Pregnancy Center Support

Chairman Matt Heffron Life Programs

Change public hearts about abortion by showing love for both mother and child before and after birth. Councils can provide material, financial, labor and other support to pro-life pregnancy centers that help women during pregnancy and following the birth of their newborn children.

Overview

More than three thousand pro-life pregnancy centers now operate in jurisdictions throughout the Order. By the very nature of our founding, Knights of Columbus are called to care for the widow and orphan. Abortion-vulnerable unborn children and mothers experiencing unexpected pregnancies certainly fall within our mandate. With our aid, pregnancy centers can oﬀer support to help them choose life. Councils can “adopt” a pregnancy center and provide material, labor, and spiritual support throughout the year.

Chairman Role and Responsibilities

• Locate pregnancy centers in or near your community – see links provided.

• Confer with the director of the local pregnancy center to determine needs.

• Discuss speaker series or educational programs to educate community.

• Communicate with the pastor, parish or community organizations regarding their roles in the program.

• Set goals, schedule, costs, budget, fundraising needs, manpower and material needs.

• Organize, conduct and publicize the activity or event.

• Complete and submit all associated reporting forms to the Supreme Council Department of Fraternal Mission.

Action Steps

1. Working with your pastor, obtain his permission and recommendations on conducting Pregnancy Center Support.

2. Ask the director of a local pregnancy center about its needs and then organize programs to help meet those needs. Potential programs could include:

• Pray for nine months for an unborn child through a spiritual “adoption”

• Present roses to mothers and appropriate gifts to families upon the birth or baptism of their children

• Each March 25th, hold a Mass for Life on the Knights of Columbus Day of the Unborn Child

• Refer employment opportunities, aﬀordable rental apartments, and opportunities for free or low-cost health care to the pregnancy center for client use

• Provide centers with funds for general expenses, purchase of a building, rental of an oﬃce, materials and labor for renovation, or for hiring or training of staﬀ

• Provide general labor around the pregnancy care center such as lawn maintenance, cleaning, painting or other useful activities the council and members may be able to perform Potential fundraising activities could include:

• Baby Bottle Boomerang

• Funding a Knights of Columbus table at the pregnancy center’s annual fundraising dinner

• Assisting and participating in a pregnancy center sponsored 5K or other fundraising event

• A “baby shower” to collect maternity clothes and baby items (diapers, etc.) for the pregnancy center

3. Meet council/parish needs by asking the pregnancy center to provide speakers on topics such as:

• Chastity for religious education students

• Natural Procreative Technology (NaProTechnology) regarding fertility issues, natural family planning, pregnancy or parenting for parish couples in childbearing years

• Post-abortion counseling

• Other pro-life issues for council members, the parish or the general community

4. Plan the fundraising, educational or other programming event or activity, delegate responsibilities to council members, and carry out the program.

5. Build public interest for the program! Promote Pregnancy Center Support in your parish and larger community through a variety of eﬀorts:

• Bulletin announcements

• Pulpit announcements

• Posting on your council and parish website / social media pages

6. On the day of any Pregnancy Center Support events, wear Knights of Columbus-branded apparel.

7. Enlist a fellow Knight or community member to photograph any events.

8. To gain credit for your program, complete the associated reporting forms and submit them to the Supreme Council Department of Fraternal Mission. Remember to retain copies for your council records.

Please note:Participating in Ultrasound Program does not satisfy the programming requirements for the Pregnancy Center Support Program. The two activities are separate and cannot be double-counted.