FRC Zion - Summer 2021 Newsletter

Family Resource Center of Zion

Summer2021

The Heartbeat of FRCZ #FRCZ2021 This year’s Walk brought us back together. We gathered once again at Lakeview Church with almost 100 participants in attendance that day! The local businesses rallied around by displaying posters; other publicity came through Facebook and our fundraising website, Runsignup.com. Most of our donations came in on line with others coming in more traditionally; the day of the Walk, by mail or stopping by the center. The FRCZ family came together to support life! Thank you to each of you who donated and walked. As of June 30th the total was $19,310.67! Our budget need for the Walk this year is $20,000.00 .Thank you for joining us as we continue to Walk by Faith, not by sight!

Inside this issue In the News……………........4 Boutique Business.………..3 Baby Bottle Campaign…..3 COVID & The Ultrasound Program………………………...2

Ultrasound Program

WE ARE MOVING FORWARD! In early 2019, a very generous donor, promised $15,000.00 to FRCZ for the purchase of an ultrasound machine. Though intriguing, this was set on a back burner. At the Walk for Life that May, God made a connection with the Knight’s of Columbus and the idea of an ultrasound program was born. The proposal was introduced at the banquet that year and unceasing prayer began.

Over the last 2 years there were many times when confirmation was given that this was the next step for the ministry of FRCZ. For people on the outside, the wait may have seemed long, but for those on the front line, there was constant testimony. The journey has been powerful, the full story will be shared at this year’s Banquet.

As the header says, “We are moving forward!” The machine is ordered and will be delivered this summer. Sonographers are preparing for an intense week of training in September. There are a few things you can do to help us prepare for this next step.

1.

PRAY: Continue to pray for all aspects of this program. God is faithful, let us be also.

2.

Pregnancy Models: The week of Sept. 13 we will need 40 women in their 1st trimester to come in for scanning practice.

Please spread the word, especially as the time approaches.

3.

FOOD: The week of Sept. 13 we will need groups to supply snacks, drinks and lunch.

Visit our website @ www.FRCZion.org BANQUET 2021 Please mark your calendars for

THURSDAY OCTOBER 7, 2021 We do not have complete details worked out yet, but it promises to be a great evening for all. We are planning a hybrid event that will include those who are ready to gather and those who prefer to join virtually.

Stay tuned for the details to come!!

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C.O.V.I.D. -19 in 2021 Coming out of a year that was plagued by a pandemic, FRCZ staff and volunteers are THANKFUL. Thankful that donors did not forget about the ministry; thankful that technology allowed for virtually meetings and classes; thankful for God’s faithfulness and blessing.

In a time when other centers were literally closing their doors FRCZ client numbers increased as did our service area. More families found themselves needing assistance and online classes allowed clients as far away as Vernon Hills to partake in programs.

While there have been fewer clients in person, it has still been a busy place. Work parties have continued to prepare for the start up of the ultrasound program and volunteers have been working on training and continuing education.

Volunteer numbers have also increased, but there is always room for more! Please contact Mary if you are interested in seeing where God would position you in this ministry.

With the onset of summer and restrictions being lifted, FRCZ is being careful and considerate. Surfaces are still being cleaned regularly. Masks are worn at the comfort level of the staff/volunteers and clients. Social distancing is being followed. The desired outcome is that each person feels safe and respected.

Boutique Business We now have 7, yes that was 7 regular boutique volunteers! These ladies have brought this area to the next level. The organization and care that have gone into this area is that of a high end specialty shop. Donations are sorted, by boy-girl, size and then season, keeping only the best of the best. Attention to detail has given FRCZ a place where parents are proud to come and provide for their families.

Over the past few months we have been blessed with an abundance of donations. This, with the over 40 bags that we brought from the old location, have kept our volunteers busy. For the first time ever, we are caught up with sorting all of our clothing donations.

Thank you, volunteers!

What is it?

The baby bottle campaign is a fun and easy way to involve people of all ages in supporting the ministry of FRCZ by filling a baby bottle with coins checks or currency.

How it works:

1. Choose a time to host the Baby Bottle Campaign. Call (847) 746-8370 to schedule your campaign.

2. Share the campaign with your congregation or group. FRCZ will provide you with bulletin announcements, bulletin inserts, baby bottles, and posters.

