Another pregnancy center powered by Heartbeat International’s life-giving pregnancy help start-up program is ready to offer women a choice – right next door to Planned Parenthood.
Napa Women’s Center in Napa, California, is set to open its doors to clients on November 23 after holding its opening ceremony last month.
Shawn Carney, president of 40 Days for Life, spoke for the event, calling for those in attendance to support the pregnancy help center.
“This is a great day for Napa Valley,” Carney said.
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The pregnancy center, which will provide pregnancy tests, client advocacy, medical referrals, material resources and abortion pill reversal - all free of charge - is right next door to the Napa Planned Parenthood.
“The reason it’s a bad day for Planned Parenthood is because you have increased access to choices,” Carney told the crowd present for the unveiling.
for the Napa Women's Center
“You’ve increased access to love, and you’ve increased access to joy,” Carney said. “And there is no joy inside of an abortion facility.”
Carney spoke in conjunction with his travels for the fall 40 Days for Life vigil, and offered praise for the ministry of Heartbeat International in serving women facing unplanned pregnancy, which has complemented the 40 Days for Life outreach well, he said.
One of the first believers in 40 Days for Life’s Christ-like reputation early on was Heartbeat International, Carney said, due to 40 Days for Life holding vigils outside abortion facilities near where Heartbeat affiliates are located.
“And they are the largest network of pregnancy resource centers in the world,” Carney stated. “You cannot find a better organization to help you to do what you’re doing in Napa than Heartbeat International.”
“That’s the combo that closes abortion facilities,” added Carney.
Napa Women's Center is joining the Life Launch Grant Program as a full recipient for the 2021 Fiscal Year, according to Sara Littlefield, Life Launch Grant Program specialist.
Heartbeat’s Life Launch Grant Program supports new pregnancy help center start-ups to open their doors, focusing on pregnancy help in under-served communities. Littlefield, who shepherds centers through the process, said the program has been key in fostering new pregnancy help centers especially during the coronavirus fallout.
Seven of 12 Life Launch Grant recipients opened their doors for the first time during the pandemic, and seven Life Launch centers had already been opened kept their doors open during the pandemic, for a total of 14 start-up pregnancy centers to successfully serve their communities during uncertain times caused by the virus.
Napa Women’s Center will soon join their ranks.
“The unveiling event was a huge success!” Littlefield told Pregnancy Help News. “Even with the smoke from the fires, they had 120 people in attendance at their opening ceremonies.”
The center’s Board Chair Gerry Cruz congratulated the entire team involved in bringing the center about, calling the unveiling event “extraordinary.”
“Despite the challenges for many to attend, enthusiasm was high,” Cruz said. “The 'undraping' reveal response was perfect, and donations at first glance appear to be generous in number of people donating or pledging to.”
Life Legal Defense Foundation (LLDF) provided legal support leading to the founding of Napa Women’s Center.
LLLDF’s founders and staff have long had a presence in front of Planned Parenthood in Napa in conjunction with 40 Days for Life, the legal non-profit said.
When the building next door to Planned Parenthood became available, they “jumped on the chance to open a center that offers women an alternative to Planned Parenthood’s abortion-only model, and the building’s owner was thrilled to lease the property for a pro-life cause.”
The location of the pregnancy center in the heart of the City of Napa is significant, LLDF also said, as the Napa City Council is considering a bubble zone ordinance to dissuade pro-life speech in front of Planned Parenthood. Life Legal is fighting the ordinance.
“If we can open a center like this in Napa right next door to a killing mill, it can be done anywhere in the nation,” said LLDF founder and Chief Financial Officer Mary Riley, who has been involved in the Napa Women’s Center start-up. “We are so grateful to our volunteers and the larger community for working together to build a beautiful and safe place that offers hope and help to women and families.”
For more information on Heartbeat International’s Life Launch Grant Program, click HERE and HERE.
Editor's note: Heartbeat International Manages Pregnancy Help News.
