Removing the Blinders

December 2023 Newsletter

For unto us a child is born! Isaiah 9:6

End of the Year Donations

During this holiday season, we want to send a special thank you to our supporters! You make a difference in the programs we can offer. We are so blessed by each and every one of you! Your generosity does not go unnoticed! You are the very heart of this ministry, and we see the big impact you make with every person,1,915 to date this year, who walks through our doors!

As we draw to the end of 2023, if you would like to give an end of the year donation, please click here to give!

Donate

Director's Corner

Tammy Gildenzoph, PhD

PRC Executive Director

Removing my Blinders

When I changed careers from a mental health therapist to the Executive Director of a Pregnancy Center it was a paradigm shift for me. I was “familiar” with prolife work, sat on the PRC board for a while and was involved in activism for a few years. However, it did not prepare me for what I needed to learn as a director who would work face to face with the diverse needs of clients.

The first thing I had to learn is “options advising” which is sharing with women who are facing an unexpected pregnancy the choices they have:

1) Parenting- choosing to raise their child.

2) Adoption- which is choosing other parents to raise their child.

3) Abortion- which is terminating the pregnancy.

Well, okay…. this was logical and made sense to me. But then, a client came in who was abortion minded and wanted more information about procedures. This was when I realized I had blinders on because I did not know how to answer those questions. Honestly, I did not want to know the answer to those questions. It was too painful to know! I did, however, persevere as I knew I must, and signed up for video clips with Live Action so I could be better equipped to discuss this subject and serve clients who need help. The clips were well done, and former abortionists shared their personal stories along with explaining the processes they used in the belief they were helping women. I did not realize there are different procedures based on the gestational age. It was extremely difficult to learn the reality of what women and babies are being subjected to! As a trauma informed therapist, I could not comprehend how this experience could be presented as not traumatizing to patients. Not to mention, how the staff involved could believe this process helps women!

I began to connect the dots when I recalled a post abortive woman telling me there are layers of trauma for women who have been through an abortion. I can now begin to understand those layers of trauma and pain. I can begin to come alongside these grief-stricken women and walk with them through a journey of healing.

3 out of 5 women in the US today are post abortive and carrying this experience in their souls. At PRC we are here to help women who carry the forbidden grief of being post abortive. We are here to walk beside you in your journey of healing if this is part of your story.

Genuine help for mothers and babies comes from those who will remove their blinders and stand against the deception of what helps women. Pregnancy Resource Connection is a place that provides genuine help for women! Society tells these women that their grief is not real, but here at PRC, we acknowledge the grief, the pain, the trauma, and we help these women begin their journey to healing.

Without your support, I would not have removed my blinders to see what trauma these women carry, and PRC wouldn’t be able to come alongside these women to guide them on their healing journey. Thank you for your support!

Meet this year's Banquet guest speaker, Mike Williams!

Mike G. Williams is a nationally known speaker and writer who has a passion for life. He is heard daily on the SiriusXM's Laugh USA. He has recorded numerous comedy projects and written fourteen books. Included in those books are Men Moved to Mars When Women Started Killing the Ones on Venus and Love Is NOT A Three-Letter Word (A new look at Abstinence). His own personal adoption story and the rescue and subsequent

adoption of his son will move you to tears of great joy. Each of Mike's presentations are given in a very positive humorous direction that will leave every listener feeling encouraged and empowered to make a difference. He came to popularity as a pro-life speaker after Focus on the Family brought his personal story to a national

spotlight. Mike will have you rolling on the floor with laughter, while simultaneously building your reverence for the work of local lifesaving organizations.

Note: Press may schedule interviews with Mike Williams by contacting Gloria.Leyda@AmbassadorSpeakers.com.

To learn more about Mike Williams or to book him for your event, visit his website here.

Billboard along I-70, Colorado/Utah border

Chemical Abortion: The New Battlefield

The perfect storm began in March, 2020. COVID lockdowns limited in-person access to abortions. On June 24, 2022, the Dobbs v. Jackson case overturned Roe v. Wade, returning abortion policies to the states. Late in 2021, the FDA approved mail order pills for medication (chemical) abortions.

Last year, in Colorado, Governor Polis signed the Reproductive Health Equity Act (“RHEA”) into law. As Colorado Politics reports, it “is among the most permissive in the country.”[1]. Because of this law the unborn have no rights and abortion has no legal restrictions. RHEA has made Colorado a sanctuary state for outsiders seeking an abortion.

