GREENFIELD — Greenfield crisis pregnancy center Life Choices Care Center is set to hold its annual fundraising banquet Thursday in New Palestine.
The event’s guest speaker will be anti-abortion activist Carol Everett. She is the founder of the Heidi Group, which trains personnel at crisis pregnancy centers nationwide, and wrote the book “Blood Money: Getting Rich Off a Woman’s Right to Choose” about her experience as an abortion provider who later came to believe the procedure should be illegal.
Life Choices executive director Jillian Jarrett said thought Everett was a good choice for the Life Choices banquet because she has been on both sides of the abortion debate.
“We’re so blessed that she’s coming here just to talk to us,” Jarrett said.
Proceeds from the banquet will support the services provided by Life Choices, including pregnancy testing; testing for sexually transmitted infections; counseling; and infant supplies. The center is focused on pregnant women and does not provide referrals for abortion services.
Jarrett, who became the executive director of Life Choices in 2018, said she has spent her tenure so far learning about how to fund-raise effectively and communicating with people and organizations around the county about what needs Life Choices can meet.
The banquet will highlight two new services Life Choices plans to offer in the coming year. First, it will begin offering a counseling group for women who regret having abortions, a need Jarrett said several volunteers and community members spoke to her about. A total of 57 Hancock County residents obtained abortions in 2018, compared to 68 the year before, according to the Indiana Department of Health.
Life Choices worked with Columbus-based Clarity Pregnancy Care Centers to develop the program and plans to work with local churches to promote it, Jarrett said.
The center also hopes to hire a medical director, nurse and an ultrasound technician so that it can begin offering ultrasounds to pregnant women, Jarrett said. It currently owns an ultrasound machine but does not employ any medical personnel.
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The banquet will be held at Brookville Road Community Church in New Palestine from 6:30-9 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 26.
Tickets to the event are $25 per person and can be reserved at lifechoicescarecenter.org or by calling (317) 467-9700.
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