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One Community, One Spirit, One Heart

Pregnant and you don't know what to do?

Know that you are not alone; we are here for you to help you and support you in any way that we can. Being pregnant unexpectedly or while in danger is scary. No matter how difficult your situation is, we can help. Being pregnant doesn’t mean your life is over. It may be very different, especially at first, but you are not alone.
 

We know that sometimes the hardest part is asking for help. Every one of the resources listed on this page will try to make it as easy as possible for you to get the help you need.

Hotlines

Option Hotline
A 24/7 hotline is available for you! Call 1-800-712-4357, or text "HELPLINE" to 313131.
 
Care Net 
Confidential free resources for women in unplanned pregnancies (877) 791-5475.
 
Life Time Adoption
A 24/7 hotline offering adoption resources, counseling, housing, and education on adoption 1-(800) 923-6784.
 
National Housing Coalition
A 24/7 hotline and a national directory of housing initiatives for pregnant mothers (800) 712-4357.
 

Local Resources

Life Choices
pregnancy resource center (989) 773-6008
 
Pregnancy Services of Gratiot County

Pregnancy resource center (989) 466-2295

Strickler Center
A center that houses a coalition of nonprofits whose mission is to serve our community. Coalition of nonprofits listed below. 
Location: 1114 W High St Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858
  • Community Compassion Network: Food Pantry, Nutrition Club, Food Pantry
  • Clothing INC: Supplies clothes for those in need
  • The Care Store: Supplies toiletries and household items

Meals for Moms

Are you an expecting Mom or do you know someone who is? Walking with Moms offers Meal Train for Moms, where we will provide 5 meals after the birth of your baby. Please contact us through the form linked below so we can start planning your meals.

Meals for Moms Form

If you would like to help in preparing meals please contact Abby Jones at atones@sha.net or call 989-772-1385.

Post-Abortive Resources for Women and Men

What you hear in media is not how most women experience their abortions. If you have had an abortion in the past and you recognize the need for healing in your life, please know that we are praying for you. All is not lost. The Lord has a plan, and you can be healed.

Click here to find healing

Life Choices

Life Choices is a pregnancy resource center that has a medical clinic (pregnancy testing, limited obstetrical ultrasound, STD testing), parenting programs, sexual health programs, after-abortion care, and resources from their Baby Boutique.

WHO DO WE SERVE?
They serve teens, women, men and families. They consider themselves privileged to be a part of your life. Your health and well-being are our primary concerns.
 
WHAT DOES IT COST?
All of the services are free of charge and confidential.
 
WHERE ARE WE LOCATED?

1985 Parkland Drive, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858

To schedule an appointment please call: (989) 773-6008

For more information visit their site here.

How to respond to the Pro-Life Movement!

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." John 15:12

God calls us to respond with love. We as Catholics claim the sacredness of life from the moment of conception until natural death.

Catholic principles call for a consistent ethic of life and just laws that protect and promote the life and dignity of each and every person, especially the poor and vulnerable, regardless of age or stage in life, ability, immigration status, race, religion, gender, or any other factor.

Abortion has been one of the most divisive issues in America since states were forbidden to outlaw abortion after the 1973 Roe v Wade Supreme Court decision. Since that time, over 63 million abortions have been performed in the United States. See below the ways you can help.

What Can You Do?

  • Donate to Pro-Life Causes
  • Volunteer
  • Educate Yourself
  • Watch Unplanned: Abby Johnson tells her powerful story about working for Planned Parenthood and her journey to the truth
  • Know a pregnant/parenting mom in need? 
    • Make her a meal
    • Help with household chores or errands
    • Volunteer to babysit for free
  • Join a pro-life group:
  • Most importantly pray. We can only do so much and need to entrust all our care and concerns to our Heavenly Father.

Thank you for taking a stand for the most vulnerable among us.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Catholic Church’s position on abortion is clear. In the magisterial document Donum Vitae (The Gift of Life) the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith affirmed that, “The human being is to be respected and treated as a person from the moment of conception; and therefore from that same moment his rights as a person must be recognized, among which in the first place is the inviolable right of every innocent human being to life,” (Sec I.1) Direct abortion, or the intentional killing of a human being living in the womb, is always seriously immoral because as persons the right-to-life is the most basic and fundamental right we possess. Even in light of this clear teaching, some questions that afflict people of conscience include:

A: Some critics of the Church’s teaching on abortion have attempted to twist history and make it seem as if the Church has only recently opposed abortion. But a thorough look at the writings of the Church fathers and members of the magisterium shows that this is simply not the case. Consider the following examples of Church teaching on the issue of abortion (available from Catholic Answers):

“You shall not procure [an] abortion, nor destroy a newborn child”
— Didache 2:1–2 70 A.D.

