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12 ways to help ...

1. Share these materials

2. Choose words w/ care
3. Pray for all hurt by abortion
4. Tell leaders
5. Tell politicians 
6. Tell clergy
7.  Write a letter to the editor
8.  Stay informed
9.  Healing newspaper insert
10. Donate books to libraries 
11. Help post-abort. ministries,
      Donate

12. Link to this site


  learn & share ...

 

portraits of coercion

forced abortion report

top 10 reasons/unchoice

 

wear the message ...

T-shirts

bumper stickers

buttons (coming soon!)

 

 

 

 

12 ways to help
tell others about unwanted abortions & post-abortion heartbreak
 

what you can do right now

 

please link to this site
free e-news

tell a friend

donate

 

other ways you or your group can help

12 ways to help list
reach a leader:
... letter to pastors - pdf or word doc to write in your own words
... letter to editors
... letter to candidates & legislators
send Portraits of Coercion to a compassionate journalist/writer

 

1. Use these ads & resources, tell others about this site

 

►  Print healing "business cards," bookmarks  and ad/flyers.  Distribute anywhere/everywhere!

►  Place small ads in bulletins, newsletters, civic magazines, classifieds,  on-line, etc.

►  Run UnChoice radio or TV ads locally.  (See Ad Campaign page for details)
Some stations will run them as FREE Public Service Announcements (PSAs) during off-peak hours

►   Post a Billboard ad ... or take the art to a printer  to print as a rally sign or other signage/ad

►  Run ads in your community. 
.....Read Ads 101 - 6 Tips,  Which Media? and Terms of Use first.
.....Use our free ad-fundraising letter to raise money to run unchoice ads

►  Link to TheUnChoice.com
.....Put a link to this site on your site or your group's site.
.....Tell others about the new facts and free resources here. 
.....Distribute our "Download Free Resources" flyer, which encourages people to visit this site 

►  See Low-Cost/No-Cost Ways to Use these ads and other materials for more ideas.

2.  Use the "choice" and other words with care

 

For many teens, women, men and families, it wasn't really about "choice."

"You mean you didn't want to have an abortion?"
Her question pierced my heart.  WOW, I thought, she doesn't know ..."

Until more Americans are aware of widespread unwanted or coerced abortion, professional negligence, pregnancy-related blackmail or even  violence and forced abortions ... your innocent words, signs or other casually spoken or publicly displayed messages can convey an unintended message:

►  For those coerced or even forced into an unwanted abortion, the word "choice" becomes a cruel irony that can deepen an already raw wound. 

►  For the young couple who trusted the moral guidance of a misguided pastor ... an unethical physician ... or an agenda-driven "counselor" or other authorities ...

►  For those who've been harshly judged or condemned by such betrayals, which were common in the early years of legal abortion and still go on today ...

►  For still other victims who are fathers, friends and family who mourn sensitive abortion-related losses that may include the loss of a daughter, sister or friend in abortion's aftermath ...

Presumptions about "choice" can further wound already-broken hearts and lives.

Encourage others –- especially leaders with a "bully pulpit" –- to always first acknowledge widespread unwanted or unjustly coerced abortions and to avoid presuming – or using language that seems to presume – that someone's abortion was a free, fair or fully informed  "choice" or that they were offered meaningful support, protection of  their rights or information about alternatives.

3. Pray for the women, men and families wounded by abortion

 

Many women grieve a long list of injustices, but above all, the loss of a child. Family and friends grieve, too, and many have also lost a mother, daughter, sister or friend to pregnancy-related violence or abortion-related malpractice.

Please pray for all those impacted by abortion.  Not just this once, but every day. Make this one of your daily intentions. Pray especially for those in urgent need of  hope and healing.

Pray also for the emotional and financial support of the many generous women and men who provide post-abortion counseling services. It is very difficult, draining, heart-wrenching work.  They need your prayers.

Please also pray for the Elliot Institute, our staff, and our families. Pray especially that we will have compassion in all that we do, and the wisdom to see all the opportunities and find all the resources we need to accomplish this work. 

