Dear Editor,
“Welcome to the world little one, here’s your mommy.” This is a line from the TV show Manifest, and what a beautiful line it is, a brief celebration of life. I am Vince Pacelli, the executive director for Tender Care Pregnancy Centers and I am writing in response to an article you recently published in support of abortion and Planned Parenthood titled “What is the status of abortion in Pennsylvania?”
Tender Care is a Christian-based pro-life non-profit, whose sole purpose is to help women and their families embrace the journey of pregnancy and parenthood. If a client says she wants an abortion, we educate, not indoctrinate. If after the ultrasound and a discussion with our client advocate, she still wants an abortion, we wish her well and place her on our prayer list.
The abortion policy debate is defined by those who call themselves pro-choice and those that define their view as pro-life. Pro-choice basically says that what is important is the process, that women are free to choose whether to abort. What is most important, in this view, is not what is chosen, but that there is a choice. Those who are pro-life focus on what is chosen as the key. The issue is the sanctity of life. Life is what is sacred.
Pro-life pregnancy centers are frequently criticized for only “caring” about the baby.” But as we believe that life is sacred, why would this be even remotely true? Tender Care’s focus is not just on the baby, but just as importantly is on the future mom. Why? She is the decision maker. Not just as it pertains to her pregnancy, but as to how she will raise her family.
Along with providing pregnancy testing and ultrasounds (performed by a certified sonographer), we also provide an in-depth parenting program. This program can be accessed remotely and tailored to the needs of the client. After the baby is born, we provide what we refer to as material assistance: formula, diapers, clothing, car safety seats, layettes, and when we have it, children’s furniture, swings, pack and plays and the occasional crib. We have an exhaustive list of resources that help with other needs such as food, clothing, housing, jobs, and when desired post abortive counseling.
All these services are provided at no cost. Our funding comes from private donors. In the interest of transparency, until December 31, 2023, we received around $20,000 annually from the State of Pennsylvania. Governor Shapiro ended the program. This cut is not going to put us out of business, but it will make it more difficult to serve the almost 70% of our clients who come from homes with a household income of less than $30,000. Those that are truly in need.
Another criticism of pregnancy centers is that we are “fake” medical clinics. We are not a medical clinic or a fake medical clinic by any stretch of the imagination. Medical clinics provide ongoing medical care. We do not. We provide ongoing material assistance and most importantly, ongoing communication; someone to talk to.
Perhaps a client story will help readers understand who we are and what we do. Casey and her boyfriend Jeremiah arrived in Pennsylvania with literally the clothes on their backs. They were living with a financially unstable friend; they slept on the couch. Eventually the electricity was turned off; they ran low on food and they struggled to find work. Amid all this, Casey discovered she was four months pregnant and without medical insurance. Casey found Tender Care online and came in for pregnancy verification and an ultrasound, and someone to talk with. Casey met with our client advocate and over tears, said she wanted to place her baby up for adoption (she fleetingly considered abortion). Since she had absolutely nothing, Casey believed adoption would give her baby the best chance at life. They saw no hope in sight. After being told about medical assistance and local community resources for food, they decided to keep their baby. Jeremiah found a job and bicycled to work. They saved every penny. Tender Care guided them to another local partner for housing. With the money they saved they found a place to live and moved in just before the baby was born. Tender Care provided maternity clothes, baby clothes, supplies, and additional referrals to make their dream of being a family a reality. A Tender Care volunteer received help from her church to provide additional baby items, to bring them home from the hospital, and transport them to their first pediatrician appointment. In time, a Tender Care supporter donated to this young family a reliable used car.
Thank goodness Casey found Tender Care and not Planned Parenthood. In my role as executive director, I meet and speak to many people. So many women have spoken up and said upon discovering they were pregnant, they went to Planned Parenthood and without any real discussion, were advised to get an abortion; that it was their only choice. It sounds like at Planned Parenthood there is no planning and there is no parenthood. A new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office said the federal government from 2019 to 2021 paid out 1.89 billion tax dollars to subsidize the domestic and global abortion industry. A little food for thought.
The State of Pennsylvania is pro-choice in that abortion is legal up until 24 weeks. Thus, it is interesting that the State ended funding to pro-life pregnancy centers, and increased funding to those facilities that provide abortions. I always find it fascinating that the pro-abortion movement, which hides behind the pro-choice label, and in support of choice, defunds and enacts laws making it more difficult for pro-life pregnancy centers to help women and their families who choose life. Things that make you go Hmm.
Vince Pacelli
Executive Director, Tender Care Pregnancy Centers
Pastor Sean Fitzgerald, First Baptist Church of Gettysburg
Gettysburg Conservatives
Add me to those who applaud Gettysburg Connection for publishing this letter. People should know what Tender Care does because everyone should have the right, and means, to have a baby if that is what they choose. No one should have to get an abortion because they feel it’s their only option. Babies are expensive, no doubt, and all of parenthood is new with a firstborn. It’s awesome knowing there are people out there willing to help. As a voter, I’ll vote to keep abortion an option because my religious views shouldn’t be applied to everyone and because there are… Read more »
I would just like to commend and applaud Gettysburg Connection for publishing this article and sharing an alternate view from outside pro-abortion circles. Obviously, this is often a subject of contention and many times doesn’t get articulated in a heartfelt and meaningful way because of heightened emotion. I think the author gives good insight into how Tender Care serves the community tries to help those struggling with tough decisions. The idea that ‘preserving life is always an option’ should not be squelched and I thank those who try to help those in need. Love for the parents and love for… Read more »
I believe in the Constitutional separation of church and state and that fundamentalist Christians should not impose their beliefs about the origins of life and women’s reproductive health and lives on everyone.
Excellent expression of love in what the article said. I’m saddened by people misunderstanding the separation of church and state. What the pregnancy center provides is information not imposition of beliefs. There is support regardless of CHOICE. People are missing that point. I don’t see the love in pro-abortion activists. Pro-choice people misuse their labeling.