June 24, 2022 will go down in history as the day Roe v. Wade was overturned, sending the abortion discussion back to the states. We invite you to share with us what this day means to you, personally.

Since the overturning of Roe with the Dobbs decision, pregnancy help organizations have found themselves more and more often in the crosshairs of abortion advocates. Accusing our life-saving work of deceiving women, being careless with confidential information, and impersonating abortion clinics, the rage against pregnancy help centers ignited in June of 2022.

For the most part, the rage and anger have slowed since then, but often anniversaries (like the Dobbs decision day of June 24), holidays, and even long weekends can bring a resurgence of physical and/or digital attacks and harrassment. 

While we may be the target of their anger, we are not the true reason.

“Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me.” John 15:20-21 NLT

After all, we have been helping women overcome the obstacles that force them into the profiteering practice of abortion for the over fifty years. Our motivation has never been the politics but the practical need every woman has to be loved and supported in her pregnancy. Our joy is helping her, and our reward is fulfilling the call to love her through her valley of decision.

“God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.” Matthew 5:11 NLT

Persecution is no fun, but it does bring “great reward” ahead! In the midst of it, we can also realize the reward of being a partner with Christ.

“Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.” 1 Peter 4:12-13 NLT

Along with the proper spiritual perspective of protests and persecutions we can take practical steps to protect ourselves and our centers in preparing for increased protest activities.

Security

Security systems are highly recommended. Especially those that use cameras to capture activity in and around your building (if you have your own building). Having cameras may not fully dissuade negative activity but they can help in showing criminal activity to law enforcement. 

Policy

Policy and protocols are helpful to protect our personnel as much as they help protect the ministry. Consider adopting some practices, at least for this heightened season, like having at least two people in the pregnancy center.at a time and having training for anyone who might interact with clients that includes identifying fake clients.

Report

Should protestors assemble it might be helpful to contact local law enforcement and advise them of the situation. If peaceful you might just use the “non-emergency” number and explain the situation as you see it. Of course, if protesters begin to harass or threaten anyone or anything (verbally or physically) report this immediately to the authorities. In addition, threats of violence or vandalism of a PHO can be reported to your local FBI Field Office and/or submitted through the FBI Tip Line at FBI.gov. Sometimes this prompts a faster response than a local Police Department can or would provide. The FBI is taking this very seriously and has an open investigation on Jane's Revenge. Click here for an FBI resource booklet.

Insurance

Have your property insurance information handy. Should vandalism occur, right after reporting the incident to law enforcement you might want to be ready to reach out to your insurance provider to discuss filing a claim.

Prayer

This is last on this list, but it is the greatest. Prayer is our partnership with God in fulfilling His Will for our lives, this ministry, and the life-affirming outcomes He desires. Prayer is power for the spiritual warfare that is part and parcel of the landscape in which we serve. We are called to pray even for our “enemies” (Mt 5:44). Fortunately, we know that we are on God’s side and can fully trust in Him to walk with us and work through us.

The Lord will also be a stronghold for the oppressed, A stronghold in times of trouble; And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, Lord, have not abandoned those who seek You. Psalm 9:9-10 NASB

by Matthew Doane, Esq.
Staff Attorney, Heartbeat International

One of my favorite bible verses on children and parenting comes from Psalm 127:3-5, “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.” While thoughts of quivers full of arrows and enemies at the gate pull at my J.R.R. Tolkien-reading heart, verse 3 begins with a declaration that children are a reward from God, a heritage from Him.

While the word heritage can have many meanings, in this context “heritage” can be translated to the Hebrew word of “nachala,” which can mean “assigned by God.” Thus, not only are children gifts from above, but God has specifically assigned us, of all the men in the world, to be our child’s father. What an awesome, yet humbling realization.

