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May 21, 2019 14:30
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May 16, 2019 14:16
Lennart Nilsson, Pioneering Photographer of the Miracle of Life
Real Alternatives serves residents of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Indiana by providing free, non-judgmental, life-affirming crisis pregnancy centers. The state partner organization also offers counseling and parenting support services. To date, approximately 300,000 women have accessed Real Alternatives’ help in these three states. In early 2017, the world lost a revered figure with the death of Swedish photographer Lennart Nilsson at age 94.
In the 1960s, Nilsson took groundbreaking pictures of babies still in the womb. The highly detailed images, including facial close-ups, illustrated the cycle of human development before birth in ways that the public had never seen. Lennart Nilsson began the project in the early 1950s using specialized electron microscopes and other equipment. After 12 years of work, he published the photos in Life magazine, then in A Child Is Born, a book that became an international success, quickly going through five Swedish editions and appearing in 25 other languages, including English.
Although Nilsson never received any medical or scientific training, the government of Sweden honored him a few years before his death with a lifetime achievement award for his pursuit and transmission of knowledge. Pregnancy support centers, social service agencies, and maternity homes greatly used Lennart Nilsson’s book as a tool to show clients the development and the humanity of the pre-born child.
May 14, 2019 14:29
Blogger
Genital Herpes and How It Spreads
A common sexually transmitted disease, or STD, genital herpes affects approximately one out of every six people in the United States. It is a viral infection caused by type 1 or 2 of the herpes simplex virus, the former of which is also a common cause of cold sores or fever blisters. These temporary growths typically develop from contact with infected saliva and are not related to sexual activity, though oral intercourse may cause genital herpes in a person whose partner has the oral form of the disease. Genital herpes may also develop from genital-to-genital contact when one partner has a genital herpes infection.
The infection stems from contact with infected skin or bodily fluids, though the infected partner does not need to have a visible sore or even a known diagnosis to spread it. It is not possible to contract genital herpes from linens, toilet seats, or other surrounding surfaces. It is also not likely that a sore covered with a condom can lead to transmission of the disease, though the infected person may have an uncovered sore that can cause cross-infection despite use of a condom.
May 9, 2019 14:15
Central Penn Business Journal’s Nonprofit Innovation Awards
A Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, nonprofit accredited by the Pennsylvania Association for Nonprofit Organizations, Real Alternatives provides women nationwide with comprehensive abortion alternatives and pregnancy support. In 2004, Real Alternatives became a finalist in the Central Penn Business Journal-sponsored Nonprofit Innovation Awards for its statewide Outcome Measurement Collection Process.
The Real Alternatives Outcome Measurement Collection Process, based on the United Way Outcome Model, to develop a centralized standardized measuring tool for the pregnancy support program’s service providers. The outcomes provide the Real Alternatives service providers a tool for quality improvement for client services.
The Nonprofit Innovation Awards celebrate the achievements of nonprofit organizations across the state and provide recognition for demonstrable innovations in their daily operations. Awards comprise five categories: Collaboration, Programs, Management Operations, Nonprofit Leadership Excellence, and Brand Identity/Unique Marketing Campaign. For each award period, judges select one winner for each category and at least two runners-up. The awards are announced at an annual breakfast event. Pennsylvania nonprofits eligible for a Nonprofit Innovation Award include those that meet the qualifications for status as a 501(c)(3) organization with the IRS and that implemented innovative measures prior to the current award period.
The award is exclusive to organizations based within one of eight counties within the state’s central region, which includes Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, and Lancaster.
May 7, 2019 14:28
Blogger
Real Alternatives Achieves Successful Indiana Expansion
At the time, Real Alternatives had served over 250,000 women at its 95 Pennsylvania centers, in addition to more than 1,700 women served at its 17 Michigan centers since 2013. Its expansion to Indiana allowed the nonprofit to deliver its life-affirming services to a host of new communities throughout Indiana. The partnership between Real Alternatives and the Indiana government began with a yearlong trial engagement, during which the state’s health department provided a $1 million contract with Real Alternatives to establish 16 pregnancy support centers. Over the course of the year, these centers served approximately 8,400 clients at nearly 17,000 visits, providing services to assist mothers both before and after giving birth.
