This is a special time for Good Counsel.

It was 35 years ago on March 10th when the first mom walked into a Good Counsel home.

You see, I was already helping homeless and runaway kids in New York City’s Time Square at a crisis shelter when a young mother and baby walked in off the streets.

“Why are you here? And with your baby?”

“Well,” she simply said, “When I found out I was pregnant, I was happy. I thought now my life would be different. It would be better.” Her voice dropped, “When I told my boyfriend, the father, he told me where to go to ‘get rid of this thing!’... I thought about killing myself. But I couldn’t do that because of the baby.”

“When my daughter was born, my mother said I should be out on my own, like she was when she was a young mother.” Then she looked up and asked, “Can you help me?” She lifted up her baby, “Can you help us?”

I said sure, but quickly found out because she was seventeen-and-a-half years old, there was no place; there was no program for a young mother and a baby. Only public assistance in a run-down, rat-infested, drug den of a welfare hotel. No place for either of them. What would you do?

I turned to a Franciscan priest friend of mine, Fr. Benedict Groeschel, and asked, “Why doesn’t someone help mothers and babies?” He responded, “If you want to start a home, I’ll help you.”

His words sounded like the voice of God.

With the help of many friends, Good Counsel opened.

Debbie was the first mother who came into Good Counsel, and she taught me more that I needed to know. At 19 her older boyfriend didn’t tell her he was married.

That wasn’t the worst part...

When she was younger, in high school, and became pregnant the first time, her mother said, “We’ll take care of this problem.” Her mother took her to Planned Parenthood.

Debbie told me, “At Planned Parenthood they told me it was a little blob of bloody tissue.” Then she asked if the operation would hurt because she never had an operation before. “Oh no. You’ll have some cramps, but... you’ll never think about it... again.”

“I was in the recovery room on a stretcher and I saw another girl crying quietly to herself. Then I started to cry. I started to scream. I couldn’t help it. I was yelling, ‘I killed my baby...”

Then Debbie asked me the most difficult questions...

“When people see me with my little boy now, they say what a cute boy, is he your first? What do I tell them? I know now that at 9 weeks – when I was 9 weeks and went in for that first operation – the baby inside me already had arms and legs and fingers and toes and a beating heart.”

She asked me something I didn’t know how to answer then: “Where do you think my first baby is?”

Today, Good Counsel has four homes, with mothers calling our national 24-hour helpline and emailing every day. By providing free babysitting, Good Counsel helps a mom return to school or work – allowing her to take that next good step in her life.

Your gift today will give a homeless, pregnant mom what she needs to hear today, “Yes, come into our home.”

You will give her baby formula and a future. You will give hope – the hope of finishing school and finding a job. You will give so much more.

As I write, another pregnant, young woman is calling. You and I have the chance to save her baby and change their lives. Please send your gift now. Thank you in advance for your generosity today!

God bless you.

Peace,

Christopher Bell
President of Good Counsel

P.S. For 35 years, with your help, Good Counsel has been a home and family for homeless, pregnant moms in crisis. You are supporting the birth of each baby and a new life for each mom. You’re providing a future for each. Thank you again for opening your heart today with a gift!

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