As the sole person in the entire world that God has ordained to father and raise our particular children, how do we fulfill this awesome and daunting responsibility? Who better to look to as an example than Joseph, the husband of Mary and the person God selected to serve as Jesus’ stepfather during His time on Earth? While Joseph is never quoted in the bible and appears only briefly in the Gospel narrative, there are lessons to be learned from this important person in Jesus’ life during His time on Earth:

Righteousness

Joseph is described as a “just” man in Matthew 1:19 who is unwilling to put Mary to shame when he learns that she is with child. We are told throughout scripture that justness, or righteousness, is one of the chief attributes of God. As men and fathers, we should imitate Joseph, who imitates God, and do our best to live a righteous life.

Faithfulness

As Joseph is considering divorcing Mary quietly, an angel of the Lord appears to him in a dream and instructs him to not be afraid in taking Mary as his wife and that Jesus would “save his people from their sins.” When Joseph awoke, “he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him.” Joseph followed the Lord’s instruction and was faithful to his God throughout the few instances he is mentioned in the bible. While we may not have an angel of the Lord appear to us, as fathers we too should follow the Lord’s instructions left in scripture on how to be Godly fathers to our children and “bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord” Ephesians 6:4b.

Protection

One of our principal duties as fathers is to protect our children. After the wise men departed from their visit to the child Jesus, another angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and warned him that Herod was out to destroy Jesus. The angel instructed Joseph to flee with Jesus and Mary to Egypt for their safety. When he awoke, Joseph immediately took Jesus and Mary to Egypt under the cover of night. Since Jesus, the Son of God, was also truly human during His time on Earth, He needed the parental care and protection of His adopted earthly father. We too must provide for and protect our children.

Modesty

The Gospels refer to Jesus as a carpenter, a trade he likely learned from Joseph. The King of all Kings, the Lord of Lords, was entrusted to a carpenter. We don’t have to be powerful, wealthy kings to be good, godly fathers to our children (which is good, right?). God has assigned them to us for His reasons, and our job is to be an earthly reflection of His fatherly love to them.

Fathers, we are blessed because our quivers are full! Let us celebrate this and God’s assignment of His children to us this Father’s Day.

We share many stories of women who have been served by pregnancy help organizations. The lesser-known stories are of the men, the fathers, whose lives are transformed as well by the work of pregnancy help.

Oftentimes, the new fathers are just as scared as the new mothers when faced with an unexpected pregnancy. Pregnancy help organizations frequently provide fatherhood and parenting classes, an invaluable service that seeks to foster families and lives in all situations.

Such is the case of Cole.

When Cole found out his girlfriend Zayda was pregnant, he really didn't know what to think. Zayda was 14, at the time, Cole was 15.

Petrified as to how they could support a baby at a young age, Cole introduced the idea of abortion because he thought it was their only choice. Zayda suggested they first visit a pregnancy center.

Here, for the first time, Cole felt that he could be a dad.

When they offered a free ultrasound, everything changed. Seeing the ultrasound image of baby Delia Jo was the moment he fully grasped the reality of life for his unborn daughter.

Zayda was 10 weeks along, and the baby’s arms, legs, and heartbeat were evident. The fear and apprehension of being parents faded the moment Cole saw the ultrasound image and heard the flutter of his daughter’s beating heart. 

“I realized that I created a human then, you know?” Cole said, “And I felt like keeping her.”

After hearing their baby’s heartbeat, both Cole and Zayda knew they were going to have a baby.

He was at the hospital when his daughter Delia Jo was born and continued to tap into the parenting and fatherhood courses offered at the pregnancy center. Cole and Zayda are committed to co-parenting.

“My parents were not together when I was a kid,” he said, “and I want her to have that (both parents).”

Cole has come a long way from thinking abortion was the only answer, that raising a child at their age could not be done, and from the denial early in Zayda’s pregnancy that Delia Jo was not who she was. Thanks, in part to the encouragement and support they received at a local pregnancy center.

