OUR RESPONSE TO ROE V WADE
A Letter from our Executive Director
Since its conception in 1986, the focus of the Hannah Center has been to serve women, men, children, and families impacted by crisis pregnancies and early parenting challenges. That will never change. There can be no doubt the Dobbs v Jackson decision is monumental. It confirms the unconstitutionality of Roe v Wade and returns the issue to the states to decide. However, it will change little in the day to day working of the Hannah Center, except to offer an opportunity to provide more families with free pregnancy testing and counseling, case management and care coordination, prenatal, childbirth, and parenting education, doula services, direct provision of material needs, accessing housing, medical care, and childcare, grief counseling, and other needed services. Our work doesn’t stop when the pregnancy decision is made. It’s just getting started.
The Hannah Center has long maintained our mission: serving those in need. Our approach to a potential pregnancy termination, is to surround our clients with the love, support, resources, practical help, and spiritual help they need so they won’t feel pressure, from within or from others, to make a decision leading to a lifetime of regret and pain. Over the years, this positive approach has netted a 95 to 99 percent success rate in women choosing life for themselves and their unborn child. While we pray daily for the safety of those who lovingly engage in political activism, our focus is on the urgent needs of clients who come through our doors.
However, this Supreme Court decision is so important, so significant, we need to talk about how our clients may be impacted. Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb issued this statement today in response to Roe v Wade’s historic overturning,
“The Supreme Court’s decision is clear, and it is now up to the states to address this important issue. We’ll do that in short order in Indiana. I’ve already called the General Assembly back on July 6, and I expect members to take up this matter as well.
I have been clear in stating I am pro-life. We have an opportunity to make progress in protecting the sanctity of life, and that’s exactly what we will do.”
Many states previously established laws limiting or banning pregnancy termination which will now take effect. Despite what you may have heard or read, none of these laws criminalize any woman or teen who chooses an abortion procedure.
We cannot deny that we are thrilled by any decision that protects the innocent. Our hearts, however, remain heavy knowing that this decision came too late for the 63 million children who have been lost since 1973. Our goal is to save women and families from experiencing this deep pain and grief.
It is difficult to fully comprehend that our many years of prayer for progress in helping protect moms, babies, and families from the deep wound of abortion has been answered. Today, please take time to thank the One from whom all Life begins. Pray also, for our two doula clients who are due any day. Pray for the young woman who had a pregnancy test yesterday and has decisions to make. Pray for us to find enough newborn and size 4T, 5T, 6x and 7x clothes, formula, diapers, and Pull-Ups for kiddos who need them. Pray for the safety of pregnancy centers. Pray we can find the volunteers, staff, and donors to fully reopen Hannah House. It will be needed now more than ever.
Thank you all for the support and love you’ve shown the ministry over the years. I pray you are refreshed and reenergized to help us continue the work of saving and changing lives.
In His Service,
Tina Lampke, MSW
Executive Director