NARAL believes pro-lifers are winning the online messaging battle

Photo Credit NeONBRAND from Unsplash

On August 20, Alex Roarty published "Podcasts, comedians, freedom: How an abortion rights group is changing its strategy." He covers how NARAL is trying to make up perceived lost-ground in the online debate on abortion. His article is an interesting look at the strategic planning of the pro-choice side. Here is my random collection of quotes and notes:

The national abortion rights group NARAL Pro-Choice America has spent the year intensively researching how it can close a so-called “virality gap” online with voters.

This surprises me. It usually feels as if the pro-choice side has more coordinated and savvy messaging, and our side is made of many small, disparate groups, more grassroots and less far-reaching. I'm curious what research NARAL is looking at that leads them to believe they are losing a battle on messaging.

NARAL has recently started restructuring its organization:

The restructuring [including ending the autonomy of nearly a dozen state-based affiliates] has received harsh criticism — including from some officials within the organization. Some of the heads of state-based NARAL affiliates, unsure of their own future with the group, argue that the digital strategy siphons resources away from local, in-person persuasion they consider more effective.

I've also seen criticism of this move as some abortion rights activists urge pro-choicers to stop donating to NARAL and go more local instead (see here and here).

NARAL officials say if legal protections [of abortion] are diminished or outright removed nationwide, it will heighten the need to win the public debate.

I read two implications here. 

1. The law somewhat truncates public debate and changing law is at least as important as changing hearts & minds (although the two are connected).
2. Perhaps until now pro-choicers haven't had to fully engage the public debate. 

Since Roe, the law has been decidedly on the side of abortion advocates. Roe v. Wade & Doe v. Bolton made it nearly impossible to pass meaningful abortion restrictions before viability (about 5 months into pregnancy). This legal status quo isn't some comfortable middle ground. Polls generally find that Americans are open to abortion for medical emergencies and/or abortion early in pregnancy, but get far more resistant when it comes to abortion for any reason ("elective" abortion) and/or abortion after the first trimester. If that description is the middle ground, the current legal status of abortion is much further to the pro-choice side. Despite lobbying groups' dramatic protestations that there are hundreds of new "anti-choice" restrictions every year (definitions of "restriction" are broad), on a national level the U.S. has some of the most liberal abortion laws in the world. Even the recent controversy over Mississippi's 15-week ban misses the part where that ban would still leave Mississippi abortion law lax by international standards (see "European Gestational Limits on Elective Abortion" pg 4). 

The pro-choice side has had a distinct advantage in terms of the law; has that meant they haven't had to engage as fully in terms of hearts and minds? I imagine it's easier to defend the status quo than to fight for major change. Would it be enough for pro-choicers to reiterate the same primary arguments with more vigor, or would they need to start making new arguments? Would they need to address our points in more depth, or would they be better served doubling down on different subjects? It's hard to predict how this debate will transform if Roe goes.

Research conducted by NARAL, shared with McClatchy, suggests that online users are more likely to find more content supportive of abortion rights on Google. The dynamic flips, however, when users are on a social networking site like Facebook or watch videos on YouTube.

Makes me wonder how we can flip the dynamic on Google too...

These were the types of voters — many of them not consumed by politics day-to-day — NARAL was failing to engage with, Montemarano said. And it led to what she described as a “virality gap” between her side and abortion rights opponents, with the latter having more success promoting their viewpoint across the internet. “To me, there was this big gap in the middle,” she said. “Where is everyone else? What information are they seeing? What are they believing? How can we reach the people beyond the activists?"

"How can we reach the people beyond the activists?" is a question I think about almost daily. Our target audience, I suspect, is rarely pro-life or pro-choice activists. It's the people on the fence and/or people who have opinions but aren't particularly involved, which describes most of America. How do we bring them down from the fence to our side? How do we get them to engage? (The last question was the primary motivation behind our project How To Be Pro-Life.)

Group leaders say that rather than emphasize health care or other issues connected to abortion, they plan to emphasize a message of freedom from political interference, emphasizing that conservatives who oppose abortion rights want to control people.

So is this the primary message we need to counter? If so, first step is to emphasize it's not only conservatives who are against abortion. There are people from all walks of life against abortion. Second step is to emphasize our motivation isn't to control adults but to protect children. We've touched on this before:

Original tweet here

NARAL’s plans to nationalize its operations means the group could part ways with its 11 state-based affiliates. The plan was unveiled in June, to the anger of many affiliates. And many of them say retooling the digital effort matches their broader concern about a group more focused on the national big picture than local issues that can often have the most impact on the public.

Which has a bigger impact: national messaging or local changes? 

Of course ideally we find ways to work on both, which underscores again how important pregnancy resource centers can be. In fact, as Alexandra Desanctis explains, a recent study came out which found women considering abortion who visit pregnancy resource centers are 20% less likely to get abortions than those who don't visit such centers. Local pro-life work has a major impact.

I also wonder if the tension between national and local efforts partly explains why the pro-life and pro-choice sides seem continually deadlocked in terms of swaying the public. Perhaps the pro-choice side is, as it anecdotally appears to me, more formidable with national messaging, but the pro-life side has a grassroots game strong enough to keep up. Or, if NARAL's recent research on the "virality gap" is accurate, maybe the exact opposite is true.

What It's Like to Be a Secular Sidewalk Counselor

 

The author stands on a sidewalk with prenatal development education materials.

"What parish do you attend?" That's the question I often get when someone new arrives. When I respond that I'm secular, I get a look of amazement and whispered apologies, as if their question was somehow offensive to me. It isn't. 

I've been doing sidewalk counseling outside of a local abortion facility for almost two years now. I've gotten used to the fact I'm the least likely person you'd expect out there. After all, it seems majority of those who are pro-life tend to be of some religious background. What I didn't expect was to be standing on the sidewalk with so few.

My greatest frustration (aside from mothers going in to terminate their babies, and dads who sit in the parking lot playing games on their phone while it happens) is the lack of involvement from those who are of faith. 

I live in a city with a population over 300,000, in a county with a population over 2 million, with over 100 churches. Yet on any given Saturday, one of the busiest abortion days, there's usually no more than three or four people trying to reach these moms and dads with help before they go inside. On a weekday, you're lucky if there's one person on the sidewalk. 

When there is nobody in front of the abortion center, mothers are not made aware of the local resources for help, fathers are not encouraged to step up and save their baby, and nobody hears the truth about how destructive abortion is for all involved. I shudder to think what would have happened to those mothers who chose life on the sidewalk, if no one had been there that day.

So what can secular pro-lifers do? Get involved in sidewalk counseling. If nobody is outside at your local abortion center(s), be that person who shows up. Don't allow yourself to feel like you have no place out there. The need for sidewalk advocates, especially secular ones, is huge! I am thankful for the small group of people who stand with me. Despite our differing religious beliefs (or lack thereof), we work together and have saved lives. 

We still have much work to do. Won't you join us?