We are so appreciative for the work you do to ensure that men like Cole become good fathers. We know that strong families help encourage positive relationships for years to come. Through your efforts, your mentorship, your ongoing support, you are impacting families for generations!

In today's climate, you are more and more likely to have the opportunity to engage with legislators and the media than ever before. Are you prepared to do so? Advocating for pregnancy help in the media - and in local government - is powerful. Find your state below for some talking points and statistics for your state to help you prepare!

We have the honor of working with some amazing partner organizations within the pro-life movement. From advocacy to legal aid, to lobbying to research, all of them recognize the value of pregnancy help organizations and do their part in advancing the reach so that no woman ever feels so alone or helpless that she feels abortion is her only option. 

Two organizations that have started initiatives to expand the reach of pregnancy help are Students for Life and SBA list. Through these new initiatives, each organization added a database of pregnancy help organizations in addition to state and local social services to supply women with a comprehensive list of resources when facing an unexpected pregnancy.

Standing With You (Students for Life)

Stand With You helps women find the answers they need to become a successful parent. Women can connect with real people who understand what an unexpected pregnancy feels like, people who know first-hand that peer-to-peer support can be priceless, people who empower women to choose both their child and their dreams.

Her PLAN (SBA List)

Her PLAN (Her Pregnancy and Life Assistance Network) facilitates collaboration between assistance providers and their communities to empower women and families through comprehensive medical, social, and material support. Her PLAN currently operates nationally and in four states: Georgia, Mississippi, Virginia and West Virginia.

In order to truly change the culture, we need a team of like-minded organizations to work together. We are blessed to work with all of you in this service side of the movement. We hope you appreciate these tools that our partner organizations are using in order to reach more women with the life-saving services you provide.

by Extend Web Services

As you work to save lives from abortion and empower women to make positive choices today, you may find yourself under attack. 

With the current climate surrounding the abortion debate and Roe v. Wade hanging in the balance, these attacks come as no surprise.

As our team continues to keep an eye out for what Big Abortion is doing, we've found that there has been a renewed effort lately to encourage negative reviews of pregnancy help organizations from abortion advocates. 

We've had several customers contact us for assistance in removing negative online reviews that don't reflect the experience of actual clients. After all, pregnancy centers have higher rates of customer satisfaction than Chick-fil-A.

Here are a couple of questions you may have:

What does this mean?
These reviews are nothing new or unheard of. Pro-abortionists have used negative online reviews for years in attempts to discredit pregnancy help organizations. That said, while we thought you should know about this today, there have been relatively few reviews compared to previous campaigns. 

What should be done about false negative reviews?
There are things you can do to protect your reputation online. Pregnancy help organizations like yours cannot be a bystander in the digital age of reaching women online. The same tools and resources available to you can either help or hurt you. Here are a couple of things you can do if you do encounter these attempts to discredit your work.

1. Compensate. Negative reviews are likely to happen, whether they are legitimate or fake. Regardless of their validity, the best way to minimize their adverse effect is to overwhelm them with positive reviews. Get as many positive reviews from as many legitimate sources as you possibly can. These sources can be clients, donors, volunteers, or anyone outside of your staff and board members who’ve had a positive experience with your center. These reviews should be posted in the most prominent locations online (Yelp, Google, Yahoo, Facebook).
2. Consider a removal request. If the reviews are made by people who clearly have never visited your organization, there have been instances of those reviews being removed by the platform they are on. If you find a negative review, you may be able to request its removal from the platform. If you do choose to attempt this, make sure you point out exactly why the review goes against whatever community standards or policies the platform has in place.

And remember, whether you are an Extend customer or not, we are here for you! Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have questions or concerns about how to deal with fake reviews. 

We also want to make you aware of some helpful tools offered by Heartbeat International:

• Webinar: Identifying Fake Clients
• Webinar: Local Search & Managing Your Online Reputation
• Affiliates Only: Center Defense Toolkit

We encourage you to continue fighting the good fight everywhere your clients - and especially future clients - may be, which includes online. 

