By now, you may have seen the billboards, bus shelters, and advertisements in the local newspapers, or heard the intriguing “ticking” ads on the radio.  The campaign is called Difficult Choices and is designed to make women in our community aware of the choices they have should they find themselves pregnant.

The grassroots effort tries to reach women by relating to the fears they experience with an unexpected pregnancy.  All the ads direct people to the website, www.difficultchoices.org, where they will find a plethora of information including resources which range from organizations who can provide counseling, advice, baby supplies, heath care, food, legal help, maternity homes, and emergency financial assistance.  The site also includes some very compelling stories, focusing on women and couples who were scared:  scared about adoption, having a baby, telling parents, being a parent, raising a baby alone, being too young, being judged by others, and the list goes on.

The campaign is scheduled to run through the month of January, and depending upon the response from the community, may continue for subsequent years.  The campaign was inspired by a pro-life resource created by Human Life Alliance entitled “icare…“, a booklet featuring over 15 bite-sized articles that challenge the reader to get informed and re-evaluate their opinions about abortion and the humanity of the preborn child.  Several private citizens became aware of the “icare” brochure and wanted to see this type of campaign in our community.  After galvanizing several core organizations, the Difficult Choices campaign was developed.

The campaign is targeted to the “abortion vulnerable” population, defined as females between the ages of 15-24 who are not aware or don’t understand the physical and emotional consequences of abortion, and are not aware of the options available as an alternative.  The secondary target audience is women who are trusted family members and friends, as they are likely to have an influence on this individual in some way, and can serve as a mentor or provide resource information.

If this campaign is successful, it could serve as a model for other cities around the country.  The specific components – the ad campaign, press releases, etc. – will be available and scalable for use by other pro-life efforts in communities of all sizes.  If you want to find out more about this campaign, go to www.difficultchoices.org.