This network continues to operate similarly to Real Alternatives programs in other states, with Real Alternatives administering the service provider payments, inspections, client advertising and education material purchases in order to provide free counseling support and resources to expectant mothers.
May 2, 2019 14:12
Useful Tips for Teens for Practicing Abstinence
Via its network of 99 counselors and 22 non-profit organizations, Real Alternatives provides support to pregnant women throughout Indiana. Additionally, Real Alternatives advocates for abstinence, particularly for teenage girls, and offers the following tips on practicing abstinence:
1. Remember that sex does not equate to love and a good partner will not pressure you into any activity that you are not comfortable with. Open communication is crucial and both partners should respect each other’s beliefs.
2. Remove yourself from any situation that makes you feel uncomfortable. When saying no, don’t offer additional excuses or promises of later sexual activity. Your partner should respect your wishes.
3. Avoid alcohol and narcotics, as both can influence you to make decisions you may regret later.
4. When spending an evening with a partner, have a plan in place to occupy the entire evening so you don’t end up alone together for an extended period of time.
5. Alleviate the pressure of first dates by going out with another couple.
6. Always remember that you are in complete control of your life and decisions.
April 30, 2019 14:27
Blogger
Real Alternatives Launches Mobile Outreach Program
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| Support Through Mobile Outreach |
For more than 20 years, Real Alternatives has served as a vital source of hope and support to women who have become pregnant unexpectedly. Operating through a network of some 144 service centers dispersed throughout Indiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, Real Alternatives facilitates a variety of services, including mobile community outreach.
In February 2014, Real Alternatives helped launch a new initiative to expand the reach of its services in Philadelphia. Titled Beautiful Beginnings, the program kicked off with the nonprofit’s donation of a customized van to Archdiocesan Catholic Social Services (CSS), a Real Alternatives partner for over two decades. Thoughtfully decorated with the peaceful face of an infant, the van allows the organizations to provide mobile outreach services to new and expectant mothers throughout the Philadelphia metropolitan area.
The van operates from the Archdiocesan CSS center in Northeast Philadelphia, delivering counseling services to women struggling with crisis pregnancies. The two organizations marked the launch of the new initiative with an event held at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center, during which Bishop John J. McIntyre gave his blessing to the outreach vehicle and delivered a brief homily. In addition to providing immediate emotional support, the mobile outreach van staff is equipped to connect women with resources available throughout their communities. As described by CSS case manager Allison Kane, “This is important because we have a lot of families who need our services.”
April 25, 2019 14:11
Feeling Forced into Abortion?
Operating statewide programs for the Departments of Health and Human Services in Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Michigan, Real Alternatives is a nonprofit organization that provides pregnancy support services and parenting education. One of the primary missions of Real Alternatives is to educate pregnant women about abortion alternatives and their rights under the law.
Providing support the last 20 years, Real Alternatives has assisted over 300,000 women to date experiencing an unexpected pregnancy. Sometimes women feel they have no other choice than abortion. In some instances, women may be coerced into having an abortion against their will. In fact, 14 percent of women served by Real Alternatives report being pressured by others to abort their baby. Forcing a woman to have an abortion is against the law in every state. Doctors may not perform an abortion without patient consent. Real Alternatives advises women not to sign any documents in which they agree to an abortion.
The organization also advises women to inform every health care professional they encounter that they do not want an abortion and will report the health care professional if they do an abortion on them. The professionals at Real Alternatives believe that no matter what the situation is, there are options and support.. For more information, contact Real Alternatives at 1-888-LIFE-AID any time of the day or night.
Real Alternatives Image: realalternatives.org
April 23, 2019 14:22
Blogger
Tips for Supporting Your Partner During Pregnancy
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| Supporting Your Partner Diring Pregnancy |
April 18, 2019 14:09
Indiana Contracts with Real Alternatives after Two Other States
Real Alternatives
In 2015, Governor Mike Pence set aside $3.5 million in funding for a statewide pregnancy and parenting support program administered by Real Alternatives, a pro-life nonprofit headquartered in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The new funding followed a year after the state began working with the organization on a $1 million pilot program. Real Alternatives works to offer non-judgmental counseling for pregnant women in crisis and provides access to not only education on alternatives to abortion, but also ongoing child care and parenting training, as well as needed supplies such as food, furnishings, and clothing.