It's an honor to partner with you. Thank you for ALL you do!

Elizabeth Whitely BSN, RN

Where did you grow up and go to school?

I grew up in the farm country of Northeast, Ohio. I received my BSN from Franciscan University of Steubenville!

Share with us about your family.

I was raised in a beautiful, faith-filled Catholic family and am very close to my parents, brothers and sister. My husband, Justin and I will celebrate our first anniversary next month! We are so blessed by the love and support of both our families.

Tell us about what brought you to Heartbeat International.

I had worked as an inpatient pediatric nurse for four years and was looking for new opportunities. I heard about Heartbeat International and the Nurse Advocate position through my friend, Teresa Tholany. Having grown up in the pro-life movement, the cause of life has always been near to my heart! I could never have imagined working as a nurse for Life in such a direct and powerful way! As the doors kept opening, it became quickly apparent that this was where the Lord wanted me to be. My time at Heartbeat has been a joy and blessing!

Tell us about your experiences helping women on the APR Hotline.

Humbling is the best way I can describe it. Hearing the voices and stories of women seeking a second chance and fighting for the life of their child is truly an honor! The courage and strength of the women we serve never ceases to inspire me! It has given me a deep awareness that the choice to have an abortion is born out of very difficult, complicated and deeply personal circumstances. When a woman calls the hotline the circumstances of her life have not changed, but her heart has! I am grateful for the opportunity to witness her courage, offer hope and let her know she is not alone!

What has surprised you the most about the APR Hotline?

I was surprised by the roller-coaster ride that is APR! There are the beautiful high moments of finally being able to find a provider or seeing a text from a client stating that she delivered her healthy baby. Then there are the low moments when a client decides to continue the abortion or experiences a loss. Often these experiences are woven together as you offer words of support and sympathy to the client who lost her baby and then turn to congratulate the other client on the birth of her child.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

One of my favorite bible verses is Revelation 21:5 “Behold, I make all things new.” The best part of my work is seeing the countless ways the Lord brings newness into every situation! Whether it is the client with a successful reversal, an insincere caller or the client who experiences a loss, the Lord uses APR to not only save lives, but also to change hearts. Even the most difficult situations are an opportunity to speak the truth and share the love of Christ with our clients. We may not be able to save every baby, but each call is an opportunity to offer new life to the women we serve!

What are your favorite things to do outside of work?

Outside of work I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, building a small homestead with my husband, reading good books (especially Tolkien and C.S. Lewis), baking sourdough bread and pretty much anything outside in the fresh air and sunshine!

What else would you like to share?

I would like to say thank you to all our wonderful APR providers! Your availability, skill and care for our clients never goes unnoticed. I have been inspired by the sacrifices you make, and the mountains you move to care for these women and their precious babies! May God Bless you!!

by Danielle White, Esq.
General Counsel, Heartbeat International

Since the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, abortion advocates have worked hard to make pregnancy help organizations public enemy number one. One would think that those claiming to care about pregnant women would not direct their violence at the very locations that support pregnant women. But unfortunately, we are not talking about reasonable people.

On Sunday, May 8, 2022, pro-life group Wisconsin Family Action was attacked with Molotov cocktails and the building set fire. Thankfully, no one was hurt. Shortly thereafter, an organization calling itself “Jane’s Revenge” claimed responsibility for the attack. While Wisconsin Family Action is not a pregnancy center, “Jane’s Revenge” called the attack “only a warning” and demanded the “disbanding of all anti-choice establishments, fake clinics [an extremist term for pregnancy centers offering help and hope to women] and violent anti-choice groups within the next thirty days.” The group claims to be “not one group, but many. We are in your city. We are in every city.” Since then, Jane's Revenge has been threatening and committing vandalism against pro-life organizations of many kinds, including pregnancy help organizations. The FBI is taking this very seriously and has an open investigation on Jane's Revenge. 