[Today's article is by Christine Sorrell. If you would like to contribute a guest post, email your submission to info@secularprolife.org for consideration.]

(Check out the list of ways you can support sidewalk counselors from HowToBeProlife.com.)

"I'm here to listen, not to judge." Interview with a young Catholic sidewalk counselor

Maria on the right.
Signs read "I'm here to listen, not to judge"
and "We bring hope, love, and support."

How did you get started sidewalk counseling? What draws you to the sidewalk compared to other types of pro-life work?

I got started with sidewalk advocacy when I joined my pro-life student group in college: Bama Students for Life! I had learned that the abortion facility less than a mile from our campus was the busiest facility in Alabama; that fact was a big catalyst in my pro-life advocacy. At the time, the facility performed nearly 70 abortions a week. So many were being killed, and I felt I could no longer stay silent.

What does your work entail? Describe an average day of sidewalk counseling.

On Saturday mornings I go to the closest abortion facility. I've coordinated with some friends from my church who also go, and there's usually a handful of other local pro-lifers present, so on a regular Saturday there's about 8–10 people out there. Because there are so many of us, we've gotten in the habit of splitting the group up across the sidewalk: groups of two or three will stand on either side of the entrance to the small parking lot to do outreach, and four or five people will stand a little further away to pray. Those doing outreach try to approach the people in their cars as they drive in or out. We also call out to people walking from their cars to the building, saying things like, "I can't pretend to know what you're going through right now, but I'd like to hear your story, and I want to know if there's any way I can help. I've got information about free local resources that I would love to share with you."

What are the most difficult aspects of this work, and how do you handle those?

For me, the most difficult thing is knowing what to say. I stumble over my words all the time, and talking to strangers makes me extremely nervous. I deal with that by trying to imagine what I would want to hear if I was the woman walking into the facility. I practice saying things to myself in the car on the way over. Obviously each person is unique, so I don't want to sound scripted, but practicing certain phrases helps me feel more comfortable.

Do you hand out literature? If so, what is it about?

Yes! Lately I've been using the "This is not your only choice" pamphlet from Human Life Alliance. I also have several handwritten cards that I use if someone seems like they're going to change their mind and leave; the cards list the closest local resources and include my personal phone number so they can reach out if they want to.

Do you refer people to local services? If so, what types or services? Provided by whom?

Yes — On the cards I give out I’ve list a couple different pro-life pregnancy care centers and a place that can help with housing. I also have the contact info for those places saved in my phone, along with information about what services they provide and whether they have any Spanish-speaking employees.

Do you have religious beliefs? If so, how do those influence your work? How do you handle religious differences between you and the people you meet?

I do! I'm Catholic and my faith influences my work in that I make a point to pray before, during, and after sidewalk advocacy. That said, I agree with the information in Sidewalk Advocates For Life's training guide, which suggests the following topic progression: first, address the mother and her crisis; second, talk about her baby; and last, you could ask about her faith background (if she has one). Rehumanize International also talks about this progression under “Dialogue Tips” in our handouts here. Most women, in my experience at least, are in crisis mode. They want to know first and foremost that you genuinely care about them and you want to help them through this crisis.

How do you respond to people who say they are at the clinic for reasons other than abortion?

I get this rarely; the vast majority of people coming into the facility I go to are there for abortion. However, I typically respond explaining there are so many other organizations that provide birth control that don't kill human beings.

What are some of the most common circumstances women describe that brought them to the clinic?

That they're scared because the pregnancy was unexpected, or that they don't have the finances to take care of the child.

Do you have ongoing relationships with any of the women you have met at the sidewalk? If so, what are those like?

I don't have ongoing relationships directly, but one of the friends from church who goes with me usually stays in contact with them.

Do you interact with clinic staff? If so, what has that been like?

I see them pretty rarely, and when I do, I struggle to know what to say beyond, "You don't have to work here."

Many people believe that sidewalk counselors primarily try to shame and intimidate women. How do you respond to that idea?

I've witnessed my fair share of bad sidewalk advocates — so I won't deny that they exist — but in my experience, the good greatly outnumber the bad. When I was in college, our student group made a point to try to convince other local advocates to use more loving and helpful signs. It didn't always work. There was one man who'd carry a large sign with a swastika comparing abortion to the holocaust, and he refused to get rid of it because he had painted it himself. In those instances we distance ourselves as much as possible and carry signs like "Here to listen, not to judge."

What do you think of buffer zone laws? Has your work been impacted by such laws?

It’s my understanding that buffer zone laws were created in response to some extreme measures taken by pro-lifers (like chaining themselves to the doors of facilities to keep people from going in). Obviously I don’t like these laws because they hinder our ability as peaceful sidewalk advocates to reach the people going in for abortion. When I started getting into sidewalk advocacy, the facility we went to was in a medical office park, so there was a large parking lot between us and the people going in. It makes it really tough to seem compassionate when you have to yell in order to be heard. There was a lot of shouting "GOOD MORNING!" those days.

What advice would you give someone interested in sidewalk counseling?

Expect to wait around a lot. It takes patience. But also stay prepared so you're not caught off guard when someone actually takes the time to talk to you and needs help. Preparation is key.

What advice do you have for people who don't sidewalk counsel but still want to help women with crisis pregnancies?

Donate to local pregnancy centers! If you don't have the funds, ask if they need volunteers. You can also do a lot of outreach online, in forums and on social media where many people will ask questions if they're considering abortion. Make your pro-life stance clear to social media friends, and in a nonjudgmental way; you want to make sure they know you're a safe person to reach out to if they ever find themselves unexpectedly pregnant. If you're a praying type, pray for the people out on the sidewalk.

What do you believe the pro-life movement is getting right? What do you believe could be better?

I think the pro-life movement is vibrant and powerful, and that as a whole, we are most successful when we allow for a diversity of opinion on unrelated issues and focus on the human rights injustice at hand. Let's spread information about the truth of abortion. Let's find ways to help parents considering it and heal those who have already gone through with it. Let's debate which political strategy is going to be most likely to truly eliminate abortion. Basically, I believe the movement would be better if it were tied less closely to specific party platforms. I know too many people who were raised in a pro-life, conservative household, grew up, realized their politics didn't align with their parents', and decided that for that reason they could no longer be pro-life. It shouldn't be a partisan issue. It's a human rights issue, and we have to remind people of that.

Read more interviews:

• Interview with a post-abortive sidewalk counselor: love, not shame, is the key, 6/24/2020
• Interview with a secular sidewalk counselor, 6/15/2020
• How Gabriela became a sidewalk counselor outside the clinic where she had her abortion, 3/16/2020
• In-depth interview with a millennial sidewalk counselor, 1/31/2018
• So I met some sidewalk counselors [interview of a sidewalk counseling veteran], 2/14/2014

Sidewalk counseling training resources:

• Sidewalk Counseling Masterclass from Equal Rights Institute
• Free training materials from Rehumanize International
• A training program from Sidewalk Advocates for Life

(Check out the list of ways you can support sidewalk counselors from HowToBeProlife.com.)

