Donor Booklet 2024

Maria, Waukegan Center Client

OUR HISTORY

Since 1978, Aid for Women has helped thousands of women each year in the Chicago metropolitan area who find themselves facing unexpected pregnancies. We currently operate eight Pregnancy Care Centers, as well as two Maternity Homes (Heather’s House and Monica’s House). Aid for Women understands that every woman’s situation is different and provides a confidential and comfortable place for our clients to meet with our medical staff and advocates to discuss her unique needs and situation.

Founded in 1978 by Deacon

Thomas Bresler

In 1973, abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy became legal in the United States after the historic Supreme Court decisions in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton

Thomas Bresler, a newly ordained deacon at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Deerfield, Illinois, found his new mission after the Roe decision, and in 1977, met with a small but eager group in his living room.

On October 6, 1978, Deacon Bresler, along with Nancy Corbett, Penny Crowley, Mary Kraychy, and Mona Lukas, opened Aid for Women, a pregnancy help center in suburban Deerfield, Illinois, to serve the needs of women in the area and offer alternatives to abortion.

In 1981, a second location was opened at 8 South Michigan Avenue in Chicago’s downtown Loop to confront the number of abortion facilities opening throughout the city.

Deacon Thomas Bresler

All human life, from the moment of conception and through all subsequent stages, is sacred because human life is created in the image and likeness of God.

Nothing surpasses the greatness or dignity of a human person.

— Saint John Paul II

OUR MISSION

Founded in 1978 on the faith and teachings of the Catholic Church, Aid for Women helps thousands of women each year throughout Illinois who find themselves facing unexpected pregnancies. Each woman is provided with the emotional, practical and spiritual support that she needs to choose life for her unborn baby and to

OUR 2023 RESPONSE

5,617 At-Risk Individuals Served

4,982 One-on-One Consultation Sessions

$111,066 Material Goods Provided

SERVICES & PROGRAMS

Pregnancy Care Center Services

Aid for Women helps thousands of women each year throughout Illinois who find themselves facing unexpected pregnancies. Each woman is provided with the emotional, practical and spiritual support that she needs to choose life for her unborn baby and to provide a better future for herself and her child. Our lifeaffirming services are offered to clients free-ofcharge and include:

• 24-Hour Helpline

• Ultrasound Exams

• Telehealth

• Community Referrals

• Options Consultations

• Abortion Pill Reversal

• BrightCourse

• Pregnancy Tests

• Medical Referrals

• Parents-to-Be Support Groups

• Maternity Homes

OUR LOCATIONS

Pregnancy Care Centers

Chicago Loop8 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois

Carbondale2015 West Main Street, Carbondale, Illinois

Cicero1400 South Austin Boulevard, Cicero, Illinois

Edgewater6145 North Broadway Chicago, Illinois

Flossmoor3347 Vollmer Road, Flossmoor, Illinois

Rockford1235 North Mulford Road, Rockford, Illinois

Waukegan1334 North Lewis Avenue, Waukegan, Illinois

Wheeling115 North Wolf Road, Wheeling, Illinois

Maternity Homes

Heather’s House and Monica’s House

MATERNITY HOMES

Many Aid for Women clients consider abortion because they lack adequate housing or will be otherwise homeless if they choose life.

HEATHER’S HOUSE

Heather’s House provides a safe and nurturing home where pregnant women and their babies can live. Heather’s House offers residents an opportunity to develop the life skills, education and job skills necessary to become independent and loving mothers.

MONICA’S HOUSE

Monica’s House serves as a transitional home for Heather’s House residents who have had their babies and are either going to school or working. Monica’s House provides these new mothers greater independence while they work toward completing their goals.

Monica's House

VITAE CORPS

Live-in Volunteer Staff

Vitae Corps members are recent female college graduates who volunteer by living and working together in community at Aid for Women’s Maternity Homes (Heather’s House and Monica’s House) to help provide our residents with safe and nurturing homes.

Vitae Corps members are dedicated to Aid for Women’s pro-life mission and play a vital role in affirming and supporting each mother in her decision to choose life — providing her with the emotional, practical and spiritual support she and her baby need while living at our Maternity Homes.