“we may not destroy even the fetus in the womb, while as yet the human being derives blood from the other parts of the body for its sustenance. To hinder a birth is merely a speedier man-killing; nor does it matter whether you take away a life that is born, or destroy one that is coming to birth. That is a man which is going to be one; you have the fruit already in its seed”
—Tertullian. Apology 9:8 – 197 A.D.

“Let her that procures abortion undergo ten years’ penance, whether the embryo was perfectly formed, or not”
—St. Basil the Great. First Canonical Letter, canon 2 – 374 A.D.

John Paul II recounts how the Popes of the 20th century carried on this ancient tradition and says this in Evangelium Vitae:

“Given such unanimity in the doctrinal and disciplinary tradition of the Church, Paul VI was able to declare that this tradition is unchanged and unchangeable. Therefore, by the authority which Christ conferred upon Peter and his Successors, in communion with the Bishops — who on various occasions have condemned abortion and who in the aforementioned consultation, albeit dispersed throughout the world, have shown unanimous agreement concerning this doctrine — I declare that direct abortion, that is, abortion willed as an end or as a means, always constitutes a grave moral disorder, since it is the deliberate killing of an innocent human being. This doctrine is based upon the natural law and upon the written Word of God, is transmitted by the Church’s Tradition and taught by the ordinary and universal Magisterium” (62).

A: According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, if current trends continue, by age 45 one in three women will have had at least one abortion. While the church teaches that abortion is gravely immoral, she also teaches that God’s mercy and grace are never far from those who have sinned and seek God’s forgiveness. Along with women who have had abortions, it is common that the woman’s partner, family, friends, the abortion provider, and even society at large, are complicit in reaffirming (or even guilty of pressuring her) to make the “choice” of abortion. In the Encyclical Evangelium Vitae, Pope John Paul II wrote a special message to women who are post-abortive. He wrote,

“I would now like to say a special word to women who have had an abortion. The Church is aware of the many factors which may have influenced your decision, and she does not doubt that in many cases it was a painful and even shattering decision. The wound in your heart may not yet have healed. Certainly what happened was and remains terribly wrong. But do not give in to discouragement and do not lose hope. Try rather to understand what happened and face it honestly. If you have not already done so, give yourselves over with humility and trust to repentance. The Father of mercies is ready to give you his forgiveness and his peace in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. To the same Father and his mercy you can with sure hope entrust your child. With the friendly and expert help and advice of other people, and as a result of your own painful experience, you can be among the most eloquent defenders of everyone’s right to life. Through your commitment to life, whether by accepting the birth of other children or by welcoming and caring for those most in need of someone to be close to them, you will become promoters of a new way of looking at human life” (99).

A:  In Romans 12:21 Paul says that we should not be conquered by evil but that we should conquer evil with good. The act of rape is a grave sin and an injustice that claims too many people, most often women and children, as victims.  The Church teaches that victims of rape deserve immediate medical, emotional and spiritual care. The Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services (#36) states that Catholic healthcare providers have a duty to provide this care and to prevent the contraction of disease or the conception of a child. However, if a child is conceived in a pregnancy caused by rape, then this child is just as innocent and precious as the woman who was victimized and he or she should not be killed because of the actions of the rapist. The Church teaches that through mercy and love, a non-violent solution for both mother and child is far superior to helping a victim of violence (the raped woman) commit violence against her own child through abortion.

A: We may never perform an intrinsically evil act even to bring about a great good. For example, a just society cannot intentionally kill innocent civilians in a war, even for the praiseworthy goal of ending a conflict quickly and saving many lives. Likewise, in the context of pregnancy, a woman may not be killed in order to save the life of her child, and a child may not be killed in order to save the life of his mother. However, the Church does permit morally neutral medical procedures designed to save a pregnant woman’s life that may have an unintended side-effect of causing a child to die in the womb, such as the removal of a cancerous uterus.

Credits

Thank you Diocese of Phoniex for providing many of the resources on this page including: Post-Abortive Resources and FAQs and answers.