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You are currently browsing the archives for the Sidewalk Counseling category.
This report comes from the front lines via stalwart activist Jerry Nickels. Jerry and his wife Karen have been involved in pro-life efforts in Aurora since before Planned Parenthood came to town under a cloud of deceit in 2007.
Jerry Nickels outside Planned Parenthood Aurora, where he is regularly engaged in clinic witness [Photo by Matt Yonke]
Good news for counselors and prayer partners. Today at 3:20 while Deacon Tom Hawksworth and I were praying and witnessing to life at the PP facility, a young woman pulled up and parked her SUV on the road next to us.
She exited and came over to inquire whether we had some literature that we could give her—presumably for someone she knew. Tom happily had a packet and proceeded to give her a couple of brochures.
Not many weeks ago I wrote about the new sign which had been placed on the newsstand outside the Planned Parenthood clinic at 1200 N. LaSalle in Chicago. It was an advertisement paid for by a pregnancy center, Aid For Women, offering help to pregnant women.
The next Saturday, the newsstand was gone.
This stand has been there for years and, as far as anyone knows, was never even used. But the moment a pro-life ad goes on it—with a contract to stay up until May—the city tears it down.
As Chicago Tribune columnist Dennis Byrne wrote, “The Constitution protects political and commercial speech of all sorts. JCDecaux signs have advertised booze and featured a bikini-clad woman, but a tasteful sign that offends political correctness may not have made the cut.” [Continue reading ...]
“]![Annie Casselman and Steve Tracey sidewalk counsel at a clinic in North Carolina. [Photo by Ann Scheidler]](http://prolifeaction.org/pix/2010/annie-with-steve-tracey3.jpg "Annie and Steve sidewalk counseling")
A new sidewalk counselor recently asked me for advice on which pamphlets are best to use while counseling at the clinics. Since this is such a vital part of the Pro-Life Action League’s mission, I wanted to share with everyone the material our counselors use and learn from you what you use.
Particularly since this list is not (and could never be) exhaustive, I hope you will jump in and share your thoughts about which pamphlets you prefer to use when counseling so we can learn from each other.
First of all, you definitely need a pamphlet directing a woman to the nearest Pregnancy Resource Center. The PRC nearest the clinic may be willing to supply you with these pamphlets, though this can often be too expensive for them to provide.
Pro-lifers picket along New York Street outside Planned Parenthood in Aurora, IL [Photo by Sam Scheidler]
I was thrilled when I woke up Saturday morning to temperatures in the 30’s. I’ve been involved in protests with the Pro-Life Action League outside of the “Abortion Fortress” of Aurora Illinois for over two and a half years now and February has brought some of the most brutal weather we’ve encountered—often with temperatures dipping below zero—so 30’s were a welcome change.
Out at the clinic a little before 9 a.m., there already were four stalwart pro-lifers engaged in clinic witness ministry, sidewalk counseling and praying, when I arrived. It’s always a great encouragement to see those dedicated folks outside the abortuary, even in February’s snow and winds. [Continue reading ...]
![An ambulance drives away from Planned Parenthood in Aurora, IL on Saturday, Februrary 13, 2010. [Photos by Ginny Nelson]](http://prolifeaction.org/pix/2010/ambulance-1.jpg "twoambulances1")
An ambulance drives away from Planned Parenthood in Aurora, IL on Saturday, Februrary 13, 2010. [Photo by Ginny Nelson]
The first was from Ginny, a Prayer Warrior and Sidewalk Counselor at Planned Parenthood in Aurora. She called to report that an ambulance had driven into the parking lot on Saturday, February 13 around 11:30 a.m. Four medics went in to the clinic for a time, but they ended up coming out without a patient.
Then, on today’s voice mail, we received word that a pro-life friend, Anthony, spotted an ambulance from Superior Ambulance company leaving Family Planning Associates, Albany Medical-Surgical Center on Thursday, February 18, around 6:30 p.m. Since Albany does its abortions in the morning, it appears they kept this woman for many hours before finally deciding to call for medical help. [Continue reading ...]
As Sidewalk Counselors and Prayer Warriors gathered on Saturday, February 13, 2010 to pray outside of Planned Parenthood at 1200 N. LaSalle in Chicago, they were subjected to yet another interpretation of the Bubble Zone law.
This weekend saw the return of Officer Hagen. This is the officer who, on January 9, inaccurately told us we could not picket within 150 feet of the clinic or stand within 8 feet of the door but, upon reading the ordinance, magnanimously granted us permission to pray.
It’s such a thrill to see tens of thousands of people in Washington, DC each year, proudly proclaiming that abortion is wrong and is never the answer to a crisis pregnancy.
Unfortunately, the other 364 days a year, a large number of those people are no longer visible. I think in many cases they just don’t know where to go to continue to proclaim the message of the March for Life.
Fortunately, there are many opportunities. One of the most significant ways we can continue to spread the Gospel of Life is by praying outside of an abortion clinic.
![Clinic escorts outside Planned Parenthood in Chicago [Photo by Ann Scheidler]](http://prolifeaction.org/pix/2010/timeout3.jpg "timeout3")
Clinic escorts outside Planned Parenthood in Chicago [Photo by Ann Scheidler]
Just weeks after the story about pro-life young people featuring League staffer Corrina Gura and myself in Chicago’s RedEye daily newspaper, another local daily has submitted its take on activism outside Chicago’s abortion facilities. Their take isn’t nearly as fair as the RedEye’s.
TimeOut Chicago, a paper aimed at young singles, reviews Chicago news, entertainment and culture. Their current issue features a section on volunteering. Among articles on “Volunteering Horror Stories” and “Best Volunteer Projects for Hooking Up” is an article entitled “Volunteer Escorts at Planned Parenthood.”
Wearing his bias on his sleeve, author Jake Malooley opens the piece by criticizing pro-lifers’ “off-key” singing on their Empty Manger caroling day. The rest of the article, a glowing portrait of “clinic escort” Zach Burgess, is chock full of epithets, misrepresentations and outright lies about Chicago’s brave clinic witness volunteers.
Since the enactment; of Chicago’s Bubble Zone law in November, I’ve been joining the St. Mary of the Angel’s Young Adult group at Planned Parenthood Saturday mornings. There’s never a dull moment, with the police showing up nearly every week.
This week was no different. There were about twenty prayers present at the time, including several seminarians from Mundelein Seminary and the League’s Joe Scheidler. The police arrived and spoke with the “clinic escorts” at the doorway, who gestured towards the seminarians.
The officer went inside, then returned to her car. Shortly afterwards two more squads arrived. The officer who took charge (whose name I did not get, unfortunately), then told us about the Bubble Zone law [PDF]—apparently as Planned Parenthood interpreted it for her.
Wednesday, December 16, pro-lifer Rachelle Crile went to the Planned Parenthood facility in Aurora, Illinois at 8 a.m. to sidewalk counsel as she has done on regular basis since attending a Pro-Life Action League sidewalk counseling seminar in September. After about 45 minutes in temperatures below 20 degrees, Rachelle went to her car in an adjacent parking lot to warm up before returning to the her sidewalk counseling post.
As Rachelle sat in her car, a couple in a white SUV pulled into the lot a couple rows behind her. Rachelle had a feeling the people might be headed to Planned Parenthood. Since Wednesday mornings are a prime time abortions there, Rachelle knew a life could be on the line, so she said a prayer, grabbed her literature and approached the car.