Kathy Conner is a woman with a mission.

To make it mission possible, she’s started an aggressive media campaign to make sure that all women in the greater Sacramento area considering an abortion know the way to the Sacramento Life Center.

“We have a great service here, but it’s like the best kept secret,” said Conner, who is the Life Center’s executive director.

Conner has been affiliated with the Life Center in a variety of capacities since 1979, having first served as its executive director in 1995 for 18 months, then returning to the same position last October.

“We weren’t reaching the right people,” she said. “We’re not here for the woman who is happy she is pregnant. We’re trying to reach the gal who didn’t want to be pregnant and is on the fence with her decision.”

So in January, with approval of its board of directors, the Sacramento Life Center launched a media campaign targeting teens and young women ages 15 to 25.

The other major piece of the campaign is the placement of 10 bus bench advertisements with hotline information and the message, “Pregnancy Hotline: Call Us, We’ll Help,” located near public and private high schools in the Sacramento area.

Conner said the response has already been overwhelming and that the media message is hitting the target audience.

The Life Center has had a 33 percent increase in pregnancy tests done in the first quarter of this year compared to the first quarter of 2001. Approximately 70 percent of these new clients are in the target age group. In addition, in January 73 percent of clients were “abortion-minded” on their initial visit, compared to 33 percent in January 2001.

“The exciting thing is not only that we’re seeing more girls, but a majority of those we’re seeing are contemplating an abortion. These girls are on the fence, so to speak, and we’re reaching those who might have gone to Planned Parenthood to have an abortion,” Conner said.

She is encouraged by the fact that more young women are making an informed choice about their pregnancy. Conner’s desire to reach out to women considering abortion is grounded in a personal experience she had as a college student.

Upon discovering she was pregnant, as the eldest of five children raised in a strict Catholic home, Conner went to the campus health center where she was told her best choice was probably an abortion. Luckily, she said, after being counseled by a teacher who helped her to calm down and think through her decision, Conner gave birth to her baby, a decision that also gave her a mission in life.

“We don’t twist anyone’s arm here,” she said. “It’s simply the more educated women are, the more likely they are to carry their babies to term.”

The Life Center is also extending its business hours to include Wednesday evenings until 7 p.m. and the first Saturday of each month, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

To meet a growing client base, the center has added to its staff. Michelle Perry, 24, who began work as a counselor four months ago, has been a pro-life advocate since she was a teen. The women she sees range in age from 14 to 44, but the majority are under 18. For these very young women, Perry discusses fetal development, the risks of abortion and conveys one further message.

“It’s that abstinence as a lifestyle is a positive choice, and a lot of freedom comes with it,” she said.

To better meet the needs of Spanish-speaking clients, a part-time bilingual crisis pregnancy counselor is being hired, supported by a $10,000 grant from Catholic Healthcare West. Grant monies will also be used to translate
and disseminate Spanish-language brochures.

“For something as sensitive as this issue, we need to relate to people in their own language,” said Conner, who hopes to have a bilingual counselor in place by June.

For more information on the Sacramento Life Center or to donate to the media campaign, call Conner at (916) 451-4357. The Sacramento Life Center’s hotline number is (916) 451-2273.

Copyright © 2001 Diocese of Sacramento - All Rights Reserved

[Catholic Herald - Cover Page]