Over 62 million abortions were conducted in the United States since Roe v Wade was law in 1973, surpassing the world’s leading causes of death.
It was said that small actions plus a lot of people equals a MOMENTOUS change. This is true of the Knights of Columbus that are in our community.
The Life Center, A Better Choice, in Franklin, PA, experienced the Knights in action. We are a Pro-Life, pregnancy resource center in Venango County that has been saving lives for 29 years.
Our Life affirming mission goes beyond just saving a child from abortion. We choose to journey with the mother, child, and family because like Jesus Christ, we value the human being… fearfully and wonderfully made.
The vision at the Life Center is to advance the Kingdom of God by empowering individuals to choose Life for the unborn, themselves and their families.
We EMPOWER those most vulnerable to abortion to CHOOSE LIFE! We exist because vulnerable girls need a safe place.
ABC Life Executive Director,
Kim Simons.
A Woman who experiences unplanned pregnancy also deserves unplanned joy. It is not enough to say you are for the mother and then send the mom and baby on their way with no tools to raise their child to do remarkable things. Our mission is to provide the best life for that child for the first two years with us. This is what makes our Center unique.
We educate the moms on how to raise healthy children. Everything from milestones, sleepless nights, safety and discipline - to addiction and blended families - is taught in our Earn While you Learn educational curriculum. Volunteer consultants meet weekly with our moms to provide education and an opportunity to buy baby clothes, diapers, wipes, formula, and all baby equipment (car seats, cribs, strollers, etc.). Currently, upwards to sixty girls per month are receiving education, supplies and unconditional love from our twenty plus volunteers, one full-time and two part-time staff. Hurt families feel a sense of worth as they learn and earn.
At the Life Center we do not stop there. Men need life skills to equip them to lead healthy families. Couples need to stand on Genesis 1:27, “…male and female He created them,” as we encourage the importance of marriage.
Our Fatherhood Initiative allows men to come together and meet in our “man cave” male-friendly room to learn Life skills such as changing a toilet or fixing a broken sink, as well as child development skills. Husbands or boyfriends earn points towards free tools as they attend more classes. We are building better dads that in return offer a better Life for the children saved.
Because we see 15–16-year-olds facing unplanned pregnancies shattering their future dreams, we go deeper by providing an eight-week Sexual Risk Avoidance program in our area high schools. Our hope is to never see these young lives grace our doors. We work with local adoption agencies to give hope to a mom waiting for a child.
This is where Knights come to action…
Is there more? You bet! We are renovating our current facility to make a real home environment for girls to be part of a family. Many have never experienced this type of safe place.
Ken Maleski, Grand Knight 4602,
working at the
Life Center, Franklin.
We are a nonprofit with an annual budget of $150,000 for this Life affirming mission and a monthly budget of $6,500 for operational costs. All funds are earned yearly through individuals, churches, grants, and fundraisers.
The Life Center earned $60,000 beyond our projected annual budget with the hope of buying a house for our families. When enough funds didn’t come in, we went to Plan B: Create a home right where we are planted.
Our new space offers extra consulting rooms for more clients, a redesigned boutique, family room and kitchen as well as space for a counselor (With You Counseling Services) to be onsite for deeper healing from trauma, abortion, infant loss, infertility, and addictions. Paul C. Bell Construction of Cooperstown, PA gave our home the attention it needs to allow the abortion vulnerable to know we are here for all, with no charge.
We are for babies. We are for men and women. We are for the childless. We are for our community. WE ARE for LIFE!
The Knights of Columbus jumped to action with seven councils each adopting a room for our Pro-Life Mission. They each purchased paint then put their boots to the ground and painted each room including walls, trim and doors. As people heard about the Knights in action, others began to want to be part of this stand for LIFE!
Tom Orolin with Penn West Homes joined hands with Nature’s Blend to donate a kitchen which will allow girls to learn to cook nutritious meals. Imagine the smell of cookies baking while around the island life problems are being solved at the same time.
Charitable Deeds (non-profit religious-based group of Knox, PA) joined arms and purchased ten doors for our new home. Others are beginning to join this Life affirming mission all because the Knights sprang into action! The Knights truly proved that society’s greatness is found in the respect it shows for the weakest and neediest among us. (Timothy Dolan)
Because of the service of the Knights of Columbus (Emlenton, PA Holy Name Council #4602, St. Joseph, Lucinda, PA Council #4216, Immaculate Conception, Clarion, PA Council #7549, Marienville/Crown, PA St. Hubert Council #10341, Fryburg, PA Msgr. Theobald Council #11387, St. Patrick of Franklin, PA Council #1020, and St. Joseph of Oil City, PA Council #385) who believe Life is not a choice, it is a human being, we can say, “Welcome Home,” to women, men, babies, families, and students.
How can others stand? If we can stand in our tiny neck-of-the-woods and save lives, then imagine what approximately 6,500 pregnancy resource centers around the world can do. We can all work hard to build our community as The Life Center strives to illuminate the need to respect for Life and right to live.
Pope John XXIII said it best, “Human life is sacred…from its very inception it reveals the creating hand of God.” (Pro-Life by Jim Harrison, p. 1)
Hopefully for another 29 years and beyond, we will continue to empower the most vulnerable to abortion to choose LIFE!