On April 18, 2023, the Pregnancy Care Alliance of Massachusetts (PCAll) has been officially launched by women in leadership roles across the state to enhance pregnancy resource center (PRC) operations and educate the public and government about their safe and compassionate care for women during crisis pregnancies.
The network was created in response to the overturned Roe vs. Wade decision, targeted violence against PRCs and recent efforts to prevent them from operating in cities like Somerville, Easthampton, and Cambridge.
PCAll will collaborate and share resources to serve a greater number of women and plans to launch public awareness campaigns to counter false assertions about their services.
PCAll is sponsored by Massachusetts Citizens for Life (MCFL) and will operate as an affiliate of the nonprofit organization until it becomes self-sufficient.
Please read the complete press release of the PCAll launch, which has been officially published on pregnancycarealliance.com:
CHARITABLE PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTER NETWORK LAUNCHES
Massachusetts’ first such initiative will educate public, serve more women.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Teresa Larkin, Vice Chairman for External Relations
Boston, MA, April 18, 2023 – Women in leadership roles across Massachusetts announce the launch of the state’s first-ever pregnancy resource center network: The Pregnancy Care Alliance of Massachusetts (PCAll).
Established by women for women, the mission of PCAll is twofold: First, PCAll will educate the public, media, and those in government about the ways pregnancy resource centers (PRCs) safely, charitably and compassionately care for women during crisis pregnancies. Second, PCAll aims to enhance PRC operations, enabling each member PRC to serve a greater number of women, through effective collaboration and sharing of resources.
PRC directors, staff and volunteers across the Commonwealth recognized the need for network support in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in June 2022, which overturned Roe vs. Wade, and the targeted acts of violence against PRCs that followed. That need grew more urgent in recent months, as cities like Somerville, Easthampton and Cambridge sought to prevent PRCs from operating within their borders.
“We created PCAll in response to repeated vandalism, property damage, threats of physical violence to our staff and clients, widespread false assertions about our services, public misrepresentation by elected officials and, most recently, a $1 million line item in the state’s supplemental budget to fund a ‘public awareness campaign focused on the dangers of crisis pregnancy centers and pregnancy resource centers,’” explained Teresa Larkin, Executive Director of Your Options Medical and PCAll’s Vice Chairman for External Relations.
Arianna and daughter Annyaira received free support and resources at PCAll member Your Options Medical in Revere.
“PRCs have been under direct attack in this state since last summer,” Larkin continued. “My colleagues and I knew that attempts to damage our reputations and prevent us from serving women would persist. Together, PCAll members will work not only to broaden our care and free services to women across Massachusetts, but we plan to launch our own public awareness campaigns, so residents here know the truth about what we do.”
PCAll is sponsored by Massachusetts Citizens for Life (MCFL). Until it becomes self-sufficient, PCAll will operate as an affiliate of that nonprofit organization.
“The dual mission of MCFL perfectly overlaps with that of PCAll: education and service,” said MCFL President Myrna Maloney Flynn and PCAll Chairman. “And given current uncertainty surrounding the legality of chemical abortion pills, it’s the perfect time for women of Massachusetts to learn about the loving and non judgmental care that awaits them inside our PRCs.”
Sturbridge residents Shelley & August also received free support and services from Your Options Medical.
“Our members across the state are outraged at how our PRCs have been treated. They want MCFL to defend these critical community resources, and they’re eager to participate in this effort with us,” Maloney Flynn said. "They hear that Florida just approved $25 million to support women and crisis pregnancy centers after our state government just approved $1 million to hurt them, and naturally there's a strong desire to help where our governor and legislators will not."
“MCFL’s Board of Directors unanimously approved establishing PCAll and committing our staff and financial resources to its preliminary operation, a model we know has worked well in other states,” Maloney Flynn explained.
Larkin hopes for cooperation instead of continued divisiveness. “All of us, legislators and PRCs alike, want to help women. We share that common goal. Harming organizations that help women is not the way to achieve it.”
“PRCs are not villains,” Larkin said. “We exist for no other reason than to offer support to women, and men, in what might be the darkest time of their lives – we provide compassionate support and factual information about all of their options that they will not receive inside an abortion clinic or pharmacy.”
In the coming months, PCAll members will host open houses at their respective PRCs, celebrating the new network. Legislators, community leaders, members of the media and local residents will be invited to attend, tour each facility, speak with staff and meet women who received help within the PRCs.
PCAll’s first public awareness initiative will feature some of those women sharing - in their own words - how they have been served by member PRCs.
Visit pregnancycarealliance.com to learn more. Follow PCAll on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.