Interview with a post-abortive sidewalk counselor: love, not shame, is the key

Interviewer's note: study after study confirm many women choose abortion because they feel they don't have the resources to care for a child. Sidewalk counselors work to connect these women to resources in their communities. This work transforms—and literally saves—lives.

People who aren’t involved in the pro-life movement (and even some within it) tend to believe that those who stand outside abortion clinics are there to shame and terrify vulnerable abortion-minded women. Interestingly, in this interview Serena discusses these very type of ultra-aggressive protestors and how they make her goals—to reassure women and get them resources—much more difficult. Still, she's tenacious.

I'm an atheist. I don't share Serena's beliefs about God or Jesus. But I can’t help but note how Serena's faith encourages and emboldens her to love and support other people in difficult circumstances. It's admirable work. (You can also read an interview with a secular sidewalk counselor here.)

Meet Serena

How did you get started sidewalk counseling? What draws you to the sidewalk compared to other types of pro-life work?

I got started sidewalk counseling after seeing Unplanned. I had gone to the movie not even knowing what it was about and it was like watching my life unfold before my eyes.

I was raped at 13 years old by an uncle and taken for an abortion at Ulrich Klopfer's clinic. For 30 years I did not talk about my abortion because it was something I wanted to forget happened. It was by far worse than my rape. I didn't know what abortion was when I went to that clinic but once I learned, it almost destroyed my life. I nearly lost everything. My marriage was almost over, and I was using drugs and alcohol to numb my pain.

One night after drinking heavily, I texted some friends to come get me. I knew I had too much to drink and I didn't want to end up in jail. But no one would come get me. I had burned all my bridges. I sat in my car and cried and prayed for help. That night God met me in my car and lavished me in a love that I had never felt before. I made it home and my husband welcomed me back. That began my healing process from my rape. But I never talked about the abortion.

When I saw Unplanned, I felt moved to tell the rest of my story, though I wasn't sure how exactly. I called our local Right To Life and asked if they ever minister to women before they go to abortion clinics. They explained they were going to start training people to sidewalk counsel in response to Whole Women's Health opening nearby. I signed right up and began going to the clinic.

It's so important to have peaceful people at the clinic. On the day of my abortion, no one was there. I will never know if it would have made a difference in my story, but I want to make sure that people know that they can make a difference for someone else.

What does your work entail? Describe an average day of sidewalk counseling.

Going to the clinic requires me to be ready to love others well. We really want to be a peaceful presence that is lead by the Holy Spirit on how to reach women. We want to love not only the mothers, fathers, and other family members but also the escorts and staff. We want to give the support so many of them are looking for—in the moment, during the pregnancy, and after the baby is born.

What are the most difficult aspects of this work, and how do you handle those?

Escorts block us with their umbrellas and play music so the women can't hear us. We also have to deal with another group who come out with mics to "preach." They shame the women who then run right into the clinic. There have been times when we will get the attention of a father in the car and it looks like he is going to come over and talk, but the other group will call him a coward and he instead looks down and won't come over. They are also known to put ladders up and yell at escorts. It's awful.

During my own abortion, I remember the clinic telling our family that there would be people outside who hated us, so make sure to walk in quickly. Groups like these who shame women confirm the clinic workers' warnings. I've worked with many post-abortive women, and something I often hear is "the protesters were yelling at me and I just wanted to get away." In contrast, I had a woman share her story of two peaceful sidewalk counselors praying. She broke away from her parents and went to them for help. She said she could sense their love and knew they were safe. 

Do you hand out literature? If so, what is it about?

We hand out mom bags which include local resources, a free ultrasound coupon, and info about what abortion is (and that it's not her only choice). I personally try to put a hand written note, a bracelet, and some type of lotion or something to make her feel loved. If she returns a second day we also include abortion pill reversal information. We also try to let her know about a website (Her Michiana) that can help with many of her needs as well as resources for the dad.

Do you have religious beliefs? If so, how do those influence your work? How do you handle religious differences between you and the people you meet?

I'm a Jesus follower and that helps me love others well. When I'm at the clinic or talking to an abortion-minded woman, I talk about Jesus in a way meant to bring hope, not shame. I want her to know she is so loved. Sometimes you can tell that someone is not really interested and you can feel push back. At that point I will not talk about him, but hope they will know his love by my actions.

How do you respond to people who say they are at the clinic for reasons other than abortion?

We have people who walk by the clinic all the time; it's always a teaching moment to educate others on what abortion is. Some people just don't know and we have the opportunity to have a conversation (not a debate, but a conversation). People seem more open to talking if we approach them in a non-confrontational way. 

What are some of the most common circumstances women describe that brought them to the clinic?

I talk to women daily and they have shared so many reasons they come to the clinics. Some feel like they are not supported by family or the boyfriend, some think they can't afford a baby, some are scared of Covid. Some have been told something is wrong with their baby and abortion will show "compassion." In the case of my rape at 13 my family was told abortion would fix my trauma. It was all a lie. 

Do you interact with clinic staff? If so, what has that been like?

I make a point of interacting with clinic staff because the Jesus I serve can reach anyone. I speak truth in love to them and pray for them. I try to reach them were they're at.

I did befriend one of the escorts. Our first encounter did not go well. I shared my story with him and he cussed me out and flipped me off. The next week the escort was drinking a Snapple and made a face like it was terrible. I laughed and said "That bad?" and he laughed too, talked about how they changed the recipe. After that we started talking more, and he has since shared his story with me. He helps knit hats for premature babies! He has misplaced compassion that he doesn't even understand. 

Other escorts don't always like that he talks to me but he does it anyway. I'm going to keep showing him love and compassion. I believe it's just a matter of time before he leaves.

Many people believe that sidewalk counselors primarily try to shame and intimidate women. How do you respond to that idea?

Trained sidewalk counselors are not there to shame women at all. Sadly, there are people who go to the clinics to shame women and it's hurtful and counterproductive. The women don't realize we are different groups; they lump us together. I try really hard to separate myself from anyone who is not being peaceful. If a woman is taken there against her will I hope she looks for the people praying, not shouting. There are people who will help and love you well. 

What advice would you give someone interested in sidewalk counseling?

Go to the training. Make sure that you conduct yourself in a way that is loving; don't say anything that will hurt a woman for the rest of her life. Offer her hope. Be the hope. Love her, love him, and love the baby well. They are all God's kids. 

What advice do you have for people who don't sidewalk counsel but still want to help women with crisis pregnancies?

If you come across a woman who is in a crisis, meet her with love. Listen, discern, and respond. Figure out what is driving her to abortion and how to meet that need.

If you are part of a church, allow people to come in and talk about abortion. When the church doesn't talk about abortion it sends a message that we are okay with it. Women in the church have gone from the pew to the abortion clinic because they believe people will gossip instead of help them. [See the Pastor Pledge from The Equal Rights Institute.] If you are a pastor who doesn't know how to talk about it, invite me to speak. You can also make sure your local pregnancy centers are supported.   

