Women’s Care Center Provides Women With Help ‘Beyond a Choice for Life’

Helping women to choose life is about so much more than just the preborn baby. 

It’s about giving a lifeline to women in crisis.

By Cassy Fiano
Live Action News

Abortion advocates often argue that pro-lifers are only interested in helping women choose life for their preborn children, but aren’t interested in what happens to them afterwards. This, of course, is wrong on multiple fronts; being pro-life is about protecting all life, and while pro-lifers do work to prevent abortion, we also want to help women so that they don’t feel that they need to make such a choice. We want to do what the original feminists did: change our society for the better so that women have access to the support and resources they need, making abortion not just illegal, but unthinkable.

Helping to do that are pregnancy resource centers like the Women’s Care Center. Jenny Hunsberger is the vice president, and she grew up believing in the sanctity of life. “I am the ninth of 10 children and the mother of eight,” she explained in an interview with Live Action. “Growing up in a large Irish Catholic family, the conviction that there is always room for more life and more love is foundational.” She began to consider getting involved with the pro-life movement after her brother became a student of Dr. Janet Smith, the Notre Dame professor who would found the Women’s Care Center. 

“She enlisted him to paint the little blue house that became the first Women’s Care Center,” Hunsberger said. “Seven years later, as a freshman at Notre Dame, I attended a service and ministry fair. That evening, I met a wonderful Women’s Care Center counselor who invited me to a training. I immediately knew that this work was my mission and passion. I have been here ever since.”

Today, Women’s Care Center has 28 centers in 10 states. On average, 28,000 women will make over 100,000 visits to one of their centers over the course of a year. 

“Women come to us initially for free pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, counseling, parenting classes and tremendous amounts of material support,” Hunsberger said.

“They return because here they experience genuine welcome, compassionate care and a realization of their own value and dignity.” At the centers, women can receive medical grade pregnancy testing and ultrasounds, giving them information — which abortion facilities will often deny them — to make a decision about their pregnancies.

“Pregnancy is a life-changing event for every woman. For a woman who feels unsupported, financially unprepared, or who sees her dreams and goals slipping away, pregnancy can be a crisis,” Hunsberger said. “At Women’s Care, these women find a safe place where they are free to talk about their challenges and fears. Our compassionate and highly trained counselors meet women right where they are, without judgment.

“Learning of an unplanned pregnancy can be overwhelming for a woman,” she continued. “At Women’s Care Center she finds hope and concrete help. Seeing her baby for the first time through ultrasound, she falls in love. And it doesn’t end there. Women’s Care is here to help her beyond a choice for life. We help women create strong, self-sufficient families.”

Live Action News article continues here
Voices for Life is an e-publication dedicated to informing and educating the public on pro-life and pro-family issues. To read our Mission Statement, use this link.  Follow us on Facebook, Google, and Pinterest.  Help us spread the pro-life message by sharing our articles on your favorite social networks.

Pregnant, need help or know someone who does?  

National Hotline: Call 1-800-712-HELP or Text 'HELPLINE' to 313131.
In Southeast Penna:  Call the Community Women's Center at  215-826-8090

If you or someone you know is suffering after abortion, confidential non-judgmental help is available.  Call Project Rachel's national toll-free number 888-456-HOPE (4673) or visit hopeafterabortion.org.