Intimidation of pregnancy centers is not a new tactic, and, sadly, pro-abortion extremists have long hated pregnancy centers. However, the temperature reached new heights on the abortion issue in 2022. Well, it may not be fresh in the news anymore, but pregnancy centers are still targeted - especially during holidays and around anniversaries like the day of the Dobbs decision, June 24. It's hard to say when an abortion advocate will decide to organize an act of vandalism, a fake client inflitration, or harrassment. This is a time to review your safety and security policies and procedures, retrain your volunteers and staff as necessary, and be especially vigilant about your surroundings. Here are five more tips to better prepare and protect your pregnancy center now and in the days to come.

Security Systems

Invest in security systems and cameras both inside and outside your center. While this requires an investment of fiscal resources, a security system with cameras may deter criminal activity helps create a record that can be provided to law enforcement if, God-forbid, something does happen. Many companies that provide security systems and devices offer a free consultation and provide recommendations to protect your center. This would be a good ask for a certain level donor.

Local Law Enforcement

This is a great opportunity to build a relationship with local law enforcement! Most departments, particularly rural departments, would be happy to perform a walkthrough and security assessment of your center. Take this opportunity to share with them what the center does for women and to ask for their expertise about security. Ask them to identify vulnerabilities in your center’s security. Ask them to show you where they would allow protesters to congregate and to explain what the center should do if protesters trespass or engage in threatening behavior. Keep in mind that you could extend this invitation either to the City Police or the County Sheriff if they share jurisdiction. Building a relationship with a local law enforcement official might make it easier to call upon them if your center experiences threats.

You can also hire police on “special duty.” This involves an investment of funds and is usually available on a pre-scheduled basis, rather than in response to an ongoing situation. Your local law enforcement agency can advise you about the conditions for hiring a special duty officer. This option might be especially helpful if you become aware of a planned protest at your center or in your area. A special duty officer can assist with keeping people off the center’s property and act as a deterrent to property damage or violence.

Finally, you should mention the Jane’s Revenge threat to law enforcement if your pregnancy center contacts them for help with protesters or vandalism. Explaining the current climate with the Dobbs decision and the vandalism documented may be beneficial in keeping local law enforcement apprised should a need arise in the future. Threats of violence or vandalism of a PHO can be submitted to your local FBI Field Office or through the FBI Tip Line at FBI.gov and also through state and major urban area fusion centers. They are owned and operated by state and local entities, and are designated by the governor of their state.  Sometimes, this prompts a faster response than a local Police Department can or would provide. The FBI is taking this very seriously and has an open investigation on Jane's Revenge. Click here for an FBI resource booklet.

Property Considerations

Private property owners can set their own rules for speech and protest activities on their property. The center is not required to allow protesters on its private property. Therefore, it is important to know the location of the property lines where your center is located. Is your center’s parking lot private property? Once protesters are on private property, they are trespassing, and you could contact law enforcement to ask for their removal. Keep in mind that protesters may be entitled to protest on public sidewalks.

If applicable, you may also consider talking to your landlord to find out what the landlord expects from the center in the event of protesters. If you are in a plaza or office space shared with other tenants, your landlord may be especially interested in ensuring that protesters do not disrupt the other businesses as well, and your landlord may be an ally in interfacing with police or installing cameras or barriers to deter protestors.

Policies & Procedures

Now is the time to revisit your Center’s policies and procedures relating to security and evaluate them given the intensifying extremism by the pro-choice movement. Here are a few policies and procedures we recommend you implement:

• Do not leave one employee to lock up the center by themselves. There should always be at least two people to close the center and ensure each other’s safety. Ensure that anyone involved in locking up knows how to turn on any security system that is installed.
• Be cautious about having packages delivered to your center and consider having mail delivered to a P.O. box instead of your center’s physical location. Likewise, if a package or anything looks suspicious near your center, contact your local authorities immediately.
• Pay attention to local social media and see what is trending in your area. If you are concerned with anything that you see, contact local law enforcement and have them review what you found.
• Take any threats seriously and work with local law enforcement to ensure the safety of your volunteers, staff, and clients.