Read more interviews:

• Interview with a secular sidewalk counselor, 6/15/2020
• How Gabriela became a sidewalk counselor outside the clinic where she had her abortion, 3/16/2020
• In-depth interview with a millennial sidewalk counselor, 1/31/2018
• So I met some sidewalk counselors [interview of a sidewalk counseling veteran], 2/14/2014

Sidewalk counseling training resources:

• Sidewalk Counseling Masterclass from Equal Rights Institute
• Free training materials from Rehumanize International
• A training program from Sidewalk Advocates for Life

(Check out the list of ways you can support sidewalk counselors from HowToBeProlife.com.)

Interview with a secular sidewalk counselor

Interviewer's note: People who aren't involved in the pro-life movement—and even some within it—tend to believe that those standing outside abortion clinics are there to shame and frighten women seeking abortion. Videos of street "preachers" screaming at everyone tend to be much more viral than depictions of people quietly holding signs offering resources. I'm interested in shining more light on the latter group. 

From what I've seen, the people waiting peacefully outside clinics to offer help (referred to in pro-life circles as "sidewalk counselors") are particularly brave and compassionate. In my experience they also tend to be particularly devout Christians. I was therefore happy to get an opportunity to interview one of Secular Pro-Life's own, Nick Reynosa, on what it's like for an agnostic to sidewalk counsel.

Before we begin, Nick asked that I clarify that while he sidewalk counsels when he has the chance, he doesn't counsel on a consistent basis the way some do. He didn’t want to give the false impression that he has devoted the same time and energy as some of his trainers and friends have, although he has enjoyed the experience and will continue to counsel when he has the opportunities.

(Nick in the upper right.)

How did you get started sidewalk counseling? What draws you to the sidewalk compared to other types of pro-life work?

My campus pro-life club (through Students for Life of America) went to the sidewalk once or twice a week. In my area of northern California, Students for Life and 40 Days for Life formed a natural partnership such that about a half dozen people would counsel regularly.

So through the pro-life club I started sidewalk counseling in Sacramento in 2011. After I left the sidewalk during one of my very first visits, the other counselors saved three babies in a single day! So that was a fortunate and very encouraging beginning.

Sidewalk counseling is a great way to help women at the one-on-one level. Often pro-lifers are discouraged by a seeming lack of political progress, but the individual victories at the sidewalk can be encouraging. You really see how you can make a difference. Also sidewalk counseling helps you get to know the flesh and blood members of the pro-life movement, which serves as a powerful contrast to the stereotypes the media portrays.

What does your work entail? Describe an average day of sidewalk counseling.

I try to create a peaceful presence and provide women materials and references to local pregnancy resource centers (PRCs) (usually located in close proximity to the clinic). Not all pro-lifers at the sidewalk necessarily talk to the women; conversations are usually reserved for more experienced (and usually female) counselors. The rest of us keep a general presence, often holding signs with information, being eyes and ears in case there are any altercations, getting water or snacks for the group, and sometimes providing more security than one or two female counselors might have alone. Many of the counselors who aren't interacting directly with the women approaching the clinic take the time to pray instead, though of course that's not something I do personally.

Typically at least some of the women accept our information. Nearly always some passersby will hurl profanity or flip the bird. It's common to hear street preachers mix evangelization with sidewalk counseling. It's also common for clinic escorts to play loud music or put up barriers like tarps in order to block the women's view of the counselors.

What are the most difficult aspects of this work, and how do you handle those?

By far the hardest part is being a man. Successful male counselors are unicorns. Pregnancy is an intimate, personal, and deeply feminine experience. Often women associate their situation with their sex lives and this association make establishing trust and comfort with a man more difficult. Women going to the clinic often seem to feel more comfortable talking with other women, so if possible, I defer to the female counselor present.

However there are some circumstances in which it's helpful to have a male counselor. For some women, interacting with a man who cares about what they're going through can be a refreshing experience. And for some, having male counselors there makes them feel safe from an abusive situation. Additionally, men sometimes accompany the women in their lives to abortion appointments and end up waiting outside. Some of them find it helpful to talk to male counselors about the experience.

Do you hand out literature? If so, what is it about?

Yes, usually basic information about abortion and marketing materials for local PRCs. If you're going to sidewalk counsel, I would recommend you read through these materials before you start handing them to people. Make sure you understand and agree with what you're telling others. Some publications are particularly religious, or anti-sex or anti-contraception. Not all pro-lifers agree with those views. Usually, though, the reading material is straightforward, honest, harmless, and very helpful.

Do you refer people to local services? If so, what types or services? Provided by whom?

Yes, I usually refer to local PRCs, primarily for pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, and counseling. I try to send them to the closest PRC with the highest level of medical services. It’s also common for counselors to refer to maternity homes.

It's my impression most sidewalk counselors are fairly devoutly religious, but you're an agnostic. How does being a secular person intersect with sidewalk counseling? Does it hinder you in any ways? Help you in others?

I think being secular can be very helpful when you're speaking to women, because you're presenting life-affirming resources that are religiously neutral and unlikely to come off as anti-contraception or anti-sex. I think female secular sidewalk counselors have the greatest potential of any demographic to connect with women at the clinic.

But being non-religious can be negative in two ways: (1) People tend to assume all of us at the sidewalk are from the same group or all together, which means if someone evangelizes at the sidewalk I'm held liable for everything they say, despite agreeing with probably very little of it. (2) If and when religious sidewalk counselors find out I'm agnostic, some feel the need to evangelize to me. They often believe that without faith in God, a person cannot believe in or access objective morality, and so they find a secular pro-life worldview nonsensical, and they want to debate it.

While I don't especially want to be evangelized to, I do admire the honesty. Sometimes Christian pro-lifers will be happy to have a secular person around to show that this is not a purely religious issue, but then the same people will argue that secular morality is impossible. I'm glad to get along well with religious allies, but if they really do think my worldview is foolish, I'd rather they be honest about it than placate or tokenize me.

Overall I think the fact that I'm at the sidewalk is encouraging to some but also causes cognitive dissonance for others.

How do you respond to people who say they are at the clinic for reasons other than abortion?

I say three things:

1. I'm sorry if they felt we were making an assumption about why they were there. We're just trying to provide options to women in difficult situations.
2. If they are there for contraception services, I recommend they get their contraception from providers that do not offer abortion, such as Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Some counselors keep lists of local FHQCs. There are actually 25 FHQCs in the San Francisco area alone.
3. I let them know that life-affirming clinics like PRCs often offer health care services like STD tests and pregnancy tests.

What are some of the most common circumstances women describe that brought them to the clinic?

1. Economic concerns
2. Tumultuous and dysfunctional relationships
3. Educational concerns (primarily among younger women)

Do you have ongoing relationships with any of the women you have met at the sidewalk? If so, what are those like?

