Report Details 40 Years of Pregnancy Centers Helping Women Avoid Abortion
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
September 25, 2009
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — Millions of women have avoided the medical and mental health heartache that accompanies an abortion and chosen life for their unborn children thanks to the yeoman’s work of staff and volunteers at pregnancy centers across the country and around the world.
A new report slated for release next week, "A Passion to Serve, A Vision for Life," details those efforts for the last 40 years.
At a Wednesday luncheon, leaders of Heartbeat International, Care Net, NIFLA, the Family Research Council and others will talk about the ways women have received tangible pregnancy help and abortion options counseling.
The panel of speakers will include physicians, clients served by the centers, and presidents of three national pregnancy center networks representing more than 2,300 cross-affiliates in all 50 states.
Heartbeat International president Peggy Hartshorn will be among those talking about how pregnancy centers have positively impacted women’s, adolescent, maternal and child health and how the movement’s growth is driven by the public’s desire to support abortion alternatives.
“This report shines a light on the positive contributions of pregnancy centers, maternity homes, adoption agencies, and pregnancy help medical clinics," she told LifeNews.com this afternoon. "These faith-based community organizations, 40,000 volunteers strong, brighten a woman’s future with the support and help she needs to bring new life into the world."
FRC president Tony Perkins also commented on the release of the report.
"This report lays out the untold story of centers that provide caring and compassionate services to at least 1.9 million people each year at little or no cost to the clients, in large part thanks to private charity and the high proportion of volunteers who work at the centers," he told LifeNews.com.
“As the national debate over health care continues to unfold, the work of the nation’s more-than-2,300 nonprofit pregnancy resource centers in support of maternal and child health and well-being deserves to be affirmed and supported," he said.
“Pregnancy Resource Centers support a vision of true reproductive health and are model faith-based providers meeting a pressing national need," Perkins added.
Joxel Garcia, M.D., a former Assistant Secretary of Health at the Department of Health and Human Services, will also join the pregnancy center leaders.
Melinda Delahoyde of Care Net, Tom Glessner from NIFLA, McKissic Bush, M.D., a former member of the Presidential Advisory Committee on HIV/AIDS and Dr. Sandy Christiansen of the Christian Medical Association will attend as well along with former pregnancy center clients.
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