Finally, consider starting a prayer chain or encouraging others to also pray regularly for the intentions above. 

4. Share these materials with pro-life and community leaders


Distribute and forward these materials to anyone you know, especially compassionate group leaders, local pastors, politicians, friends and family. Encourage them to:
 

* Read, use and share our materials,
* Sign up for our email list - the latest news, research and outreach

* Link to our web sites TheUnChoice.com and www.AfterAbortion.info

 

Don’t assume they already know this information!  And don’t assume they are keeping on top of the latest developments.  These established leaders can be the most powerful educators in our community and churches, but only AFTER they understand abortion's injustice to mothers, too.  Many have not had time to devote to integrating into their work a more holistic pro-woman/pro-life message. Keep giving them copies of our special reports, fact sheets, ads, brochures, books, or articles. Or, create a convenient Information Kit for them.
 

The fact that you have personally taken the time to encourage these leaders to learn more about post-abortion issues through www.AfterAbortion.info or TheUnChoice.com and our other printed resources can make a BIG difference. The faster leaders share this urgent message, the faster we will see progress. 

5. Ask candidates & legislators to advocate for authentic women's rights

 

Educate your political leaders by sharing downloadable materials at www.UnChoice.info ...

►  See our letter to legislators (sample), send a version in your own words.
Include fact sheets and ads with your letter.

►  Or, create a convenient  Political Information Kit for them.
Fill a folder or tab-divided binder with fact sheets, ads, etc.
Include a Table of Contents for even easier reference

►  Ask your legislator to protect women’s rights by requiring full disclosure, proper screening, and full liability for abortionists who injure or kill women. Model legislation and support documents consistent with this strategy are posted at www.AfterAbortion.info  

►  Schedule a meeting with your representative, candidate or political-party representative. They are very receptive to feedback from voters!

 

6. Ask pastors and religious leaders to encourage awareness and healing

 

Encourage your pastor and other leaders to defuse this divisive issue by speaking out about widespread unwanted or coerced abortions, pregnancy- and abortion-related injustices and the urgent need for healing, support and prayer for women, men and families hurt by abortion ... and authentic prowoman support and alternatives.

Refer pastors to TheUnChoice.com for materials they can use for counseling, talks and outreach services. This includes downloadable fact sheets, testimonies, the Forced Abortion in America report, and more.

Send our Pastors Letter (in pdf or MS Word doc you can edit) ... along with a copy of:
1) Portraits of Coercion flyer
2) Sample healing ad
3) Sample healing business card/ad or bookmark/ad

Ask for permission to keep copies of Hope and Healing on the literature table at the back of the your church. Then, make sure copies are always available.

7. Write a "letter to the editor"

 

This is a highly effective way to educate the public and influence legislators about the injustice of coerced abortion, abortion-related abuses, risks and trauma.

Click here for examples of letters that you can use "as is" or modify. 

Keep an eye on current events; when pregnancy-related injustices are in the news, it's a good time to write a letter and raise awareness of these issues, especially unwanted abortions and the urgent need for compassion and healing.

For example:

Mothers Day  – can be difficult for those suffering post-abortion grief
Fathers Day  – abortion hurts men, too
National Depression Screening Awareness (October) – abortion linked to clinical depression and suicide, but hope and healing are possible
See our PR Calendar for ideas & tie-ins. (These dates are a good time to run ads, too.)

Don’t forget to sign up for our email list so we can notify you immediately when there is such a “news peg,” for example, newly published research, screening tests, free posters, etc. You can also check the PR calendar when planning ads. These dates are a good time to run associated ads.

8. Stay informed about new research, information and resources

 

New research, strategies and initiatives are constantly being developed. Subscribe to both The Post-Abortion Review, our printed quarterly publication which focuses on the impact of abortion on women, men, and children; and our free email newsletter, the Elliot Institute News. Subscribing to these resources will help you to see when and how you can get involved in more effective ways. Refer interested friends to our web sites and ask them to join our e-list.
 