The Indiana program, like its predecessors in Pennsylvania and Michigan, continues its focus on long-term healthy lives for women and their babies through its multi-pronged assistance. In Indiana, the total number of induced abortions provided in 2014 was more than 8,000. Unfortunately, the state’s rate of infant mortality is among the highest in the country.
The new program aims to effect further downward trends in these statistics, as it works through 22 centers in communities across the state. The results thus far are very promising. In FY 15-16, 8,366 Indiana program clients received proper prenatal care during their pregnancy saving Indiana taxpayers $173,736,722.00 in medical costs. Also iIn FY 15-16, 428 Indiana program clients children’s immunizations were up-to-date saving Indiana taxpayers $6,193,238.00 in medical costs.
April 16, 2019 14:21
Blogger
Real Alternatives’ Support Services for New Mothers
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| New Mothers |
The charitable nonprofit’s services extend to new mothers, with support that helps them to deal with the profound responsibilities associated with motherhood over the first 12 months. By calling 1-888-LIFE-AID, new mothers can access an array of services that address concerns such as caring for an infant and managing the associated expenses.
No-cost parenting classes are also available and help to build up the skills of the mother. Service providers also direct women to appropriate community resources in the areas of health care and insurance, as well as food, clothing, and even furniture. Every effort is made to keep the mother and her infant healthy. In cases where mothers have no place to stay, Real Alternatives can also provide temporary shelter for the new family.
April 11, 2019 14:07
Some of the Early Symptoms of Pregnancy
As of September 2016, the Real Alternatives network of pro-life pregnancy support agencies has helped 20,000 women in Indiana since the service was launched in 2014. A nonprofit organization, Real Alternatives receives funding from the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH), which is paid back multiple times over by the taxpayer savings it generates by offering prenatal care and advice to women. Some who visit the organization’s agencies are unsure if they are actually pregnant, so keep these early symptoms in mind as potential indicators that you need to visit a physician.
1. The most obvious early symptom of pregnancy is late menstruation. Start looking for the other symptoms below if you have missed your period.
2. Swelling and tenderness in the breasts may start occurring as early as one week into the pregnancy. This is typified by a tingling sensation that you don’t recognize.
3. Typically, pregnant women experience a change in color of both the vagina and vulva. These are usually pink but will change as more blood starts being supplied to the fetus, adopting a purple/red hue.
4. Vaginal discharge may occur more frequently and occasionally be heavier. This is noticeable if you are familiar with your regular menstrual cycle.
5. Nausea may present as early as 1-2 weeks after a missed period. Remember though that lack of nausea does not guarantee that you are not pregnant.
Ultrasound Technology Image: webmd.com
April 9, 2019 14:20
Blogger
The Role of Real Alternatives’ Service Providers
This network of service providers includes maternity homes, pregnancy support facilities, and social service and adoption agencies, all of which provide pregnancy-related services that help people understand the alternatives to abortion and help pregnant women confront the pressures that often come with pregnancy.
To become part of the Real Alternatives network, a provider must demonstrate that it has offered its services for at least one year and must undergo a rigorous screening process that typically takes between 45 and 60 days. In the majority of cases, the service providers in the Real Alternatives network employ staff members educated to the degree level in subjects including nursing and social work.
April 4, 2019 14:05
Seal of Excellence-Certified Organization Real Alternatives
Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations
With a network of nearly 150 service providers, Real Alternatives is well-equipped to fulfill the crisis pregnancy and adoption needs of its female clients. For its dedicated work, Real Alternatives has received the Seal of Excellence certification on three separate occasions – 2004, 2007, and 2013. In 2002, the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations (PANO) established its Seal of Excellence along with nearly 60 Standards for Excellence criteria that determined which organizations could earn this prestigious designation.
Those who meet these standards successfully demonstrate that they are able to fulfill all the operational, managerial, and ethical requirements of an exceptional organization. Though PANO has awarded this accreditation to nonprofits in more than 20 Pennsylvania counties, Real Alternatives was one of the first to earn it at the time of its inception.
The organization achieves this designation after a jury of peers evaluates its capabilities in such areas as accountability and integrity. After this initial recognition, Real Alternatives continued its community service for a decade and earned the Seal of Excellence twice more, making it one of the first Pennsylvania organizations to achieve this accreditation three times.
