NJRTL Note: Please read all the Statements below.
News Release For Immediate Release: 10.11.23
Contact: Debbie Provencher at debbie@lighthouseprc.org, direct 862.300.5433 or Eileen S. Den Bleyker, Esq. at Eileensdenbleyker@gmail.com, direct: 848.469.1107
Lighthouse Pregnancy Resource Center and the NJ Consortium
of Pregnancy Centers to Rep. Gottheimer:
Misinformed, Inflammatory Statements Harm Women
Hackensack, NJ (October 11, 2023) – Lighthouse Pregnancy Resource Center, located in Hackensack, NJ, and three other locations, and the New Jersey Consortium of Pregnancy Centers, an organization representing pregnancy centers from throughout the state, are outraged by the inflammatory, false comments made against them by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) in a press conference last week outside Lighthouse’s Hackensack location.
“In his efforts to ‘shut down’ pregnancy centers and remove free help to women in need, Rep. Gottheimer showed up unannounced in front of one of our member centers and mischaracterized all New Jersey pregnancy resource centers,” explained Eileen S. Den Bleyker, Esq., an attorney representing the Consortium. “He called the centers ‘brainwashing cult clinics’ and made other false and defamatory statements. In doing so, Congressman Gottheimer demonstrated that he is seriously ill-informed and fails to fairly represent all his constituents – which include the clients, staff, volunteers, and financial supporters of Lighthouse Pregnancy Resource Center.”
“We are deeply disappointed,” said Debbie Provencher, Executive Director of Lighthouse. “I would have been happy to meet with Congressman Gottheimer and educate him on the work we do, had he reached out to me. To our knowledge, he has never visited any Lighthouse facility to learn about the services we offer to those facing unexpected pregnancies and to under-served parents. Since 2011, we have supported over 5,300 women and men at our Hackensack location, with grateful feedback and positive reviews.”
“I would still welcome the opportunity to meet with him and correct the false research he was given,” added Provencher. “For over 30 years, pregnancy resource centers like Lighthouse and the others in the NJ Consortium, have been providing free services to confirm pregnancy, along with ongoing support to assist parents in planning for their future. Rep. Gottheimer’s statements ignored this record of service to the thousands of women and their loved ones who have benefitted from it.”
“It is irresponsible and reckless to attack New Jersey’s pregnancy centers and make threats against them using the verbiage he did. And it could very well put the women we serve at risk of attack,” said Rita Reyes, a spokesperson for the Consortium. “These slanderous comments by Rep. Gottheimer are not only inflammatory and deceitful, but they serve only to divide an already polarized community.”
The press conference referenced a Consumer Alert against pregnancy centers issued by the NJ Attorney General last year. At that time, Den Bleyker reached out to the Attorney General on behalf of the Consortium in an effort to correct misinformation, but State officials refused a dialogue. The Consortium then requested records from the Attorney General under OPRA, which was also denied causing the Consortium to file a lawsuit to obtain information on what prompted the Alert. The State revealed it had received no complaints against pregnancy centers but refused to release other requested documents. In July 2023, a judge found that the State had wrongfully denied access to public records and ordered the Attorney General to respond and produce records. No documentation of any problem has been revealed to date, but the State has been given additional time to produce records and comply with the Court’s order. The lawsuit remains pending.
“We don’t believe there is any documentation that a New Jersey pregnancy center has provided misinformation to its clients,” said Den Bleyker. “These State officials and Rep. Gottheimer are unfairly attacking local nonprofit charitable organizations – who primarily help our state’s women and families in their time of need – in a politically-charged over-reaction to the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs. That decision merely returned decision-making over whether or not there should be restrictions on abortion to the citizens of each state and their elected representatives.
“New Jersey has no restrictions on abortion,” added DenBleyker. “The charitable work of pregnancy centers in New Jersey improves the quality of women’s choice over whether or not to carry a pregnancy to term, which is often swayed more by social factors, rather than medical necessity. Calls to shut down centers because they support a choice for life and are supported by Christians is blatantly discriminatory and our Centers will not allow such biased misrepresentations to be left unaddressed.”