9.  Distribute the Hope and Healing Newspaper Insert

 

Buy a small bundle of Hope and Healing and distribute them to friends or leave them anyplace people might be waiting around and looking for something to read.  Make sure they are in the literature rack at the back of your church. 

Ask all the pregnancy centers and pro-life groups in your county if they have Hope and Healing in stock and are distributing it from their literature tables at the county fair.  Consider donating copies or volunteering to do this important outreach. If you have a waiting room at your place of business (a doctor’s office, salon, laundromat, etc.) keep copies available for visitors to browse through. 

Contact churches, pro-life groups, crisis pregnancy centers, and other like-minded organizations and ask them to work with you to place Hope and Healing as a paid advertising supplement in your community or college newspapers. For large orders, we can even provide a special edition with an advertisement listing contact information for the sponsoring organizations.

When an organization raises the funds to insert Hope and Healing into a community newspaper, we will provide Hope and Healing at cost, or even provide the artwork for you to print locally. Hope and Healing has touched and changed many lives. With your help, it will touch more.  

10.  Donate books on post-abortion issues to your local libraries

 

Make sure The Detrimental Effects of Abortion, Giving Sorrow Words, Forbidden Grief, Victims and Victors, and similar books and materials on post-abortion trauma and healing are available at your local high school, college, church, medical, and public libraries. This is one of the simplest and most effective things you, your church, or your local pro-life group can do. 

11. Support post-abortion ministries

 

Consider supporting your local post-abortion ministries as a donor, volunteer, or board member.  National ministries can provide information about associated ministries in your area that could use your support. 

The Elliot Institute relies on your generosity, too. This campaign and web site, and all of the Elliot Institute's work, are funded solely by the support of people like you. We have a very small mailing list and a very small budget, so your donation makes a very big difference!

Please consider becoming a Sustaining Partner in our ministry by making a pledge for monthly, quarterly, or semi-annual donations. This allows us to spend less time fundraising and more time doing the urgent work at hand. It also frees us up to plan ahead, vs. wondering whether the money will come in!  Donate on-line. Or, mail donations to: 

Elliot Institute

P.O. Box 7348-WBU

Springfield, IL 62791  

12. Link to www.TheUnChoice.com ... refer others, too!


Promotional funds are limited at best, so we rely on faith and friends to promote these materials and this web site through word of mouth, prayer support, and the "ripple-effect" of sharing ... including free PR opportunities, Low-Cost/No-Cost Ways to use these materials, and/or generous donors willing to subsidize a paid-media campaign in a selected market. (Contact us if this is you!)

We encourage any individual or group with a web site to link to TheUnChoice.com and www.AfterAbortion.org ... Also, please refer your friends, church and civic leaders and others.
 

Other ways to help ...

  • Stay informed and educate others via our newsletters or books.
    Subscribe to our quarterly The Post-Abortion Review, or Elliot Institute News email newsletter. Consider ordering books and resources to read, share or donate to libraries.

  • Remember us in September – United Way Campaign Kickoff time!
    Local and regional policies vary. Before September, ask your local United Way representative about donating to post-abortion ministries as part of this year's campaign.

  • Volunteer (needs list coming soon)

  • Speak to groups about The UnChoice ... widespread unwanted or coerced abortion and post-abortion grief and the urgent need for healing. Keep it simple, e.g. play a radio ad, hand out a few things: Portraits of Coercion, Forced Abortion in America, Top 10 Reasons it's the UnChoice and Healing Ad/Flyers.  Refer those hurt by abortion to TheUnChoice.com/healing for tips and referrals, or hand out copies of counseling resource list.

  • File an affidavit about your abortion experience, using only your initials, if you want, to support legal challenges to Roe v. Wade.

  • Share your story. (Form etc. coming soon)

  • Regarding Permission to Reprint Would you like to reprint or repost an article? 
     

unwanted abortions forced abortions abortion risks  ad campaign research & fact sheets  

hard cases suicide resources help & healing how to help donate  news links


for post-abortion counseling referrals, call 1-877-HOPE-4-ME or click here.
copyright 2006 Elliot Institute. All rights reserved.