Tag Archives: pregnancy resource centers

Pregnant and Without a Job, She Found Help

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By Maria V. Gallagher, Legislative Director

I had just picked up some coffee, hoping the jolt of java would help me power through the rest of my day.

As I approached the intersection, I saw her, holding a sign which read, “Pregnant. No job.”

I beeped my horn and signaled for her to come up to my car window. I knew handing her cash was not enough–she needed much more than a few dollars could bring. She needed hope, compassion, companionship–not to mention a car seat and baby clothes.

What she needed was downtown–at a pregnancy resource center.

I quickly gave her the name of the center. The stoplight turned and I had to join the parade of traffic passing through the intersection.

But my conscience would not allow me to abandon this woman, or the distressing situation in which she found herself. So I ultimately circled back, parked the car, and approached her again–this time with cell phone in hand, ready to give her the address of the pregnancy center.

I explained to her the resources and services which the center could provide. She seemed a bit incredulous, not realizing that there was an entire facility dedicated to serving the needs of pregnant women, free of charge.

Pregnancy resource centers provide a critical safety net for women who find themselves in difficult situations. The comprehensive counseling and mentorship which the centers provide can be crucial to a pregnant woman’s journey.

Internet ads, billboards, and flyers can all help to spread the word. But sometimes the best messenger is another person, who can carry the message of love through a personal interaction.

I am so grateful for my local pregnancy center, and the many centers which dot my state. They provide a safe haven for women and their babies during difficult times, and contribute greatly to the quality of life in our communities.

They are a beacon in the darkness, and their light of hope shines brightly during these stressful times.

An Explosion of Pro-Life Love

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By Bonnie Finnerty, Education Director

You may think “explosion” too strong a word. But abundance, plethora, and even oodles seem to fall short.  If you could have seen my kitchen table, you would agree.

Overflowing with Amazon boxes and puffy envelopes, I had to relocate the mounting stash into my trunk just as the Amazon Prime van pulled up to my house yet again.

This was the remarkable response to an online baby registry that was posted just a day prior. Everything on the registry was bought within an hour. Pro-lifers from around the nation contributed, never having met the mother in need. Bottles, diapers, wipes, baby girl clothes, and much more arrived. It was my privilege to open, sort, and deliver not only the much-needed items, but also to deliver a strong message of love and support from the pro-life community.

And this woman needed that.

She was six months pregnant when she lost her job due to the pandemic. Then the father of the baby walked out on her. Then she lost her housing. Just weeks away from having a baby, she and her nine year old child had nowhere to go.

Fortunately, someone gave her the number for LoveLine, an organization that has assisted 230 women and 400 children since starting in October 2019.

She called the number and found authentic compassion and real help. Their network of volunteers connected her with a local pregnancy resource center, paid for temporary housing, helped her get approved for unemployment, and set up the online baby registry. Because I live close to her, I was asked to receive and deliver the items from her registry.   

If you don’t recognize LoveLine or their parent organization Pro-Love Ministries, you most likely will recognize the founder, Abby Johnson as the former Planned Parenthood Director turned pro-life champion. Her latest mission is to identify gaps in the pro-life movement and unite organizations and resources to provide strategic help to women in need.

In the words of one of the LoveLine workers, the help they offer is not just transactional, but relational.  Their motto is When you love first, life follows.

So very true. And pro-lifers are willing to love in a big way.

Posted baby registries are usually filled in an hour. Additional donations are made through gift cards and a diaper fund.  Whether through LoveLine, aiding pregnancy resource centers, or through some other means, the pro-life community continues to step up to welcome precious new life.

While my kitchen table is now clear and my trunk empty, the “smoke” from the explosion lingers as I recount the joy of meeting a deeply appreciative mama and her sweet newborn daughter. They and the generous pro-life community provided a powerful, bright light, an explosion of love, that will long illuminate my life.

To learn more about LoveLine, go to https://loveline.com/

How I Found Abortion Advocates Targeting Teens at the Library

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A few weeks ago, I decided to see what a local library had available on the abortion issue. I searched the online catalog for “abortion,” “women’s rights,” and “feminism” and jotted down a few titles.

The book I found in the young adults section turned out to be the biggest surprise. I wasn’t surprised by its content, already being familiar with the author; but I was concerned that the library had it sitting in the “Young Adults” section. Curious, I checked it out and took it home. Over the next two weeks, my husband and I read and discussed it.

The tone of the book was just plain scary, considering its intended audience – impressionable teens. Had the author taken a educational tone that meant to inform young people about issues involving sex and abortion, I would not have been so concerned (even if I disagreed). This book, however, was – and I don’t use the term lightly – propaganda.

For example, the author encouraged sexual promiscuity and barely mentioned the potential risks of such behaviors: STDs, pregnancy, heartbreak, etc. Then she gave her “dos” and “dont’s” list. I found myself rolling my eyes when I read one of her few “don’ts”: having sex with a guy who is “anti-choice.”