FACE Act

The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (“FACE Act”) likely applies to your center and could be a very powerful tool in dealing with protestors. The FACE Act prohibits violent, threatening, damaging and obstructive behavior towards anyone obtaining or providing reproductive health services. Violators of the FACE Act could be fined or even imprisoned. The Act also provides civil remedies to the victims, including compensatory and punitive damages, as well as injunctive relief. The FACE Act provides for statutory damages, making it even easier to recover money from protesters who violate it. If protesters outside your clinic attempt to block or impede access to the clinic, to intimidate your clients, or cause property damage, please contact Heartbeat to discuss your options. We have been informed that from the FBI's perspective, pregnancy help organizations are covered under the FACE Act. Click here for an FBI resource booklet.

While we hope that you never need use of this information, it is always good to take the opportunity to review your security policies with staff and volunteers and ensure that you are ready, just in case.

Ezekiel 38:7
“Be ready and keep ready, you and all your hosts that are assembled about you, and be a guard for them.”

by Cindi Boston-Bilotta, Vice President of Mission Advancement
Heartbeat International

As Casey* exited the elevator, it was clear she was in crisis. Her tear-stained face and sad eyes told the story. Casey was a senior in college and pursuing her goal to graduate in a few months but was diverted by the sickness hitting her body due to an unexpected pregnancy. She felt the harsh reality that life was different, and she could never fully return to what she once knew.

Casey entered Planned Parenthood to confirm her pregnancy and learn more about her choices. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do, but their name indicated they could walk her through this dicey situation. As she entered the clinic, a receptionist, facing a copier and sighing with disdain, finally turned around to face Casey. Through tears, Casey indicated she thought she was pregnant. With an eye-roll and another sigh, the receptionist handed her a card and said, “this will fix everything, honey.”

She handed Casey a referral to a clinic that performed abortions. They thought abortion was her only option. It would be a calculated decision to terminate, but the sting of the word “abortion” didn’t settle well. She wanted a life of accomplishment but wondered if success could include motherhood, as well. But she had no idea where to go for more information.

From her car, a Google search revealed a local pregnancy center that offered “options.” That sounded more like what she needed – she wasn’t sure about anything, but she knew she needed to consider more than one choice.

Casey visited the pregnancy center, and her despair turned to joy as she saw the positive pregnancy test, discovered more about parenting and adoption, and viewed the dancing baby in her womb. That moment in time was forever seared in her mind because she instantly found the joy of motherhood. What was once a burden was becoming treasured. She left the center all smiles as she celebrated the gift of a new life within her body. Now, she knew she could do it.

The pregnancy center team, who used the L.O.V.E. Approach – Listen & Learn, Open Options, Bring Vision & Value, and Extend & Empower – gave Casey comfort and safety as she explored the possibilities.

The moments of motherhood look different for each pregnant mom. When the pregnancy is unexpected, courage must grow just like it did with the mothers who were pregnant at the time of Pharaoh – they had to rely on the “midwives” who were fighting for those babies' lives.

Like the mother of Moses, some moms must find the courage to create a safe passage for their sons or daughters.

Like Mary, the mother of Jesus, some must say yes to motherhood when it can threaten their lives if they carry their children.

The moment motherhood arrives is designed to be filled with celebration. But the difficulties of life can delay the celebration. Using the L.O.V.E. Approach with expectant moms who must navigate difficult decisions opens an opportunity for them to make choices that bring their hearts alive. It awakens the natural, God-birthed maternal instinct of moms across the globe. We celebrate moms everywhere this week, including moments when courageous moms say yes to life during unexpected pregnancies.