Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette’s (PPCW) Central Oregon Advisory Council welcomed Rev. Vincent Lachina to Bend for a presentation titled Reproductive Justice: Care, No Matter What. More than 85 members of the Bend community attended the event, held at the Bend Parks and Recreation District Office last week.
Lachina provided context for the involvement of clergy in family planning efforts over the past century, and underlined the “sacred, healing work done in Planned Parenthood health centers” every day. Lachina spoke about his role as the Regional Chaplain for Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest, the relationship between Planned Parenthood and faith-based communities, and the inextricable link between social, economic and racial justice. He also noted that Planned Parenthood is an essential health care provider, especially to women, who often have no other medical provider.
Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette’s Bend health center serves more than 4,300 patients annually. Of those patients, 70 percent report having no health insurance and 63% live below the federal poverty level ($24,050 for a family of four). Planned Parenthood provides patients with affordable, high-quality and confidential health care, serving as an invaluable safety-net health care provider in the Bend community.
Prior to the event, an anonymous local donor made a $10,000 gift in the hopes that her generosity would be matched. The community was invited to deepen their philanthropic support for Planned Parenthood, and they did! Guests collectively raised $10,000 to match her generous contribution.
Rev. Vincent Lachina has been an ordained minister for more than 50 years, and has served as Chaplain for Planned Parenthood in the Northwest for almost eleven years, providing support to patients and community members in Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and Idaho. Additionally, Rev. Lachina works to create an active network of progressive congregations in the Northwest who support reproductive justice for women. He is a member of Planned Parenthood’s Clergy Advisory Board, which provides guidance and advocacy on reproductive health and justice issues nationwide.
Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette (PPCW) is the largest non-profit family planning and reproductive rights organization in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Since 1963, PPCW has successfully carried out its mission of providing, promoting and protecting access to quality reproductive and sexual health care. Each year, approximately 60,000 women, men and teens visit one of PPCW’s ten health centers. PPCW provides a wide range of education programs and health care services, including life-saving cancer screenings, birth control, prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases, emergency contraception, gynecological check-ups and Pap tests, clinical breast exams, pregnancy testing and options information, and health counseling. Less than five percent of PPCW’s services are for early abortion care.
www.ppcw.org.
