EARLY last month a child was born to one of the women being supported by recently formed Queensland organisation Pregnancy Crisis Inc (PCI), and that was a perfect measure of success.
Now a fundraising dinner at Marymac Community Centre, at Annerley in Brisbane, on July 10 aims to ensure that the work of supporting women with at-risk pregnancies can continue.
Since Archbishop John Bathersby launched the group in November last year PCI has established support services and is helping women with unplanned pregnancies.
One of the children was born to a woman found outside an abortion clinic by a PCI member.
PCI president Patti Camp said that with the rate of abortions standing at about 15,000 a year in Queensland alone, crisis pregnancy support services for women were essential.
“However, it takes an enormous amount of work to support women who are often under great pressure by their partners not to proceed with their pregnancies,” Mrs Camp said.
“Often these women are victims of domestic violence or simply feel financially unable to continue with their pregnancies.
“Once the group starts working with a woman, she has our support through pregnancy and after, as long as she wants it.”
Mrs Camp said the group’s existence was recognition of statistics showing that a minority of women actually wished to terminate pregnancies.
“In fact research conducted by a major counselling group found after interviewing several thousand women seeking abortions that a significant proportion of them were either emotionally or physically abused by the father-to-be,” she said.
“What this led to was the awareness that women who receive support are more likely to continue with their pregnancy – which is what Pregnancy Crisis Inc is discovering.”
Pregnancy Crisis Inc grew out of a group of people in Brisbane who are determined to tackle Australia’s 90,000-plus annual abortion rate by helping the poor.
The association has 100 members and another 100 supporters.
Mrs Camp said funding was crucial to the continuation and expansion of the association’s work.
The July 10 fundraising dinner offers an evening’s entertainment as well as the chance of contributing to a worthy cause.
Keynote speaker is Fr John Flader, who is director of the Catholic Adult Education Centre in Sydney archdiocese.
Music and song will be provided by Neil Ballment, accompanied by Warwick Adeney on violin.
The St Paul’s Woodridge Sudanese Choir will also perform.
To book tickets or to make donations to PCI, contact Patti Camp on (07) 3341 3144 or via email at tf-a@bigpond.com.