For more information, please contact us at (312) 621-1107 or contact@aidforwomen.org and visit our website at helpaidforwomen.org/vitaecorps .

CLIENT STORIES

CARA'S STORY

Cara came to us on the day of her scheduled abortion. Both her mother and her boyfriend felt it was best to abort. Since Cara was still living with her family, her mother had concerns about raising a newborn in their home, and her boyfriend felt he would not be able to provide for a child financially. Because of these concerns surrounding her pregnancy, Cara scheduled an appointment for an abortion. Leading up to her appointment, she contacted Planned Parenthood and the Life Choices hotline for counseling services. She was then directed to Aid for Women, which had been included in their referrals. During her consultation, Cara learned about the support she could receive through the resources we offer. While talking to her advocate, she decided to cancel her abortion appointment. Since her initial appointment, she has been completing weekly lessons through BrightCourse and has signed up for many referred services provided by her advocate. She is due to have her baby boy in July!

NADINE'S STORY

When Nadine first came to us, she was seeking one-time material aid for her ten-monthold daughter. As she filled out her paperwork before receiving formula, she asked one of our client advocates about our maternity homes. When her advocate explained that our maternity homes are for expecting mothers, Nicole revealed that she was pregnant again and unsure of what to do. In a followup appointment, she told her advocate that she had been in an on-again offagain relationship with her boyfriend, who was the father of her daughter and unborn baby. The two had discussed abortion due to financial strains and an unstable housing situation, and our client expressed concerns over his lack of support with their ten-month-old. While Nadine’s sister suggested getting an abortion, her best friend encouraged her to carry the baby to term. A week later,

Nadine had her ultrasound exam, where she told her advocate that she’d broken up with the father of both babies, which left her even more overwhelmed in her situation. Because of this, she’d decided to schedule an appointment at Planned Parenthood for the abortion pill. During her ultrasound at our Waukegan location, she was emotional and admitted she was happy to see the baby. At the end of her appointment, she was given community resources and information about the reality of abortion. When she missed her appointment with us the next day, her advocate reached out to check in with her. Nicole told her advocate that she’d decided to cancel her appointment with Planned Parenthood and would begin the application process to stay with us at Heather’s House. She now participates in weekly BrightCourse lessons and is due in September!

MARIA'S STORY

Maria came to our Wheeling location looking for pregnancy verification and an options consultation. She first met with the nurse, whom she told she had an abortion with her previous boyfriend and had felt pressured into that decision. She was facing a similar situation in which she was more open to keeping this baby, but her current boyfriend felt that he was not in a financial position to support a child. He was already working two jobs to support himself. Our client was living with her mother at the time and only working part time. She was unsure of her own finances, especially because she did not have insurance. Her one comfort was that she believed her mom would be supportive of the pregnancy. The nurse urged Maria to come back a few days later for an ultrasound exam. When

she returned with her boyfriend, they saw their baby’s heartbeat and received pictures of the ultrasound. Initially, the parents were emotional when seeing the baby on the ultrasound screen. Once back in the consultation room, however, the boyfriend again started to feel overwhelmed and thought that abortion would be the best option. The client advocate was able to address some of those fears by helping the couple realize that there were other options and support to help them through the pregnancy. Maria left undecided but agreed to keep in contact with her client advocate. A few days later, Maria reached out and told her advocate that she decided to parent. Since then, she has participated in our BrightCourse program, and her boyfriend has become very supportive of her decision to choose life for their child.

PARISH ACTION PLAN

Aid for Women offers a Parish Action Plan, under the USCCB’s Walking with Moms program, that allows parishes to support Aid for Women’s pregnancy care centers and maternity homes.

Host

a Baby Shower or Diaper Drive

Aid for Women will provide a list of needed items, and parishioners can bring the items to church or order the items on our online gift registry.

Host

Become a Mom Mentor

Provide one-onone support to a mom who needs additional help.

Maternity Home Graduation

Drive

a Gift Card

Donated gift cards allow us to purchase basic items for our moms such as cribs, strollers and car seats.