“Attacking New Jersey’s pregnancy centers hurts – rather than helps – New Jersey women,” said Provencher. “Rep. Gottheimer is directly harming women who benefit from a safe place to think through their pregnancy decisions and obtain medical confirmation of pregnancy for presumptive Medicaid eligibility. The centers also provide women with social support, parenting education, and basic necessities to care for their newborn children. Caring for women and their families is at the heart of what we do as pregnancy centers. Attacks against us are attacks against those we serve.
“Rep. Gottheimer stated that we need to ‘end extremism and preserve choices for women,’” added Provencher. “Our thousands of North Jersey supporters, and hundreds of volunteers and staff – which include medical professionals – give generously and serve tirelessly so that women have the support needed to make positive, life-enhancing choices for themselves and their families.” # # #
The NJ Consortium of Pregnancy Centers is a group of life-affirming, non-profit organizations providing women facing unexpected pregnancies with free consultations, medical confirmation of pregnancy and parenting preparation with material aid. Pregnancy centers in New Jersey provide free services and ongoing support valued at more than $3 million to more than 35,000 women, men, youth, and families every year. This includes almost $2 million in free medical services provided by licensed and credentialed medical professionals.
Statement from Debbie Provencher, Executive Director of Lighthouse Pregnancy Center:
“Lighthouse was shocked and saddened by the surprise attack on our Hackensack Center by Rep. Josh Gottheimer on Friday, October 6. The inaccurate statements about Lighthouse and incorrect assumptions about New Jersey’s pregnancy centers that he shared at his press conference showed that there was no attempt to understand the important services we provide to families in his own district. Lighthouse has brought love to life with free, confidential services and ongoing support for those facing unexpected pregnancies and underserved parents caring for newborns for nearly 40 years. Our Hackensack location has served more than 5,300 women and men since opening our doors there in 2011. The generosity and tireless service of Rep. Gottheimer’s own constituents make this possible. In contrast to what he said, our medical services – which include ultrasound confirmation of pregnancy and STD testing – are provided by credentialled medical professionals. It is vital that women and their families in New Jersey continue to have alternatives to abortion when facing a critical pregnancy decision, and that compassionate, nonjudgmental support is available to make the choice of life possible.
“Here is what three Lighthouse moms served by our Hackensack Center said after their first visit:
- I am very happy to visit Lighthouse. Everybody is so nice and treated me with sensitivity, especially during my ultrasound. I definitely will refer more people.
- The service at Lighthouse Pregnancy Center is a great experience. You go there feeling overwhelmed and I guarantee you will leave feeling heard and helped.
- I felt very comfortable especially in regard to my decision. I am blessed that my mother found the number that led me here today.
“It is my hope that Rep. Gottheimer will visit Lighthouse to learn more about the good work we do and meet some of the parents helped by our services. Perhaps then he will reconsider his crusade against pregnancy centers.”
– Debbie Provencher, Executive Director of Lighthouse Pregnancy Resource Center
For Immediate Release
Contact: Christopher Bell, President and Co-Founder
Good Counsel Homes
201.920.4986 or
551.252.5099
STATEMENT BY CHRISTOPHER BELL
Elected officials should be uplifting and respectful of all people, regardless of their political, religious or cultural differences. Elected officials, especially, should not condemn charities that offer free support and life-saving help toward poor women and children.
At a press conference on October 6, Congressman Josh Gottheimer broke all the rules of respect and showed contempt for organizations made up mostly of volunteers. These organizations do not use tax-payer money to assist any of the women they serve – women who are mostly young, mostly minorities, mostly struggling economically.
It is outrageous that anyone, much less a Congressman, should lie and disparage such good people and their extremely helpful missions because he disagrees that pregnant women should have a choice.
