Noting that consistency and unity were key components to advancing the pro-life movement and its messaging, Aid for Women and WomanCare Services, two life-affirming pregnancy resource centers with a Catholic tilt, completed their merger on Jan. 25. The resulting independent organization, Aid for Women, Inc., signals a significant score for the area’s pro-life advocates. “As Catholics we are supposed to be working together in noble causes; in consolidating our efforts, we establish a united front and become a stronger presence in the pro-life community,” WomanCare Services founder Laura Nelson said of the merger. Established in 1978, Aid for Women, a nonprofit volunteer organization based in Chicago’s Loop, has sought to empower women to make choices consistent with the dignity of the human person and family. The organization evolved into one of the Chicago area’s most trusted resources and a leading voice for the pro-life cause. Nelson, meanwhile, created the Berwyn-based WomanCare Services in 2004, establishing a grassroots organization that provided pregnancy resources and a pro-life message to its clients. Nelson and her staff soon filled an important role in Chicago’s pro-life circle. Position for success For five years, the distinctive agencies coexisted, each offering similar services and promoting a pro-life, family- centric message to thousands of women. In mid-2009, Aid for Women Executive Director Susan Barrett and WomanCare’s Nelson, colleagues sharing a passion for their work, began discussing a merger that would create operational efficiencies and better position the organizations for longterm success. The new Aid for Women Inc. began operations immediately following its Jan. 25 announcement. Barrett will serve as the new organization’s executive director, operating out of the agency’s main office at 8 S. Michigan Avenue, while Nelson is charged with overseeing the Berwyn facility at 3240 S. Oak Park Avenue. Acknowledging that mergers require a degree of humility, patience and understanding, Barrett hopes Chicago’s Catholic community appreciates the merger’s show of unity and inspires others to join efforts in strengthening the pro-life message. “We hope this shows Catholics and pro-life advocates that we need to work together to reach out to women and help them turn away from abortion,” Barrett said. Stronger voice for life The merger, an idea first floated by Bishop Thomas Paprocki, a longtime ally to both groups, will create valuable efficiencies in management, operation, training, funding and advertising. The consolidation, Barrett and Nelson said, will better enable Aid for Women to serve women seeking alternatives to abortion. “Obviously, efficiencies will be gained and redundancies eliminated in the areas of program services, client outreach, administration and fundraising activities. Simply stated…we are confident we will save more lives,” Barrett and Nelson told supporters in a note announcing the merger. The new Aid for Women Inc. will provide pregnancy tests and confidential counseling, offer referrals for free ultrasound exams and run a client hotline. “So often abortion is looked at as the best option, but with this merger we’ll now be a stronger voice of reason and compassion in promoting life,” Nelson said.