March 26, 2019 15:21
Lourdeshouse Maternity House Offers Support Beyond Birth
Parenting Tips Image: realalternatives.org
A nonprofit organization based in Pennsylvania, Real Alternatives provides pregnancy support to women throughout the state, as well as in Indiana and Michigan. In an interview with K-LOVE’s Closer Look, Kevin Bagatta, the CEO and president of Real Alternatives, discusses the numerous resources offered to women with unexpected pregnancies. Among these is the Catholic Charities of Harrisburg and its Lourdeshouse Maternity Home.
The program, which caters to single women without family assistance or permanent shelter, offers comprehensive maternity care and residential housing. In addition to providing counseling and educational classes on caring for their family, the staff work to ensure the health of the mother and her child over the course of their stay through nutrition and medical monitoring. The Lourdeshouse also supplies infant-care items, such as blankets, pacifiers, formula, and baby furniture, whenever possible. Furthermore, clients may remain at the facility after giving birth for up to six months and can continue to access its services and resources throughout the baby’s first year.
Located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the Lourdeshouse Maternity Home can accommodate 16 individuals at a time and provides residents with hot, nutritious meals. It also provides transportation to medical appointments for pre-natal and post-delivery care.
Services are available at no cost to clients and those in need of the program’s assistance can learn more at www.cchbg.org/get-help/maternity-pregnancy-services.
March 21, 2019 15:15
Blogger
Real Alternative Counselors Focus on Forming Close Bonds with Clients
Real Alternatives is a nonprofit, taxpayer-funded organization that provides pregnancy support, parenting assistance, and abortion alternatives to women throughout Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Indiana. In an interview with Peter Kay of K-LOVE’s Closer Look, Real Alternatives CEO and president Kevin Bagatta discussed the organization’s counselors and their commitment to forming close relationships with clients through their mantra of being “caring, confidential, and compassionate.”
Many women with an unexpected pregnancy who come into a clinic lack family support or feel pressured from their loved ones to terminate their pregnancy. The program’s staff encourages clients to share their thoughts and opinions and helps them to navigate their unique situations. In addition, they help families to clear up miscommunications about each other’s assumptions, especially in cases where the mother mistakenly thinks that her partner doesn’t want a child. These engagements focus on empowering women and helping them to explore the various alternatives to abortion.
Another important aspect of the program is the bond that counselors form with their clients. Counselors offer services and resources throughout the mother’s pregnancy and assist her in taking the necessary steps for parenthood or adoption. This can involve referrals to adoption agencies, educational classes on parenting, or help in acquiring the items needed to care for their infants. Furthermore, the counselor-client relationship continues after the mother gives birth, as the organization offers postnatal support for up to one year.
March 18, 2019 15:09
Real Alternative’s LIFE AID Hotline
Real Alternatives Image: realalternatives.org
A government-supported nonprofit with a history of helping over 300,000 women, Real Alternatives provides prenatal and post-birth support to individuals experiencing unexpected pregnancies and helps them assert their rights against pressure to have an abortion. In an interview with K-LOVE’s Closer Look, Real Alternatives President and CEO Kevin Bagatta highlighted several of the organization’s life-saving services, which include its toll-free LIFE AID hotline (1-888-LIFE AID).
Staffed by compassionate, highly trained counselors, the LIFE AID hotline ensures that clients receive the necessary information to enable them to make informed choices. Implemented in 1997, the hotline employs staff members who provide services such as:
Ongoing pregnancy care and support
The hotline can put women experiencing an unexpected pregnancy in contact with knowledgeable counselors who can offer guidance and provide information about all options available to the mother. Their assistance is ongoing throughout the mother’s pregnancy with a focus on forming close client-counselor bonds, and their support continues after the infant’s birth.
Continuing education support
An unexpected pregnancy can pose challenges in terms of achieving educational goals, especially for teenagers and those still attending school. LIFE AID staff help clients explore options for finishing their education.
Referrals to social service agencies
Women without support from their families or who come from disadvantaged backgrounds may find it difficult to access the essentials needed for a healthy and successful pregnancy, such as food and medical care. Counselors can refer these individuals to social services agencies that can provide these resources, in addition to financial assistance to cover the expenses that come with a pregnancy.