Gottheimer, without ever having spoken to a pregnancy center worker or volunteer in New Jersey, held a press conference calling such centers “deceptive” because he doesn’t believe pregnant women in NJ should be given facts about fetal development. It is sad that he doesn’t believe pregnant women should be given support not to have an abortion. It is clear that he doesn’t believe pregnant women are capable of making up their own minds about the baby they carry before birth.
According to an analysis by the Charlotte Lozier Institute, pregnancy resource centers have helped save more than 800,000 unborn babies nationwide from abortion since 2016. The research found the charity organizations served about 2 million people in 2019 alone, providing more than 730,000 pregnancy tests, nearly half a million ultrasounds, 1.3 million packs of diapers and more than 2 million baby outfits, all for free. All without tax payer money.
In New Jersey, thousands of women and children are helped each year through pregnancy centers and other prolife organizations which don’t believe abortion is healthy for a woman, but rather, that it always kills a child in the womb.
As the founder and director of homes for homeless, pregnant women and children, I receive hundreds of calls from such pregnancy centers and together we lift women out of horrible, often violent situations, and see such women before and after birth make great strides in their lives economically, socially and spiritually.
Gottheimer owes an apology to all pregnancy centers and to all those in his district who support the good work of pregnancy centers throughout the State and beyond.
Christopher Bell
President and Co-Founder
Good Counsel, Inc.
Homes and Programs for Homeless Mothers and Babies.
Statement by New Hope Pregnancy Resource Center, Westwood, NJ
New Hope Responds to Recent Attacks by NJ Politicians
On January 22, US Representative Josh Gottheimer and NJ Assemblyperson Lisa Swain staged an unannounced press conference in front of New Hope Pregnancy Resource Center in Westwood. They proceeded to attack New Hope with baseless claims that it deceives and harms women. The stated goal of these politicians is to shut down all pregnancy resource centers in New Jersey. It is an audacious election-year gambit that has nothing to do with helping women, especially the traditionally underprivileged who are the majority of those served by New Hope.
In its 39 years of existence, New Hope, an all-volunteer organization, has helped more than 2,000 single moms (and their babies) and currently assists more than 60 women every month. The overwhelming majority of women who come to New Hope have already had or are about to have their baby and are simply seeking a better life for themselves and their child. No one in need is ever turned away, and many have been rescued by New Hope from homelessness, domestic violence or other dangerous living conditions. New Hope empowers these women by:
- helping them create a plan to attain self-sufficiency and mentoring them for 3 years or more,
- providing everything a new mom will need for her baby including diapers, clothing, car seats, strollers, and highchairs (almost all of which are donated by the local community),
- providing assistance with education, housing, childcare and/or transportation, and
- delivering life skill seminars on subjects like budgeting, child rearing, meal planning, resume preparation and career guidance.
All of the services that New Hope provides are performed free for all clients and without a single dime of taxpayer funding. And contrary to Gottheimer’s and Swain’s accusations, New Hope does not offer or provide medical services of any kind.
“Unfortunately, these politicians do not understand how we help women to become independent”, said Barbara Mezzina, New Hope’s Executive Director. “In fact, we received a call that same morning from someone we later learned was a member of Rep. Gottheimer’s leadership team who claimed to have a ‘friend’ who might need our services. There is no need for deception as we are transparent in everything we do.” New Hope has never been notified by any government agency or official of a complaint lodged against them and has never been the subject of any civil suit or other legal proceeding.
New Hope has extended Representative Gottheimer and Assemblyperson Swain an open invitation to visit the center, meet New Hope’s wonderful volunteers and learn about the important work they do for mothers in need. So far neither of them has expressed any interest in visiting or getting to know what New Hope actually does, nor has either of them provided any specific examples of women harmed in any way by New Hope.
New Hope remains as dedicated as ever to its mission of serving mothers and their babies, many of whom are constituents of Gottheimer and Swain. New Hope calls on both of them to drop their gratuitous attacks and help support the important work New Hope does to assist and empower women in need.
