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Sanctity of Life
By Jennifer McClure | January 21, 2008
This week’s TPE is all about the sanctity of human life. For this issue, I wrote an article about pregnancy care centers embracing holistic care. (Read my article here.) One thing I wasn’t able to include in the article was OptionLine, a hotline for those in crisis pregnancy situations. Started about four years ago by Care Net and Heartbeat International, the 24/7 call center, located in Columbus, Ohio, now handles 15,000 to 20,000 calls, e-mails and instant messages a month, according to Dr. Peggy Hartshorn, president of Heartbeat International. Trained staff members answer phone calls, e-mails and instant messages from people in crisis pregnancy situations or needing postabortion help. In addition to counseling, one of the primary objectives for OptionLine is to connect people with care centers in their areas. When I spoke with Dr. Hartshorn, she said more than 70 percent of their contacts each month are abortion minded or at high risk of having an abortion. Personally, I think OptionLine is a great example of how technology is being used to reach out and help the hurting who initially may be too scared to seek help or advice.
Topics: TPE Interviews |
