Women of Philadelphia Win by a 'Touchdown'
New Pregnancy Services to be Offered on Broad Street
Contact: Kristin Hansen, 703-554-8742, press@care-net.org
LANSDOWNE, Va., Sept. 10 /Christian Newswire/ -- People For People, Inc., a community development corporation founded by former Philadelphia Eagle and now pastor Herbert Lusk, has teamed up with Care Net and Carpenters for Christ to bring the women of Philadelphia much needed pregnancy support services. The three organizations will be targeting an area of downtown Philadelphia, where there are five abortion providers within a two-mile radius, but no pregnancy centers. The collaborative effort is part of Care Net's "Touchdown Cities" project, an initiative to bring free pregnancy services to women and men in urban areas. Care Net is a faith-based, non-profit organization that supports over 1,100 pregnancy centers across North America.
"Without convenient access to the free and compassionate help of pregnancy centers, women in crisis pregnancies often feel that abortion is their only option," said Lorey Kelley, Care Net's Director of Urban Center Development. "As a result, women in urban areas are paying the heavy price."
The statistics, she said, bear that out. "Currently, 94% of all abortion providers are located in metropolitan areas, with 70% of these in urban communities," said Kelley. "As a result, African American and Hispanic women account for a disproportionate number of the more than 1.2 million abortions performed in the United States each year. There's something wrong with this picture."
Care Net is raising $75,000 to help open the area's first pregnancy center, which will offer a host of free services, such as pregnancy tests, peer counseling, material resources, childbirth and parenting classes, and community referrals. People For People, Inc. has acquired a building at 717 N. Broad Street, which will be renovated Sept. 13-14 by Carpenters for Christ, a volunteer team of skilled carpenters from Alabama, Virginia and Pennsylvania.
"We applaud Pastor Lusk for his leadership in bringing the women of his community a 'touchdown' of real choices and support," Kelley said. "His example should be followed in urban areas across the country."
Links: www.care-net.org/touchdowncities.html; www.care-net.org