This year, Colorado added a slate of three laws dubbed “RHEA 2.0.” One of them is the Protections for Accessing Reproductive Health Care Act. It shields health care workers who give abortion pills or offer “gender-affirming care” to patients in another state. Insurance companies are forced to cover all this without raising rates as long as the activities “did not violate Colorado law.”[2]

According to a 2022 Colorado state report, abortion is on the rise in this state. Compared to 2021 there have been significant spikes:[3]

14,154 abortions (a 22% increase) The highest in 37 years.
152% increase in out of state women coming to Colorado from more restrictive states such as Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas
62% were chemical abortions

The Guttmacher Institute, a former research arm of Planned Parenthood, reports that a mere 15 states require a doctor prescription for abortion pills.[4] Only five expect patients to go to a clinic, and only Arizona forbids the pills by mail.[5] Colorado has no intention of allowing limitations to abortion pills through mail. Currently Colorado does not require any physician oversight or contact.

Although Colorado has long favored abortion, a national win may be on the horizon. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Alliance For Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA that mail-in abortions aren’t legal. The Supreme Court has yet to hear the case.

As we wait, let’s not allow these statistics to discourage us. PRC is on the front lines of this battle to protect life. Please pray with us for ways to reach those who fall prey to chemical abortions, especially from their own mailboxes.

[1] Marianne Goodland, “Gov. Jared Polis' comments on abortion, Focus on the Family, pre-K draw criticism from Democrats,” Colorado Politics, December 4, 2023, https://www.coloradopolitics.com/governor/colorado-jared-polis-abortion-criticism-allies/article_c540d02a-37af-11ee-9d72-178cae110dd5.html.

[2] Colo. Rev. Stat. § 10-16-121

[3] Mia Steupert, M.A. and Tessa Longbons, “Abortion Reporting: Colorado (2022),” Charlotte Lozier Institute, August 23, 2023, https://lozierinstitute.org/abortion-reporting-colorado-2022/.

[4] “Medication Abortion” in “State Laws and Policies,” Guttmacher Institute, October 31, 2023, https://www.guttmacher.org/state-policy/explore/medication-abortion.

[5] Ibid.

Colorado Gives Day

Thank you so much for your generous support and donations through Colorado Gives! We have raised $4,918 before the match percentage!

Your support determines the programs we run and the support we can give Grand and Jackson county. Thank you for making a difference!

Upcoming Special Dates

December

6

Volunteer Appreciation Party!

We want to thank all our wonderful volunteers for the many hours they contribute to the operations of the PRC! Our office will be closing early (4:30 pm) to allow for a celebration in honor of our wonderful volunteers!

December

15-16

Castle Rock Women's Health Clinic

Please contact 720-432-6580 for an appointment! Services provided include prenatal care up to 20 weeks, postpartum care up to 3 months, well woman exams, full spectrum STI testing and treatment, Hormone testing and consultations, and sports physicals.

December

25-27

January

1st

Closed for Christmas and New Years Day

PRC will be closed December 25th-27th to allow our staff and volunteers time to celebrate Christmas and New Years.

January

February

Free Childbirth Classes

For women and their partners due in March, April, or May. Please contact Gina DeRosa at 720-282-1428 to sign up! Classes take place at PRC January 26 & 27, and February 2 & 3.

January

21

National Sanctity of Human Life Day

On January 22, 1984, President Ronald Reagan issued a presidential proclamation designating the third Sunday of January as National Sanctity of Human Life Day.

We stand for the right to human life, and giving all human life a chance to live. Join us in prayer this day as we continue to fight the battle to protect life!

February

Save the Date!

PRC's Annual Fundraising Banquet at Crooked Creek Ranch in Fraser, CO, featuring Christian Comedian Mike Williams! Registration opens soon!

A special thank you!

A special thank you to the sponsor of this newsletter: the Grand Foundation and the Recreation, Open Space, and Housing Fund! We are very grateful to be named a 2023 ROSH grant recipient of $3,000! Thank you Grand Foundation and ROSH!

Did you know?

Did you know that we actually have 2 websites?

That's right! We have a donor website for our supporters, donors, volunteers, and upcoming events/fundraisers, and a client website for current and potential clients!

The reason for this differentiation is that we want our clients to feel welcomed without obligation to pay or volunteer in exchange for our services. Our goal is to make every client feel welcome, supported, and cared for with no strings attached! To this end, we keep all of our donation info separate.

PRC Services

Volunteer

Our Team

Donate

End of the Year Donations

Upcoming Special Dates

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15-16

25-27

21

A special thank you!

Did you know?

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