Real Alternatives Launches Mobile Outreach Program

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.”

Real Alternatives’ Support Services for New Mothers

New Mothers

Providing human services programs spanning three states (Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Michigan), Real Alternatives leverages the power of existing provider centers to coordinate life-affirming pregnancy support services. Over the last two decades, Real Alternatives has assisted more than 300,000 women statewide in navigating the pregnancy and childbirth process.

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.

The Role of Real Alternatives’ Service Providers

Real Alternatives provides a range of services to expectant and new mothers dealing with the stresses of parenthood. To provide counseling and support to clients throughout Indiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, Real Alternatives partners with more than 140 nonprofit 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.

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.

Abortions Numbers at Lowest on Record in Pennsylvania

With centers located throughout Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Michigan, Real Alternatives offers support and resources with a focus on providing alternatives to abortion for women experiencing an unexpected pregnancy. The nonprofit is a recipient of the Seal of Excellence from the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations and adheres to Department of Public Welfare standards. Moreover, Real Alternatives’ efforts helped to reduce the number of abortions in Pennsylvania over the last few years.

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.

Pregnancy Support Centers Dedicated to Helping Women

Committed to helping women to find life-affirming alternatives to abortion, Real Alternatives possesses a network of pregnancy support centers designed to help women during and after their pregnancies. Real Alternatives' experienced counselors provide new and expectant mothers with kind and compassionate care.

At the centers, women have access to parenting, pregnancy, and childbirth classes. Providing confidential counseling and mentoring services, Real Alternatives furnishes mothers with vital items such as food, furniture, and baby and maternity clothing. Moreover, the counselors supply adoption information and encourage women to obtain well baby and prenatal check-ups during and after their pregnancies. The counselors also help mothers to make career and educational decisions. 

Offering women access to free pregnancy self-test kits and assistance in locating temporary shelter, the pregnancy support centers also give referrals to community agencies.

A nonprofit organization, Real Alternatives operates a network of 144 centers in Indiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. For more information, call 1-888-LIFE-AID.