her to help people become their best selves.
As well as working with Aide Grossesse, Ashleigh works with the transition home Abriter as a program coordinator, and is a team leader for the Montreal City Team within her missions organization.
GARY CROFT, TREASURER
Gary is the Director of Operations for Montreal Youth Unlimited, and since 2017, has served in a leadership role with MYU’s resource and pregnancy centre for youth in Chateauguay. It is with a vision to serve women who are outside of that centre’s demographical reach that Gary now sits on the BOD of Aide Grossesse, in order to give his expertise to this new startup project that he knows is so needed in Montreal. Gary is excited to work with other like-minded pregnancy care leaders, and establish a strong board that will oversee the new ministry growth of Aide Grossesse.
DONALD RODIER, DIRECTOR
Donald was pastor of Église Évangélique Baptiste de St-Hyacinthe for some 20 years, and is now chaplaincy coordinator in Quebec for the Fellowship and AEBEQ (Association d'Églises Baptistes Évangéliques au Québec). After 8 years as foster parents, Donald and his wife had the joy of adopting their 5th child in December 2023. Donald has long been keen to begin a ministry to help women and families facing unexpected pregnancy. With the support of his local church, he was working to develop such a ministry in St-Hyacinthe when he learned that a group in Montreal was doing the same. Seeing God's direction, Donald joined this group for the privilege of participating in the early days of Aide Grossesse Québec.
NATASHA LAPPOS, DIRECTOR
Natasha has many years of experience in the administration of various community and charitable organizations. She has volunteered as an event coordinator for the West Island Association for the Intellectually Handicapped; four years as an administrator for her church's youth group; over six years of broadcast ministry experience with WCHP Radio Champlain; and has served on the board of Revive Nations, an international ministry that plans and organizes conferences around the world. After a friend faced difficult circumstances related to an unexpected pregnancy, Natasha dreamed of opening a center that would help those similarly affected. Natasha believes that women must have access to resources, community support and unfailing love rather than turning the issue of unexpected pregnancy into a political debate or demonstration.
CÉCILE AUBUCHON, DIRECTOR
Cécile has several years of experience as treasurer and accounting technician within churches, charitable organizations, and SMEs. She also experienced an unplanned pregnancy in her early twenties, which she felt was a calling from God during a presentation of the AGQ ministry at her church. She now holds the position of accounting technician within the organization.
Cécile is a mother and stepmother to 6 children, one of whom passed away from muscular dystrophy at the age of 21. In 2010, they adopted a 5-year-old girl from Vietnam. Her husband is now retired. They attend the Église Évangélique Baptiste de St-Hyacinthe where they serve as disciples of Jesus Christ. They are also involved with the food bank at the Centre d’Entraide Maskoutain in St-Hyacinthe.
Cécile believes that this AGQ ministry will bear much fruit in Quebec for the glory of God.
Special Acknowledgements
CEM
The St-Hyacinthe church has long been committed to helping those in need. In fact, through its members, it started a charitable organization called the Centre d'Entraide Maskoutain (CEM). Recognized since 2007, this organization, which includes a food bank and a community store, is now well established in the city and contributes to the well-being of its community. This is where Aide Grossesse set up its head office and first center.