No, but I know this is very common. Often women who choose life will be in touch with PRCs for several years to come.

Do you interact with clinic staff? If so, what has that been like?

Yes. It has been almost universally negative. Everything from them playing loud music and erecting large barriers, calling the cops unjustifiably, threatening with non-existent buffer zone laws, taking my picture without my consent, etc.

Many people believe that sidewalk counselors primarily try to shame and intimidate women. How do you respond to that idea?

I find this to be patently absurd. I have only seen pro-life women being harassed, yelled at, cursed at on the sidewalk. While it is true that are clips of people doing this sort of thing in 1980s and 1990s, this behavior has almost entirely fallen away. The most common sight at the sidewalk is harmless middle-aged Catholic women.

What do you think of buffer zone laws? Has your work been impacted by such laws?

Buffer zone laws are blatantly unconstitutional. If they were consistently applied for all political topics, they would severely restrict all forms of speech and activism. As such, even a lot of passionately pro-choice people should oppose buffer zone laws.

I've never had my speech restricted but I have been threatened by escorts with nonexistent buffer zones. Another time I encountered some ridiculous doublespeak from the San Francisco Police Department. They began our interaction by claiming that "buffer zones are unconstitutional" and then proceeded to cite a city ordinance (which was a buffer zone in all but name) and threaten us with a citation. We promptly called the bluff, and nothing happened to us.

Pro-Life San Francisco actually maintains access to legal assistance in case there's a problem, but I find that if they try to cite us and we threaten action, they usually back down because the law is already on our side.

What advice would you give someone interested in sidewalk counseling?

You shouldn't feel guilty if you decide not to do it. There are many ways you can help women in need. If you are going to counsel and you're a man, I would suggest making sure a female counselor is also there. But overall I think it is a great way to see the movement in action and help women in your community.

What advice do you have for people who don't sidewalk counsel but still want to help women with crisis pregnancies?

Be a brand ambassador for your local PRC. Distribute their contact info everywhere: community poster boards, campuses, restrooms, gas stations, anywhere and everywhere helps. Attend annual fundraising dinners at local PRCs and donate. Help your local campus student group; they are often the best contact for the 18-24 age group where nearly 40% of abortions occur.

What do you believe the pro-life movement is getting right? What do you believe could be better?

The pro-life movement is doing an excellent job of providing a peaceful, compassionate, consistent, and nearly ubiquitous presence at abortion clinics throughout the country. However, too often well-meaning counselors mix their evangelization with their sidewalk work. The simple fact is that many secular women are on the fence about getting an abortion but not on the fence about premarital sex, contraception, and cohabitation. The stakes are too high for a potentially off-putting overtly religious approach, at least at the outset. Choosing life is a life-altering decision, and we are most effective when we focus on that specific issue and take care not to spend energy on other issues that may be major differences between the women and the counselors they're speaking to.

Read more interviews:

• How Gabriela became a sidewalk counselor outside the clinic where she had her abortion, 3/16/2020
• In-depth interview with a millennial sidewalk counselor, 1/31/2018
• So I met some sidewalk counselors [interview of a sidewalk counseling veteran], 2/14/2014

Sidewalk counseling training resources:

• Sidewalk Counseling Masterclass from Equal Rights Institute
• Free training materials from Rehumanize International
• A training program from Sidewalk Advocates for Life

(Check out the list of ways you can support sidewalk counselors from HowToBeProlife.com.)

Pro-life work while sheltering in place

If you find yourself with more time and less mobility than usual, here are some ways you can keep doing pro-life work:

1. Increase our own knowledge. We asked our followers what books and film/TV shows—whether giving a pro-life or pro-choice perspective—have informed their perspectives of the abortion debate. Below are partial lists, but you can read all of the book suggestions here and film/TV suggestions here.

Books/other reading:

1. Abortion Rites: A Social History of Abortion in America - Marvin Olasky
2. Bearing Right - Will Saletan
3. Defenders of the Unborn: The Pro-Life Movement before Roe v. Wade - Daniel Williams
4. The Ethics of Abortion - Christopher Kaczor
5. Our Bodies, Our Souls - Naomi Wolf
6. Roe v. Wade - text of the Court's decision
7. Stuck: A Complete Guide To Answering Questions About Abortion - Justina van Manen
8. The Unaborted Socrates - Peter Kreeft
9. The Walls Are Talking - Abby Johnson
10. Why Pro-Life - Randy Alcorn

Film/TV shows:

1. Arrival
2. Bella
3. Call the Midwife
4. The Giver
5. Gosnell
6. Juno
7. October Baby
8. A Quiet Place
9. The Silent Scream
10. Unplanned
11. Waitress

(You might get more ideas from the many pro-life movie quotes we've collected.)

2. Donate to organizations on the front lines. We asked our followers which organizations can directly help pregnant and newly parenting people. If you prefer to go local, quick online searching should turn up pregnancy resource centers in your area. Meanwhile below is a partial list of follower suggestions, and here are the full responses. (Note: as of 3/27/20 all of the following orgs were still open.)

1. Abide Women's Health Services (Texas) — They have a COVID-19-based Amazon wish list.
2. Ava Care of Harrisonburg (Virginia)
3. The Crossing of Manitowoc County (Wisconsin)
4. Diaper Bank of the Ozarks (Missouri)
5. Expect Hope (New York City)
6. Good Counsel Homes (New Jersey) 
7. The Life House (Nebraska)
8. Safe Families for Children (multiple locations)
9. Sisters of Life (New York City) — Amazon baby registry

3. Do online work. We asked our followers for other ways to help while sheltering in place. Read the full responses here but below are some ideas:

1. Promote pro-life content on social media (like, comment, and share)
2. Write a guest blog post for Secular Pro-Life!
3. Educate yourself on local resources for mothers (assistance with rent or utilities, food, diapers, access to health care and education, etc.) Keep a list for reference.
4. Contact your favorite pro-life orgs and ask them if they have any online volunteer opportunities. You never know who needs a translator, editor, web designer, graphic artist, database manager, etc.

Read more:

How Disabled People (And Others) Can Be Activists From Home - Rehumanize International

The Top 8 Pro-Life Things To Do During Coronavirus - Students for Life of America

Interview: How Gabriela became a sidewalk counselor outside the clinic where she had her abortion

I met Gabriela recently through Secular Pro-Life. I asked her if she had always been pro-life, and when she said no, I asked her what brought her to our side. Her story moved me, and she gave me permission to share it through an interview. - Monica

How long were you pro-choice? What were the main reasons you were pro-choice? I was pro-choice for as long as I can remember. It's funny: I don't remember the exact moment I first heard the word "abortion" or learned what it was; I just remember always supporting it. Even though I grew up Catholic and went to a Catholic high school, I don't remember it ever really being mentioned. But honestly I was pro-choice mainly because I never wanted children. And it just seemed logical to me that if you don't want kids, you would support abortion. It didn't make sense to be pregnant for nine months only to give the kid to someone else.