The author also did a poor job (intentionally?) of explaining a young woman’s options if she does get pregnant. Unsurprisingly, the author encouraged young women to go to Planned Parenthood for all their needs. The author was very clear that never, never should a young woman go to a pregnancy resource center. They’ll just lie and manipulate her into – gasp – keeping her baby. And they’ll do it by offering her free, confidential service like rent assistance and diapers. Oh, the horror!

It’s not secret that the abortion industry, Planned Parenthood especially, targets young people. As pro-lifers, we need to keep a watchful eye for things like this book. My husband and I wrote a note to our library when we returned the book, explaining our concerns. And hopefully, in just a small way, we made a difference.

Why Does Society Push Abortion on Women in Crisis?

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One of the things that compelled me to work in the pro-life movement was when I began to realize that abortion isn’t a choice that most women want to make.

Abortion is sold as the solution to a pregnant woman in crisis. If she is poor or abused, if Sadwomanshe lacks support from her partner or family, if she is still in school, our society tells her she should have an abortion. Many times, it’s the only “choice” she is offered.

Our sister affiliate, Texas Right to Life, recently wrote about the issue for National Right to Life News Today:

Pregnancy magnifies these tragedies in the woman’s life, and the natural conclusion for many is that by eliminating the preborn child, the crisis will go away. In reality, the crisis remains without the child who seems to be exacerbating her ordeal. (Alithea Williams, a pregnancy center volunteer) shares the story of a woman who was utterly under the control of her child’s father. He had the power to have her deported or ejected penniless onto the streets. “She was completely dependent on him and he was physically and emotionally abusive,” the volunteer shared.
But forcing the woman to abort her child proved to be an effortless endeavor for the abusive man; he took her from the pregnancy center to the abortion mill, and the child was dead within hours of their encounter.
Abortion is portrayed as a woman’s right – an inviolable badge of her autonomy and freedom. And yet, every day countless women are forced and coerced into unwanted abortions, and the abortionists who operate under the auspices of “women’s rights” do absolutely nothing to counteract these disasters. “Silent complicity with abusive boyfriends is not what feminism has fought for,” said the volunteer.

A few weeks ago, I read about abortion advocates pushing the U.S. to provide abortions for the girls victimized by Boko Haram. As I read the reports, I kept wondering, is abortion really the best we can offer these victims? The more stories I read, the more women I talk with, the more I feel heartbroken that abortion is often the only solution our society offers pregnant women in crisis.

Thankfully, pregnancy resource centers are working hard to change that by helping both mom and baby through the crisis. They provide free pregnancy and parenting support, options counseling and more. If someone you know is pregnant and needs help, click here to find free, confidential, caring support.

It’s time that we remind our society: Why can’t we love them both?

Abortion Advocates ‘Glitter Bomb’ PA Pregnancy Centers, Frame PA Pro-Life Chapter

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By Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director

During her early school age years, my daughter loved to talk about all the things she could do with glitter and glue. By adding in construction paper, she could make magic. I still treasure one of the glitter-filled ornaments she handcrafted one Christmas.

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“Glitter bomb” letter sent to a Pennsylvania pregnancy center in Fayette County

I find it particularly ironic then, that the pro-abortion community would choose to use one of the staples of childhood, glitter, to spread their anti-child message.

You may have seen reports about individuals receiving “glitter bombs” in the mail. These are nondescript envelopes which are filled with mounds of glitter. The unlucky recipient does not learn of the prank until after he or she has opened the envelope and the glitter spills out onto hands, clothes, and desks. In short, it creates quite a mess—much more of a mess than the typical elementary school student doing a craft project.

In March, the Washington Times reported that Congressman Jeff Fortenberry (R-Nebraska) received a glitter bomb “apparently in retaliation for the Congressman’s pro-life stance.”

A note which came with the glitter bomb read, “Congrats, you’ve earned this for denying women their right to choice. Mind your own uterus.”

The Congressman’s staff notified the police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the postal inspector.

Now, a pro-abortion glitter bomber has struck in Pennsylvania, targeting pregnancy help centers. This time, the assailant is trying to disguise his or her whereabouts by fraudulently using the address of a local chapter of the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation as the return address.

The Luzerne County-based chapter, known as the Wyoming Valley Pennsylvanians for Human Life in Wilkes-Barre, learned of the prank when long-time chapter president Betty Caffrey received one of the letters that had been sent to the chapter because of a bad address.

Fellow chapter leader Chris Calore said, “An angered pro-abortion soul or group has acted against our Wyoming Valley Chapter, Pennsylvanian’s for Human Life, (Wilkes-Barre) by anonymous mailings this May. Illegally using our return address, they are mailing glitter in envelope to dozens of crisis pregnancy center’s statewide to mess up their desks. Such letters, with glitter, read: “glitter bombs for choice — you have earned this glitter bomb for your deplorable work in fetus fetishism. Congratulations! Love, gB4C.”

