Fire Damages Chicago’s Women’s Center CPC

Posted by Ann Scheidler (June 6, 2011 at 12:35 pm)

 

The second floor windows of Chicago’s Women’s Center CPC are boarded up following a fire [Photo by John Jansen]

Shortly before midnight on Saturday, June 4, a woman arrived to pray at the Perpetual Adoration chapel housed within the Women’s Center, a crisis pregnancy center on Chicago’s Northwest Side. She saw smoke coming from the second floor of the building and immediately called 911. Within minutes, firefighters were on the scene.

The second floor suffered significant damage. This is the area where the Women’s Center maintains its Family Room, with resources for the pregnant mothers they serve. The Family Room was filled to capacity with clothing, toys and baby items donated by generous supporters of the Women’s Center to meet the material needs of the mothers who face an untimely pregnancy and choose life for their unborn babies.

The fire department suspects that the source of the fire is electrical, but a full investigation will be conducted. Were it not for the Eucharistic adorers having been on site at the time, the damage would have been considerably worse.

Women’s Center Picketed Last Week

The Women’s Center was the focus of a picket and leafleting campaign on Tuesday, May 31, organized by Walk for Choice Chicago, which appears to be associated with the Illinois Choice Action Team, the outfit that supplies the aggressive “deathscorts” at the Albany abortion clinic just a half block south of The Women’s Center.

The five picketers gathered in front of The Women’s Center and handed out cards claiming that the Women’s Center is a “fake crisis pregnancy clinic operated by the Pro-Life Action League.” The card [PDF] stated that the League has an “anti-choice & anti-woman agenda.” (A flyer [PDF] promoting the event claimed The Women’s Center was “owned” by the League.)

Although the League is located just a mile north of the Women’s Center, and we are tremendously grateful for the services they provide, we do not own or operate the Women’s Center, as the Walk for Choice folks claim. We have, however, offered our assistance to the Center at this difficult time.

The Walk for Choice card stated that women are lied to, manipulated and shamed. “They are misinformed about their reproductive choices, told that abortion and birth control are deadly & wrong & not given any real help to deal with unintended pregnancy.”

34,000 Babies Saved, 34,000 Mothers Spared a Lifetime of Pain

The truth is that The Women’s Center provides compassionate counseling, free ultrasound, material resources, continuing care and counseling throughout the women’s pregnancy and well beyond. The Women’s Center has saved over 34,000 babies and their mothers from the tragedy of abortion since their founding in 1984.

At the Women’s Center, the pregnant woman is given an opportunity to see her unborn baby on an ultrasound, and to consider the long-term consequences of the choice she will make about her pregnancy. She can take the time to consider adoption, and to talk over her options with a trained and caring counselor. The Women’s Center gives women a real choice, something they will not get at an abortion clinic, where abortion is the only product.

Counseling appointments already scheduled will be moved to the Women’s Center locations in Evergreen Park and Des Plaines.

The Women’s Center will no doubt have many needs beyond what insurance will cover in the aftermath of this fire. To make a contribution, please visit their website.

New Location for Perpetual Adoration

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament has been temporarily moved from The Women’s Center’s St. Jude Chapel to St. Bartholomew’s Parish, located at 4949 W. Addison St., Chicago.

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