Tell me about your abortion. What led you to that decision? The part that gets me most about my abortion is that I had an IUD (intrauterine device), so none of this was supposed to happen. I had a Paragard (copper) IUD, which is supposedly 99.7% effective, and yet approximately six months after the IUD was inserted, I got pregnant. My ultrasound appointment showed that the IUD was exactly where it was supposed to be—it didn't fall out or embed in the uterus; it just didn't work. I decided to have an abortion out of pure panic: I was terrified. I had intended to prevent pregnancy, and I wasn't planning on this, so an abortion just seemed like the logical choice.

How did you feel about it after? The moment after my abortion, I felt relief. The day after, I felt a despair and hopelessness and horror at what I had done unlike anything I had ever experienced in my life. It's still hard to talk about.

What did you do to try to get support and heal? In order to try and heal, I named my child. I also participated in a retreat with Rachel's Vineyard, a Catholic post-abortion recovery group that I found through my church bulletin. I tried therapy for a couple sessions, and then I joined a local sidewalk advocate group, which I found out about through a nearby crisis pregnancy center. After that, I was able to get a copy of my ultrasound picture, which I framed.

All of these methods helped in some way, and I basically did them one after the other. Naming my child and framing his ultrasound picture were important because those gestures acknowledged his humanity. Though it was too early to determine the gender of my unborn child, I just knew he was a boy. The retreat helped because it made me realize I wasn't alone, and it provided the participants little mementos to honor our unborn children. Therapy kind of helped, but I needed something more. 

Being a sidewalk advocate really helped because I could actually do something useful, rather than just wallow in regret. Sidewalk advocacy has helped me process my abortion by providing me an opportunity to use my story for good. I wish, more than anything, that someone had been on the sidewalk when I went to get my abortion. I now want to be that person for others, and hopefully prevent other women and unborn babies from going through what I and my unborn child went through. A couple of months after I started, a young woman told me that years ago she was about about to get an abortion but someone was on the sidewalk so she changed her mind. Her baby is now 3 years old.

Did you know the sidewalk counselors before you started working alongside them? Before I joined the group, I didn't know anything about them, but I wanted to join a group that I knew valued unborn children and shared my newfound pro-life beliefs.

Did you tell them your story? If so, what were their reactions? I have told them and they are very supportive of me. They think it can really change people's hearts to hear about my regret, particularly because I am now an advocate outside the abortion facility where I received my abortion.

Are you close to people who are pro-choice (friends, family, etc.)? What are those relationships like? I am close with people who are pro-choice, and the relationships are fine because we just don't talk about my abortion. Only a few people know, and they responded without judgment. But overall I just don't really talk about it much with those I know.

If you could say anything to yourself years ago, what advice would you give? If I could say something to my younger self, I'm telling you she would not have listened! In all seriousness, I think the best way to change a pro-choicer's mindset is to ask some simple questions: If a pregnant woman is murdered, should the perpetrator be charged with one murder or two, and why? If you're in a burning building and have to choose between saving a pregnant woman or saving a woman who isn't pregnant,  who would you save and why? If it's the woman's choice, is it okay for a woman to use abortion as birth control? If not, what's not okay about it? These pointed questions might have made me question my pro-choice stance a lot earlier, which in turn could have saved my child's life.

Pregnancy resource centers need your support now more than ever

If you have the financial ability to donate to a pregnancy center, now is the time to do so. Pregnancy centers and their clients face tremendous challenges from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Photo by Tim Marshall on Unsplash

Nearly three out of four people who have abortions say that financial strain contributed to the abortion decision ("I can't afford a baby now."). Pregnancy centers exist to provide the support necessary to make choosing life easier, including free baby and maternity supplies, job training, prenatal care, and direct financial assistance.

As the coronavirus causes major disruptions to the tourism, entertainment, sports, and service industries, with the effects reverberating to other sectors, the number of families needing financial help is growing. The situation will get worse before it gets better.

Making matters worse, many non-profits, including pregnancy centers, have been forced to cancel or postpone fundraising galas. And on top of that, as universities close and elderly Americans are advised to stay home for their own safety, pregnancy centers could lose two major sources of volunteers: college students and retirees. It's a perfect storm.

Please donate to your local pregnancy center. If you don't have a local center, consider giving to a center in a hard-hit area, like Washington state. Your generosity can make a world of difference for a struggling family.

What I Learned from Volunteering at a Crisis Pregnancy Center

I started volunteering at my local secular crisis pregnancy center in the greater Seattle area, for 6 hours a week, in early September. It's been several months and I already feel like I have learned a lot, not only about how to fold baby clothes into bundles or how to take clients in, but also about humanity and charity, and how misogynistic, classist, and racist the pro-choice attack on these centers is.

To start off with, we provide all services for free. They are for low-income pregnant and parenting women. We have free baby clothes, toddler clothes, shoes, maternity clothes, pregnancy tests, breast pumps, nursing bras, diapers, baby wipes, bottles, baby/toddler dishes, formula, food, toys, books, car seats, strollers, cribs, cradles, jumpers, and any other pieces of furniture or big toys when we get them. I have seen pretty much anything you can think of that deals with pregnancy or parenting, come into the clinic. We also give referrals to various social services, such as WIC.

Almost everything is donated, other than car seats which are always new. Most people who work there are volunteers. To watch so many people donate their items, money, and time to this place, so that these low-income single parents and families can have the help they need, is truly wonderful. We had a dinner auction fundraiser, which is the only fundraiser event of the year, and it brought in $71,000 total. I almost wanted to cry with joy. I always wished I was rich enough to be able to afford to donate more money, but I have always been in the same boat as these women we service. If I were to get pregnant, I would probably have to go there to pick up supplies myself, because I have never had much money. So I do what I can with volunteering instead.

All we ask from the people coming in is ID, not finances or anything else (other than license, registration, and insurance for the car-seats). We don't make them pay a single cent, unlike places like Planned Parenthood. So we truly offer purely free items for struggling families. Taking clinics like this away from all the people we have serviced, or trying to make it harder for us to provide these free items, is a gross attack on lower class people, especially since places like Planned Parenthood don't bother to give *any* of these baby/toddler/maternity items to needy women. In fact you won't find baby clothes or diapers or strollers or anything like that at any abortion clinic. Planned Parenthood doesn't help you plan your parenthood at all, it just tries to eliminate it for you.

It takes a ton of privilege to be able to tell people that because you want every clinic that helps women to provide abortions, poor women aren't allowed to have free baby supplies. I have already seen so many people come in and get free supplies, and it saddens me to think of these people not having these free supplies anymore due to angry pro-choicers trying to control where we can get services and what types of services we can get. This is what misogyny and classist oppression looks like.

