04-09-18 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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REGULAR MEETING April 9, 2018 Christine Weiler, 18351 Brussels Drive, South Bend, IN, stated, I had my first contact with Women's Care Center in 2005 as a rising senior at St. Mary's College. I had that contact initially as a volunteer counselor there and then after I graduated they actually gave me my first job as a counselor. My most recent contact with the Care Center was in January of this year when my doctor's office sent me there to get a proof of pregnancy for my third child. So, I've been on both ends of the spectrum as a counselor and as a recipient of services. I wanted to speak in favor of this rezoning because the experience I had as a counselor had a profound impact on me, but most recently as a client, I was really touched by what the counselor said when I went into that appointment. I am a regular donor to the Care Center and was really surprised to see myself in a position where I needed to utilize those services. The counselor said to me `We are here for every woman in this community, regardless of what your needs and circumstances are, we are here to serve all of the women and you have every bit as much a right as any other woman in this community.' That really speaks to me about the mission of the Care Center. It is not political and not activist, it is about helping women and children whatever their needs may be. I think rezoning and expanding their services on the West Side is going to continue allowing them carrying that mission and better serve all of the women in our community. I also wanted to speak to a comment someone made earlier about training the volunteers to not engage in protest or activisim. It was thirteen(13)years ago now that I had my training at the Women's Care Center and I haven't been formally affiliated with the Care Center since I left for graduate school in August of 2006. I have not engaged in a single protest or pro-life activist activity in that entire span of time not because my positions have changed in any way but because the formation that I received in my training for the Care Center lead me to believe that is not the best way to serve women, necessarily. I wanted to speak to that point that the training the volunteers and counselors receive is all about how to best to care for women's needs,not about how to stir up the dust. I encourage you to please support this measure. Father Glenn Kohrman, 3625 Saints Johns Way, South Bend, IN, stated, I am the Pastor of St. Johns the Baptist Church and also Holy Family. I live at both places and sleep in both places at times. I serve both communities. I pulled up Google Maps and the Women's Care Center is about two hundred(200) yards from my front door. The parking lot at St. John borders Beacon Heights. People can walk across my parking lot in total security and then it is just two hundred(200) yards. If they cut through yards they might have to walk around the block but literally, as the crow flies, it is two hundred(200)yards. Esteemed Council members, I appreciate all you do. It is never easy to govern.It is never easy to make those decisions but what is most important,I would argue,about the zoning issue is being concerned about the common good. I don't quite understand the concern about ease of access when the people that would attend or go to the abortion clinic would have that very difficult time of crossing the street. I would invite you to deeply reflect on what is at hand and what the question is about and it is about zoning. It is about a simple zoning issue. I saw some paper work and it makes sense now after hearing about the Bendix Node in the presentation. I could have sworn I saw the documents that the property from the personal owner was zoned to be either commercial or residential. I know that person had the idea and saw that as a very marketable aspect of that property because he ran a business out of there. He was thinking in the future he could run a business out of there because of the ideal location being right in that transition between businesses and residential. As human beings, I don't know what you believe or whether you believe in God or not. I always tell people that there is only one(1)thing I know it takes more faith in believing in God and that's not believing. Before I was a priest, I was an engineer. I have a Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering and Acoustics from Purdue in 1987 and have been a priest for about twenty-five (25) years. But honestly, I really invite you to look at the objective reality of what is being said here. You are looking at an organization that loves its people and provides services. You heard it, over $600,000 of material services last year alone. They are not judgmental. They aren't trying to advocate one (1) side or the other, they are advocating for women. They are advocating women make an informed choice. Why in the world anybody would oppose any situation or circumstance that invites people to be more informed about the decisions they make is beyond me. I've counseled a lot of people and I know a lot of people who have made the bad decision of abortion and often times these people regret it deeply, both men and women alike. They have a lot of emotional trauma. I know there is a lot of fake news out there but you know what is worse than fake news? Fake science. When people aren't willing to look at the objective facts and objective science and all the clinical reality that points to how much the 14