Temporary housing assistance
LIFE AID’s counselors also help women who do not have a place to live to find temporary shelter, such as residential maternity houses. In some cases, this offers the additional benefit of ensuring that they have access to food, medical care, and other supportive services.
March 13, 2019 15:13
Blogger
Abortions Numbers at Lowest on Record in Pennsylvania
According to a December 2018 report by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, abortions reached the lowest number on record at slightly over 30,000 in 2017. This represents a decrease of 870 from the previous year and marks a considerable improvement from the all-time high of nearly 66,000 abortions in 1980. While this news demonstrates a positive trend, many organizations are working diligently to reduce the number even further.
Among them is Real Alternatives, which has provided free pregnancy support services and information on abortion alternatives over the course of more than two decades. It operates the toll-free number 1-888-LIFE AID and collaborates with adoption homes, pregnancy centers, and Catholic charity centers throughout the states that it serves. Since its inception, it has assisted over 300,000 women.
March 13, 2019 15:06
The Benefits of an Obstetrical Ultrasound
Real Alternatives provides expectant and new mothers in Indiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania with pregnancy and parenting support services. Recently, Peter Kay of K-LOVE’s Closer Look sat down with Real Alternatives president and CEO Kevin Bagatta to discuss how the organization and its various centers, which include Morning Star Pregnancy Services in Pennsylvania, help women during a critical time.
With locations in three cities, Morning Star offers a variety of no-cost confidential services. They range from STD testing and information on alternatives to abortion to counseling and material support. One of the most important services offered is the limited obstetrical ultrasound. Used not only to confirm a pregnancy, this procedure has several other benefits that include the following:
Determining the preborn baby’s development stage
Ultrasounds enable doctors to determine how far along a woman is in her pregnancy and the child’s current development stage. Knowing the pregnancy stage enables the physician to estimate a due date and inform the mother of what precautions and steps she’ll need to take in order to ensure a successful pregnancy.
Determining the viability of the pregnancy
Ultrasounds reveal the health of the child in utero and whether the pregnancy is viable. This could prevent the mother from needing an abortion in the first place, as approximately 25% of pregnancies end naturally in miscarriage.
Most importantly, according to Mr. Bagatta, such an ultrasound reveals the “humanity of a preborn baby in utero.” The advanced technology of modern ultrasounds is a key factor in many women’s decisions to bring their pregnancies to term.
Real Alternatives
December 10, 2018 20:06
Forced Abortions – Know Your Rights
Real Alternatives
Image: realalternatives.org
The nonprofit organization Real Alternatives provides life-affirming support services to women experiencing unexpected pregnancy. For women who feel pressured by their families, doctors, partners, or friends to have an abortion, Real Alternatives provides guidance in addressing the situation.
Importantly, women should not sign any document that serves as an agreement to have an abortion, or any certification that acknowledges such an agreement. It is unlawful for anyone to force women into signing a document or submitting to a medical procedure. If a doctor chooses to ignore your explicit refusal, you have the right to report him or her to the county courthouse and make a formal complaint.
If your family threatens to withdraw financial support, the state has the means to provide assistance with housing and finances during and after pregnancy. The state will also hold the father liable to support the child regardless of his inclination toward abortion.
For compassionate, nonjudgmental counseling and assistance, call Real Alternatives at (888) LIFE AID or visit www.realalternatives.org.
There are a number of facts teenagers should keep in mind prior to engaging in sexual activity. To begin, not all teenagers are sexually active. In fact, between 1991 and 2001, the rate of sexually active students dropped from 54 percent to 46 percent, a figure that has held relatively steady. Similar studies have reported that teenagers who do engage in sexual intercourse often express regret over the decision: nearly three in four high school females who have had sex state that they wish they had waited longer, a sentiment shared by more than half of males of the same age.
In addition to the knowledge that, in fact, everyone else is not doing it, teens should never let a friend or romantic partner pressure them by linking sex with love. If a partner claims that sex is the only way to express love, this partner is disregarding and disrespecting the other’s desires, which is in fact a very poor expression of love. Most importantly, “No” means no, and no further explanation should be necessary.