Our clinic is non-sectarian, so we welcome people of all faith and political backgrounds to volunteer. They know I am an Atheist and welcome me with open arms, even though we don't have the same beliefs on religion. They are truly loving and caring to all the clients, no matter their background. There are people who have dealt with CPS, people who have addiction issues, people who are divorced and people who are single in addition to those who are married; all are welcome with open arms and not judged. Everyone gets their free baby supplies and a friendly smile.

There is a lot of racial diversity in our clients as well. I have seen various people from all across the race and religion spectrum. People who are Pacific Islander, Arabic, Hispanic, Muslim, Ukrainian, Egyptian, African American, and so on and so forth. To take away free supplies from all these various minorities is racist and an injustice. They need help being able to afford these supplies and abortion clinics certainly aren't going to help them. Higher rates of infant mortality due to systematic racism mean that every affordable baby supply is truly needed for a person of color. It is a privileged position to take that away.

Every year that goes by truly shows me that pro-choicers are the ones oppressing pregnant women, even if they pretend to be pro-woman. If they want to take down these clinics, they are going to have a ton of needy people on their hands who don't have the ability to properly clothe, feed, and diaper their children....which makes them feel the pressure to abort, which is possibly the real reason as to why they fight these clinics, because they lose out on abortion dollars when people feel like they don't need abortion because they can get free baby supplies. This is one of the things we mean when we say that abortion is a tool of the patriarchy. So all we can do is fight this oppression until we win.

[Today's guest post by Kristin Monahan is part of our paid blogging program.]

Planned Parenthood doesn't require sonographer certification; pregnancy centers do

Not long ago, there was a strong push by abortion rights groups to “expose” crisis pregnancy centers, or pregnancy centers that do not provide or refer for abortions, as “fake clinics.” These advocates goal was to educate women about a service NOT offered at places that offered a multitude of other services for FREE. Whatever the faults of pregnancy centers, I have never heard of a pregnancy center EVER charging a client for ANY services received no matter what choice that woman ends up making after she leaves that center. With “comprehensive” clinics that provide or refer for abortions, it is the complete opposite. Sure, many clinics have sliding scale fees, relief scholarships, or fundraisers to help defray the cost of SOME women’s abortions, but not every woman seeking abortion services receives free or reduced cost services (most don’t).

I have volunteered, or attempted to volunteer for, various pregnancy centers throughout Ohio for over five years. I have run the gamut of experiences visiting, touring, and learning about facilities offering help for women facing unplanned pregnancies. As someone who actually knows what it’s like being involved with these entities, let me educate you on what they are and what they offer.

Pregnancy centers run by private, often faith-based organizations are of two types: medical models or aid-based models. Aid models provide options counseling, basic testing (urine over the counter pregnancy testing), adoption agency referrals, government social services resource lists, and in house resources in the form of parenting classes or tangible goods needed for caring for a baby, usually up to one year in age (this is not an exhaustive list of all services offered by aid based clinics). Medical models provide many or all of the options of aid models, but also usually provide a free basic viability/dating ultrasound, free referral to an OB/GYN doctor, free consultation with a nurse, and sometimes medical model clinics offer free STD testing.

Medical model pregnancy clinics employ counselors, nurses, doctors, and sonographers to provide the medical care clients receive, free of charge. Sometimes these medical professionals are volunteering their services for free, sometimes they take a reduced rate of pay from the center, and sometimes these professionals get special training to be able to perform multiple job functions to save pregnancy centers money. Often medical model pregnancy centers will get nurses to take classes from REGISTERED DIAGNOSTIC MEDICAL SONOGRAPHERS or other credentialed medical professionals so that they can learn to perform limited OB viability/dating scans. These nurses are supervised by a person who holds a registry in ultrasound and are trained to perform limited protocol scans on pregnant women.

The important thing to know about medical model pregnancy centers is that they have medical professionals doing these services. Either a doctor, nurse with ultrasound training, or a REGISTERED DIAGNOSTIC MEDICAL SONOGRAPHER is, and should be performing all medical services.

In America, there are laws pertaining to who can practice medicine, how they are trained, how they are licensed or certified, and how they maintain that license or certification. The legitimacy of doctors and nurses is more secure and trusted because of these measures put in place to protect the public. What is less widely known is that the person doing ultrasound scans is not regulated with the same vigor. Without the extra push of legislation, there is no requirement for who provides ultrasound scans to be licensed or certified in any way.

In the United States there are two bodies that provide credentialing for people who have received specialized training in performing ultrasounds: the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT), and the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS). Before anyone can sit for the tests that each of these organizations offers, their educational background is scrutinized and confirmed. Their academic and hands on clinical hours scanning real patients under supervision are verified, and there are minimum clock hours for both requirements. Once confirmed, someone who has studied ultrasound can take an academic knowledge test and become registered.

According to the Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers, a professional trade organization for those in the field of sonography, there are only four states that require a sonographer to be licensed at this time; they are New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Oregon. What these state licensure requirements are trying to do is standardize the level of education needed to perform ultrasounds that are diagnostic. All four states accept the requirements set forth by national accrediting agencies for sonographers as an adequate minimum qualification for the state license, meaning if you are registered through ARDMS OR ARRT, then you will be able to get a state license. For all other states, this means that anyone with any training could be doing your ultrasound, with the only repercussion being retroactive lawsuits filed by patients hurt after a medical procedure.

The general public does not know about this lack of requirements for people running ultrasound machines. The people who work in radiology giving CT scans, MRI scans, doing X-rays or doing nuclear medicine studies all have to be trained, educated, and registered, just like nurses and doctors. Sonographers too must be registered to work in hospitals and outpatient clinics, and the majority of medical facilities recognize and hold professional medical support staff to this standard for the safety of all patients. The fact that there are no laws mandating this level of training isn’t much of a problem in the medical professional community, until you run in to an organization that puts profit before patients best interests and safety.

The campaign by abortions rights activists to “expose” fake clinics was amplified by many mainstream media news sources. Many of the pieces I have read covering this push to expose facilities were very clearly biased and agenda driven. As someone who sits on the fringes of the pro-life movement, I have a unique position and ability to provide commentary on some unique factors related to a clinic's legitimacy and/or bottom line. Allow me to educate you; this is a REAL job listing for a “real” clinic that provides “comprehensive” reproductive options (right-click and select "open image in new tab" to enlarge). Currently there are no laws requiring licensure of sonographers in Ohio.









