CARE NET CALLS TEBOW AD OPPONENTS’ SLAM OF PREGNANCY CENTERS ‘NONSENSICAL’

Did you see this on Fox News? Check out the video and Care Net's press release response below...



LANSDOWNE, VA – Care Net, a national network of 1,180 pregnancy centers that provide free support to pregnant women, was drawn into the Tebow Super Bowl ad controversy when opponents attacked the charities Friday on Fox News. Care Net President Melinda Delahoyde said the criticisms by women’s advocacy groups are “nonsensical,” particularly as pregnancy centers provide free services to 1.9 million people every year.

“We’re scratching our heads as to why anyone would attack Pam Tebow’s courageous story or hinder a message of hope to other women facing similar circumstances,” said Delahoyde. “As an organization that helps provide support to women with difficult or unplanned pregnancies, Care Net is even more confused why any group advocating for women would criticize the compassionate, practical help offered by our nation’s pregnancy centers.

“Part of the reason why our country is increasingly pro-life is because of the positive, volunteer-led work of pregnancy centers in communities across the country. Focus on the Family, the ad sponsor, has come alongside pregnancy centers for years with resources to empower women to make an informed pregnancy decision. Attacking such charitable help is not only nonsensical but also very much out of step with a majority of the American people.

Jehmu Greene, president of the Women’s Media Center, said the following on Fox News about Focus on the Family’s contributions to pregnancy centers: “This organization has supported fake crisis pregnancy centers that provide medical misinformation; they provide negative pregnancy tests; they provide fake ultrasounds…”

Delahoyde continued, “These are common accusations that abortion advocacy groups have been using for years, and they couldn’t be further from the truth. Organizations like Care Net provide training and oversight to pregnancy centers to ensure that services are offered with professionalism and integrity. When you hear the stories of women that have been helped by pregnancy centers, when you visit your local centers and meet the volunteers who serve there, it’s clear that these are false accusations meant to deter women from visiting us for help.

“Pregnancy centers serve women like Pam Tebow every day - women who bravely choose to carry their pregnancy to term against the odds. Their courageous stories are an inspiration to us all.”

CARE NET ON ROE ANNIVERSARY: PREGNANCY CENTERS FLOURISH YET ENDURE NUMEROUS STATE ATTACKS

Care Net issued the following press release on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade:

LANSDOWNE, VA – On the 37th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, Care Net President Melinda Delahoyde said the pro-life pregnancy center movement is flourishing and contributing to the growing culture of life across the nation. Yet, because of the movement’s effectiveness, abortion advocacy groups are mounting an increasing number of attacks in state and local governments across the country, she said. “The compassionate outreach of pregnancy centers is infectious and our movement is growing,” Delahoyde said. “Yet these numerous attacks on pregnancy centers call for a new level of support and partnership to defend their critical work.”

Delahoyde provided the following actions items for supporting the pregnancy center movement:

• Become a positive force for change by joining the Inspire Life campaign. Download and share new Inspire Life PSAs by Grammy-award winner Rebecca St. James.
• Help tell the amazing story of pregnancy centers with local legislators, city and county council members, the media, on your blog, and elsewhere. Download and share the new national report on their work, “A Passion to Serve, A Vision for Life.”
• Contact a local pregnancy center and ask how you can help to advocate for their work. Find your local center at www.optionline.org and click on “Find a Center.”
• Track the work of groups like NARAL and Feminist Majority Foundation in your state. Learn about their legislative attacks on pregnancy centers in Virginia, Washington (also see SB 6452), Maryland, and other states. Contact your representatives in these states to defend pregnancy centers.
• Pray that the good work of pregnancy centers, the beauty of all human life, and the importance of compassionate outreach to women facing unplanned pregnancies would be communicated clearly throughout our nation.

Tune in online to the Blogs4life.com annual conference on January 22nd at 8:30 am ET to hear Care Net’s Kristin Hansen speak about the nationwide attacks on pregnancy centers and how you can help!

Planned Parenthood Sees Abortion Growth

Upon returning to work today after the holidays, Care Net was greeted with the following disconcerting news about abortion increases around the globe last year:

"International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) recently released its annual performance report for 2008-2009. Despite an economic downturn and a slight decrease in annual income, the abortion industry giant boasts of increased activity across all of its lines of work, including condom distribution, advocacy and abortion services." Read full article.

Apparently while the organization's income has decreased, its abortion business is really growing.

This news just reminds all of us here at Care Net and in pregnancy centers across this nation (and the globe) of one thing: we must recommit ourselves to the compassionate lifesaving ministry of reaching out, one woman at a time, with hope, help, and practical resources. We must use creativity with our minimal resources to counter the Goliath the abortion industry has become. And we must continue to pray and never give up.

With God's help, Care Net is refrehesed and ready to go in the new year. Will you join us?