Host a Food Drive

Help stock the pantries at Heather’s House and Monica’s House by providing food items and paper products.

Help a mom transition from our maternity homes to her own apartment by providing basic household supplies and helping with the move.

Become a Nursery

Helper

Help our moms at the maternity homes when they are feeling overwhelmed with responsibilities and need extra support.

Host a Fundraiser

Operating eight pregnancy clinics and two maternity homes requires substantial financial resources. Your parish can help by hosting a baby bottle drive, second collection or becoming a sponsor at our annual benefit dinner.

Pray with Us

Pray for our moms or come join us in the celebration of Mass or a holy hour at any of our six locations where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved.

Print Pregnancy Resources in Your Bulletin

Commit to printing pregnancy resource information in your bulletin every weekend.

FOR MORE INFO:

Contact Cecilia Moran at (224) 532-9897 or cmoran@aidforwomen.org

Volunteer as a BrightCourse Instructor

BrightCourse is an online tool that Aid for Women uses to help our moms learn about pregnancy and parenting. Topics include prenatal care, parenting, relationships, life skills, and more.

Volunteer as a Tutor

Many of our moms and children need additional help in pursuing their educational goals, and one-on-one tutoring can be extremely valuable.

GETTING STARTED

Build a Parish Team

Build a team including a parish leader and a support network.

Complete an Inventory

Complete an inventory of the parish’s resources.

GIVING OPPORTUNITIES

The services offered at Aid for Women require substantial financial and material resources. Please consider providing your support, at any level, so we may continue to help women choose life for their unborn babies and provide them with safe and nurturing homes. Here is how your monetary gift can have a real impact on the lives of the mothers and babies whom we serve. We also ask for your prayers for all those who come to us for help, that they may witness the peace and strength of God’s love and choose life for their unborn babies instead of abortion.

$5,000

One month of digital marketing to reach at-risk women.

$1,000

One month of groceries for the residents at Heather’s House

$500

One month of outdoor advertising for one billboard

$250

One month of materials for our pregnancy/parenting classes

$100

One month of materials for our support groups

$75

An ultrasound exam that allows a woman to see her unborn baby

$25

One-hour consultation for a woman considering abortion

OTHER GIVING OPPORTUNITIES

BABY BOTTLE FUNDRAISER

Your church or school group may consider taking up an annual monetary collection by participating in our baby bottle fundraiser.

HEATHER’S HOUSE GROCERY LIST

Provide a week’s worth of groceries for the mothers and babies at Heather’s House.

GIFT CARDS BABY ITEM DRIVE

Donate grocery, gas and store gift cards. Help stock our pantry, fill the house van gas tank or help residents purchase personal items, such as clothes and toiletries.

A baby item drive will provide mothers with new baby clothing and other items so they and their babies can be off to a good start.

SPREAD THE WORD PRAY WITH US

Help us spread the word about Aid for Women by adding an insert in your newsletter, church bulletin, event program or by posting a link on your group’s website.

Please pray for our clients and their families that they may witness the peace, strength and guidance of God’s love and choose life for their unborn babies instead of abortion.

For more information on how you can support Aid for Women, please contact us at (312) 621-1107 or contact@aidforwomen.org and visit our website at: www.helpaidforwomen.org

VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

Volunteers are the heart and core of Aid for Women! Without their time, talent and dedication, we could not impact the lives of so many. We are deeply grateful for their commitment to Aid for Women’s mission of serving God by promoting and defending life.

INDIVIDUALS

Volunteers serve at our Pregnancy Care Centers and Maternity Homes (Heather’s House and Monica’s House) as front desk greeters, BrightCourse instructors, support group presenters, life skills mentors, parish outreach coordinators and more!

GROUPS

Service group opportunities for students, families and organizations are available at our Pregnancy Care Centers and Maternity Homes (Heather’s House and Monica’s House).

For information on volunteer opportunities with Aid for Women, please contact us at (312) 621volunteer@aidforwomen.org and visit our website at helpaidforwomen.org/volunteer.