Calore said they received at least nine calls from different pregnancy centers. The chapter is planning on filing a complaint with the U.S. Postal Service.

Andrea Pritts, executive director of Alternatives Yes Pregnancy Support Center in Fayette County, says they were among those receiving the latest round of glitter bombs. “There was really not even much glitter in the envelope, and the glitter was actually pretty, though their message was not. I will never understand how someone can hate what we do.”

It is mystifying that someone who claims to be supportive of women’s rights would hate the work of those who provide compassionate counseling and material support to women facing challenging pregnancies. The harassing letters are meant to intimidate. But the truth of the matter is that love is always stronger than hate, and the love that pregnancy care centers and other pro-life organizations offer to women in need is limitless. It cannot be overcome by a few glitter bombs and nasty notes.

The glitter bomb campaign also clearly demonstrates the irrationality of the pro-abortion movement. Pro-abortion activists would rather throw glitter bombs than have a serious discussion about what exactly takes place during an abortion, along with the long-term implications of abortion for both women and men. To say that life begins at conception and should be protected at every stage is the rational position. To say to the contrary that life cannot be defined, that it is subject to another person’s “choice,” is completely irrational. Far easier to send hate mail than engage in an intelligent debate about what Roe v. Wade has actually brought us: more than 57 million deceased children, countless numbers of women maimed and scarred, untold numbers of men suffering in silence.

All that glitter cannot hide the inherent ugliness of abortion.

10 Important Facts about Abortions in Pennsylvania

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Abortions reached a historic low in 2013 in Pennsylvania, as unsafe abortion centers shut down and women had better access to life-affirming pregnancy resources. A lot of the credit goes to the thousands of dedicated pro-life volunteers across the state who work to protect every child and mother from the devastation of abortion. mother_and_child

Still, 32,108 abortions happened in 2013, and that means we  have a lot of work to do. The report from the state Department of Health points to key areas where we can focus our efforts.

Here are ten important facts from the report:

1. More than 88 percent of abortions were to unmarried women.

2. For more than half of the women, it was her first abortion.

3. More than half already had at least one child.

4. About 42 percent of abortions were to African American women, a disproportionately high percentage.

5. Most women were in their 20s.

6. Women are increasingly at risk of abortion injuries. The abortion complication rate increased 22 percent in 2013. (Abortion centers do not always report complications to the state; so the rate is probably even higher.)

7. More women are having medical abortions, which have a higher complication rate.

8. Almost all abortions (92.5 percent) were performed during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy, and almost 60 percent were at 8 weeks or earlier.

9. Almost half of all abortions in 2013 were performed in Philadelphia.

10. In 2013, there were 18 freestanding, non-hospital abortion facilities in Pennsylvania.

To me, many of these facts seem to indicate that women need better support. They are facing a pregnancy without a commitment from the baby’s father. They may have other children They may be in school or just starting a career. They may be told the lie that in the first trimester, it’s not a real baby yet — just a blob of tissue.

Because of pregnancy education and support, more women are choosing life for their babies; but we need your help to keep providing education and support to more Pennsylvania families.

If you are pregnant and need help, click here or call the Pennsylvania pregnancy hotline at 1-888-LIFE-AID to find free, confidential, caring support near you.

Pregnancy Resources Free Women from Pressure to Abort

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An 18-year-old woman found herself all alone when she discovered that she was pregnant.

She was estranged from her mother, and the boyfriend who she was living with told her that she had to either move out or have an abortion.Choose Life!

Who could she turn to?

Fortunately, someone directed the young woman to a pregnancy resource center where, for the first time, someone actually listened to what she wanted. She felt encouraged, and the volunteers helped her to reconcile with her mother. Through the pregnancy center, the young woman received the resources and support that no one else was giving her.

She is just one of the hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvania women who found help at a pregnancy resource center.

Here in Pennsylvania, we recognize the critical need to provide support for pregnant and new moms so they don’t feel like abortion is their only choice. Real Alternatives, the state alternatives to abortion program, believes the answer to a crisis pregnancy is not to get rid of the baby but to get rid of the crisis.

“If the best we can do in this society is offer a woman in a crisis pregnancy an abortion, we have ceased to become the greatest nation on earth,” said Kevin Bagatta, the president and CEO of Real Alternatives.

Every year, Real Alternatives centers help more and more women and their families. Last year, 19,325 women were provided comprehensive free, caring and compassionate pregnancy and parenting services, according to a press release from the organization.

Their services are very much needed. Studies have found that more than half of all abortion-minded women are being pressured into making the decision. Pregnancy centers offer support to women so they don’t feel trapped into having an abortion.

Women and their babies deserve better. If you or someone you know is pregnant and needs help, click here to find pregnancy resources near you.