3. Distribute bottles to your people on date. Collect with coins, checks) 2-4 distribution.

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Boys & Girls SUMMER clothes sizes 12 months – 5T

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Consumables: Shampoo, lotion, diaper rash cream, etc.

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your chosen bottles (filled currency, or weeks after

Contact the center to arrange pick up or drop off. Staff will count and report back with the amount of money raised. This year we held a FRCZ family, online campaign in January. If you would like to incorporate online giving to your campaign, information will be given when you register.

Larger sized storage bins with lids 3

In The News VITALS by Lauren Dunn Post Date: June 1, 2021 (update on last year’s article by World Magazine) About a year ago, Elizabeth Jones and her husband, George, pastor at Family Life Church in Waukegan, Ill., received a phone call from a church member. He asked if they knew that Planned Parenthood converted a local bank building into an abortion facility. The Joneses didn’t know, and neither did much of the community.

The center opened just after Mother’s Day. Jones, 64, has supported pro-life efforts such as local crisis pregnancy centers throughout her life. “We’ve been fighting all along, we’ve been praying, we’ve been doing what we’re able to do, but the battle rages on,” she said. After the phone call about the Waukegan Planned Parenthood, Jones thought, “The battle’s closer to home now.”

A year later, area pro-lifers have regrouped from the surprise of having a Planned Parenthood in their neighborhood and the challenges of responding to it during the pandemic. The abortion giant has quietly opened two centers in Illinois since October 2019, including the location in Waukegan.

“They seem to be planting them strategically,” said Amy Kirch, who lives near Waukegan and works with Sidewalk Advocates for Life. Waukegan’s population is majority working-class and economically depressed. Planned Parenthood has built some abortion centers close to state borders, taking advantage of Illinois’ lax abortion laws while also potentially profiting from clients from states such as Missouri with more protection for unborn babies.

Eric Scheidler, executive director of the Pro-Life Action League, says the problem is still a lack of facts. “We don’t know how many women are coming from out of state and how old they are,” he says. Pro-Life Action League believes Planned Parenthood might be considering more Illinois locations, so his group has made open records requests to try to get more information.

Doug Carlson is president of the board of directors at the Family Resource Center of Zion, a pregnancy resource center about five miles from the Waukegan Planned Parenthood. He said the abortion center’s opening surprised local officials as much as it did pro-lifers. “You should work with the community, not against them,” he said.

As Planned Parenthood opened centers during a pandemic, other businesses in Illinois struggled to stay open. Pro-Life Action League learned last July that Planned Parenthood of Illinois received $3.8 million from the federal Paycheck Protection Program.

On May 11, 80-100 people attended a vigil hosted by the Pro-Life Action League for the one-year anniversary of the Waukegan abortion center’s opening.

“That is the first abortion center in our county ever,” said Kirch, who spoke at the vigil. “I think there’s a lot of people hoping to make a change.”

After the Waukegan Planned Parenthood opened, Jones and a few others started a prayer campaign and sent out monthly emails with suggested prayer requests. About 25 people from multiple churches receive the emails, and their goal is to have someone pray for the facility during all open hours.

Three other women, all of them in their 30s with full-time jobs, join her for monthly Zoom meetings to decide on prayer requests for each email.

“Their lives are very full already, but they still are just so motivated and concerned, burdened, passionate,” she says. “When bad things happen, our first response should be remembering that this is a spiritual battle that we’re living in.”

Family Resource Center of Zion 3452 Sheridan Road 5E Zion, IL 60099 Phone: 847-731-8370 E-mail: zioncenter@yahoo.com www.FRCZion.org

Family Resource Center of Zion (FRCZ) FRCZ is a faith based not-for-profit organization that provides educational services and resources to empower women and men to make healthy, informed choices regarding pregnancy and parenting. Our vision Is to come alongside women and men and show them support before, during and beyond a moment of crisis so they can make healthy decisions for their family.

Services offered: Pregnancy Tests ●Post Abortion/ Sexual Trauma Support●Adoption Referral ●Community Services Referrals●Material Supplies●Parenting Support