Notice the first two essential duties and responsibilities listed: perform ultrasound imaging procedure of clients for the purposes of pregnancy dating, identification of the presence or absence of cardiac activity, and fetal number. The ability to recognize when findings require evaluation by an APN or a physician. Since in this entire application there is no explicit requirement that the person doing this job be registered through the ARDMS or ARRT, there are several concerns about these job requirements. Unless you are trained in anatomy and physiology, ultrasound, and the unique conditions that can sometimes occur surrounding pregnancy, how can you properly date a pregnancy? Anyone can place measurement calipers on to a fetal pole to estimate how far along the pregnancy is, but can they do that accurately? It can sometimes be hard to do. Bowel gas can make the ultrasound image less clear. If a woman is very overweight, the ultrasound beam cannot penetrate the tissue very well to see in to the uterus, and that can make the image unclear. Knowing ways to work around these limitations is WHY having standards of training is so important. Also there is a condition called heterotopic pregnancy that can happen. It is rare, but again without training, you wouldn’t know to look for this condition. In a heterotopic pregnancy, there is a fetus in the uterus and a fetus in an ectopic location (somewhere outside of the uterus, like on an ovary). Unless you are trained, you might not know where to look to visualize the ovary, or you might THINK you visualized an ovary, but in actuality did not. So how would you know to look for this condition or notify the nurse or physician about a suspected ectopic if you’ve not been trained? And just because a nurse or doctor comes in to look at the screen doesn’t mean they’ve been trained to interpret ultrasound scans unless they have received additional training for interpreting those images. Usually a radiologist specializes in reading all types of medical imaging studies and knows the subtle things to look for that can indicate a more serious problem. The room for error in not using a registered sonographer is much greater, and you’ll notice in this entire job listing that there is no requirement to be registered to work at this abortion facility.

Pregnancy centers use trained nurses or sonographers when doing limited OB scans. The goal of pregnancy centers is to support women and help them feel like they can keep their pregnancies. Pregnancy centers get no money for any decision a woman makes. Planned Parenthood uses anyone with a Bachelors degree in the medical field or a minimum of 4 years of related work experience will be considered in lieu of degree. The goal of Planned Parenthood is to support women and help them feel like they don’t need to keep their pregnancies. Planned Parenthood get money from women who decide to get abortions.

When you look at the two clinics objectively, it is clear that one of them is motivated by profit and when given the choice will choose the less credentialed person in favor of making more profit. Of course, the registered sonographer will want more money, the process of school and getting registered is not cheap. If there’s no law saying you need to be registered, then they won’t explicitly ask for the highest level of training, and this put patients at risk. Registered sonographers have a minimum of training and are tested to know about the intricacies of doing ultrasound. Anyone else scanning you as a patient is a risk, but how would you know to ask?

[Today's guest post by Sarah Anne is part of our paid blogging program.]

Your experiences with CPCs and pregnancy resource centers.

About a week ago we asked our followers what experiences they've had with pregnancy resource centers. You can read all the responses here, but below are some key selections.

Those who have volunteered or worked for a center:

Sarah I: I volunteer for one. I usually do whatever task they need me to do. One day, they asked me to sit at the front desk and answer phones. A woman came in for an ultrasound. She was leaning toward abortion. She was 14 weeks along. She came out of the ultrasound room afterwards and said to me, "Wow! It's definitely a baby! I thought it was going to look like a grain of rice or something. I'm definitely going to have this baby." That reminded me how so many people are not aware of what abortion really does and how early we have developmental milestones.


Leticia C: Helping! One time I helped carry a stroller with a baby in it down the stairs. On two other occasions I listened to pregnant mamas tell their stories which were very eye-opening... just being able to authentically care for someone and for them to know that they are cared for is pretty darn memorable.

Christine N: Had a pregnant client who told me how her boyfriend wasn't nice to her. Hinted he was sometimes physical. I tried to offer her help to get her out of that situation but she didn't want to leave him and be single with a baby. She never came back and always wondered what happened to her.

We had a young woman, 19 or 20 who was pregnant with her 3rd child. She had started coming to us when she was expecting her 2nd. I couldn't help but wonder if the center promoted more than abstinence (biblical sexuality) if she would have avoided that 3rd pregnancy.

I had more than one client who was abortion-minded change her mind once she found out about all the help we could offer during and after pregnancy. In all the women I had seen for a pregnancy test not a single one during our initial question form said yes that they were using birth control or condoms.

Countless smiling women and their kids coming in weekly for various classes, or just to talk to one of the volunteers made it all worth while.

Erin S: I fund raise and throughout the year I collect items for their “boutique” periodically when they need things. I’m doing it now actually, my mom volunteers for them and noticed they were low on things. So, I’m trading stuff on Facebook for baby items. They send out a card every month with how many women they are helping have a due date that month. It’s usually 30 or so each month. www.cpcfriends.org

Aron R: I work for a PRC. We are seeing a lot of immigrants for parenting classes and material assistance. We have also had an influx of abortion minded women seeking information and several have changed their mind recently.

Christina H: Had a young woman come into the center I volunteer at a couple weeks ago. She wanted to thank us. HER MOTHER had been a client 20 years ago. This young woman was certain she wouldn't be here if our center hadn't been around back then.


A woman who had bad experiences with a center:

Stefanie F: I went to a CPC a pregnant 17 year old from rape. I refused my family's demand to abort. I wanted parenting resources and counsel to prepare for that. Instead, I was told not only would they not help me parent, but that I must put the baby up for adoption. Single motherhood was a "sin" and there were married couples who could give my baby so much more than I could. I was given a binder of waiting PAPs and told to pick a couple. I had a meltdown because they were trying to take my baby away. Turns out the counselor has a sister who worked for DSS seeking to adopt a baby on the cheap. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I was told either let her sister adopt my baby or CPS would take her at birth anyway. They helped my family force me into an adoption. To make a long story short, the counselors sister didn't want my daughter, because she wasn't "white." So my daughter ended up being adopted by paternal relatives. Never will I send a vulnerable woman to a CPC. Too many push adoption as the default option, instead of the last one. (Abortion isn't an option.)


Women who had good experiences with a center:

Sarah Y: Yes, I was 17. Pregnant. They did testing for me, then counseling, and gave me all the options. I appreciated the honesty. Was really nice to have someone sit down and talk with me about priorities and future goals. Helped me put things into perspective and made it seem less daunting somehow. 20 years later, my daughter is amazing and I feel so blessed to have had such an amazing person to help me so long ago.

Crystal K: I went to one for most of my pregnancy and a couple times afterward. I wanted to take advantage of their parenting classes before my baby arrived. My counselor was incredibly wonderful and kind, and they helped my little family with baby clothes and equipment we needed. I learned so much there that's been helpful and I'm so thankful.

Margaret K: A friend of mine thought she might be pregnant. So she went to a CPC in Texas and they told her that the test was negative but it's still early so there might not be enough of the pregnancy hormone and to come back tomorrow and they can do an ultrasound. But they just sat and talked with a very scared single 21 year old. They talked to her about how she can handle it. If she is pregnant it's a baby not a problem. And they really humanized her potentially nonexistent child for her. When she got the ultrasound she discovered it was a failed implantation and they grieved with her. They let her experience her emotions. She is considering going to volunteer there.

Varina H: Yes, they are very helpful. Still help me with maternity clothes, vouchers for baby clothes, lots of moral support, free ultrasounds, and said when the baby is born to go back and they will give me a baby shower basket with lots of clothes and diapers and other things. They help with baby furniture, have counseling and parenting classes for free, and help with children's clothes as well. Super grateful for all the help I've received.