Birthright International is an excellent resource for teenage girls who suddenly find themselves dealing with an unplanned pregnancy. This article explains how Birthright International helps pregnant teens throughout the world.
What Is Birthright International?
Birthright International was founded by Louise Summerhill in 1968 to help women and girls facing an unplanned pregnancy. As the organization grew, it became the first international service for pregnancy crises. The international headquarters are located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, but there are almost five hundred chapters across Canada and the United States alone, with additional chapters in Colombia, Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa.
Birthright International does not have any religious or public agency affiliation, and it purposely adopts a “non-moralistic, non-judgmental” approach to its clients. It is an organization based on volunteer efforts, which means that it keeps an informal approach.
Birthright’s free 800 number is 800-550-4900.
The Philosophy of Birthright International
Birthright International operates with nine tenets.
- It helps any girl or woman who seeks help on account of an unplanned pregnancy, regardless of age, creed, economic status, marital status, or race;
- It attempts to help in whatever way the client needs, small and large;
- It does not pass judgment on the circumstances of a pregnancy but focuses on ways to help;
- It allows women to explore options without pressure or judgment;
- It has a 24-hour free hotline and maintains local crisis and drop-in centers;
- It educates clients as needed;
- It provides services with no charge, and it operates without affiliation, whether political, religious, or any public agency;
- It is available for as long as the client needs;
- It refrains from engaging in pressure or scare tactics; showing images of abortions; responding to the presence of abortion clinics, whether through picketing or other means; evangelizing; and/or lobbying for changes in law and engaging in the public debate about abortion.
The Services Provided by Birthright International
Birthright International offers a variety of services, including:
- pregnancy testing at no charge
- medical and/or legal referrals
- education and education referrals
- housing referrals
- social agency referrals
- professional counseling referrals
- Information about prenatal care and development, pregnancy and childbirth, adoption, child care options, child safety issues, job search and career development.
- maternity and baby clothes
- friendship and emotional support
All assistance, services, attention, and instruction are provided confidentially.
How Volunteers Can Contribute to Birthright
Birthright invites those who are interested in its mission to donate (it’s a non-profit); to volunteer at a chapter near you, or to open a new chapter, if they are so inclined.
Finding a Birthright Office Near You
Besides searching in a phone book, you can go to the ‘Locations’ page of the Birthright website at birthright.org and find a location near you be entering your zip code and the radius within you’d like to find an office. Of course, you can expand the radius if you don’t find a chapter in your original search query.
Source
http://www.birthright.org/