Marion-based pregnancy center's role to increase post-Roe, director says

With the United States Supreme Court's ruling that has overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion nationwide, the head of Voice of Hope Pregnancy Center (VOH) based in Marion County believes the organization's role in the community is now more important than ever.

In the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the Supreme Court ruled on Friday that the Constitution of the United States does not confer the right to abortion. The decision overruled both Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey and returned the authority to regulate abortion to the states. The vote on the Dobbs case was 6-3.

Also on Friday, a federal judge lifted the injunction that prevented Ohio's "heartbeat bill" from going into effect. Gov. Mike DeWine signed the legislation in 2019 that bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which is typically around six weeks after conception.

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Barbara Mills, executive director of Voice of Hope, said the need for services offered by crisis pregnancy centers will grow exponentially now. Since opening its doors in 1988 in Upper Sandusky, the faith-based pregnancy center has grown to include four locations in Marion, Bucyrus, Upper Sandusky, and Forest (Hardin County).

Mills said the first objective VOH has in mind in its ministry to women seeking help is to "recognize and identify the crisis" each woman is facing at the time and assess each woman's overall life situation.

"It's very easy to enter into the crisis being fetus-focused, the crisis that that baby is going to die. But we have to look past that," she explained. "Yes, that is a part of it. Yes, we want to protect the innocent child, but we also have to listen to what is going on with the mom. There could be an abuse situation. There could be a poverty situation, an addiction situation. There could be a health situation.

"We don't take abortion-vulnerable women lightly. If they're abortion-vulnerable that means there's something threatening their well being that this pregnancy, to her, may cause. We need to look at that and we need to have that conversation with mom, make sure she's safe, make sure she gets connected to the people in the community that are here to protect her. She may not even know about those resources."

Mills noted it's important to focus on both the needs of the child in the womb and the needs of the mother and family.

"We can do more than one thing at a time," she said. "We can advocate for the life of the child and at the same time advocate for the needs of mom. Sometimes it's mom and dad. We've had couples come in that are facing extreme poverty, so what we want to do is get mom connected to the help that she needs to offset the anxiety that this pregnancy is causing. It's not always just about diapers, wipes, and formula."

Mills said Voice of Hope offers numerous free services for women and families, including prenatal and parenting classes, pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, pregnancy verification, baby clothes up to size 2T, maternity clothes, post-abortion support, and referrals to partner organizations in the communities where the center has locations.

"We want mom and dad to become educated," she said.

Mills also noted Voice of Hope has created vital relationships with partner organizations in Marion, Crawford, Wyandot, and Hardin counties to help address the needs of women, their children, and families.

"We want to get moms connected to their community," she said. "I'm telling you that is such a huge part of it, because a lot of people don't realize that there are people in their communities who want them to thrive and survive. We connect them with resources so they get the help the need. If they need a medical card, we'll get them connected with Help Me Grow or Healthy Start. There are things that can be done to help that mom may not know about. But I can't stress enough that listening to the women and loving them is so very important."

Mills said Voice of Hope has developed partnerships with Children Services offices as well as court officials in Marion, Crawford, Wyandot, and Hardin counties. Specifically in Marion County, she said VOH works with the Marion Adolescent Pregnancy Program (MAPP), Turning Point Domestic Violence Shelter, WIC, Love INC, Leapin' Outreach Center, and Marion Citizens for Life.

"I'm very impressed with the communities that we serve because the non-profit organizations come together and work with each other," Mills said. "We send our clients to them. They send people to us. I always tell women and parents who come to us, we might have one nugget for your parenting treasure chest, but other organizations have other nuggets and jewels for you as well. We highly recommend that they get connected to their community and the resources that are available to them."

Dale Claes of Marion Citizens for Life said the organization has been a supporter of Voice of Hope for many years and agrees that the need for agencies like VOH will only continue to grow.

"Voice of Hope is not only a crisis pregnancy center, they're a family support group," Claes said. "Once the baby comes, they have systems in place to provide formula, diapers, and services, support, and education the families need. We certainly realize that the need for those services is going to increase greatly, so if we can come alongside those groups and encourage people to get involved, volunteer, and provide financial support, we'll certainly do that. As a culture, we need to provide that support to women and their children and families."

For information about Voice of Hope Pregnancy Center, go to its website www.yourpregnancyoptions.org or its Facebook page.

The Marion center is located at 217 W. Center St. The telephone number is 740-223-0419.

The Bucyrus center is located at 115 W. Rensselear St. The telephone number is 419-562-2274.

The Upper Sandusky center is located at 134 E. Wyandot Ave. The telephone number is 419-294-2273.

The Forest center is located at 109 E Dixon St. The telephone number is 419-273-7099.

Email: ecarter@gannett.com | Twitter: @AndrewACCarter 

This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Director: Marion-based pregnancy center's role to increase post-Roe