But putting those two aspects together was painful and affected Shelly Dodson’s decision regarding the pregnancy.
She said she felt isolated and alone in her decision.
“I know there are so many people out there experiencing these things, and we’re not talking about it,” Dodson said. “I wish I had a place like All Options when I was going through this.”
All Options Pregnancy Resource Center opened May 1 in Bloomington. The center is meant to help pregnant women of all ages make decisions about their pregnancies.
The center is staffed with peer counselors who talk with clients about adoption, abortion and family planning. They offer referrals and information about each option, guiding women through all the possible choices.
“There’s a lot of judgment and incrimination in these pregnancies,” Dodson said. “What we aim to do is to shift that narrative — moving beyond the conversation of pro-life and pro-choice and more to how to support all people.”
All Options is a program from Backline, which is a national nonprofit that has been running since 2004. Backline operates a telephone line that women can call to receive support and ask questions.
IU senior Hannah Kimmer first volunteered with Backline about two years ago. Kimmer is a social work major and completed an independent study program that involved ?volunteering.
She was interested in women and women’s rights and she found Backline.
“When I started going to the trainings, I got really excited, and that’s what kept me with it,” Kimmer said. “I fell in love during the trainings and when I was on the line. It was amazing.”
During the trainings, Kimmer said she wondered why there wasn’t a physical location. Now, just two years later, the center has opened in Bloomington.
Kimmer plans to be a peer counselor for women who come into the center. She will also be completing her practicum for her social work degree, which will involve doing outreach work.
She wants to connect with other Bloomington agencies and help them feel comfortable providing referrals to All Options. She also plans to start a support group for women who have had abortions — eventually expanding to have more groups.
“There are things that I have learned here that are kind of hard to teach,” Kimmer said.
“It’s made me a better person.
“I’m so honored to be a part of this program.”
Kimmer encourages people to get involved with All Options as volunteers. People interested in becoming peer counselors can apply at alloptionsprc.org. After being accepted, volunteers will go through a month-long training session, which happen twice a year. The next one is in ?September.
The training sessions provide information about how to provide emotional and social support, as well as teaching about abortion procedures and adoption. It also includes information about laws in Indiana and other states regarding issues in pregnancies.
“There’s so much power in having compassion and empathy for people and to move past judgment and blame,” Dodson said. “People need in-person support.”
Providing that support to others, Kimmer said, helps people find that support themselves.
Going through the intense training with others gave her an amazing support system.
That support system helps the volunteers guide women through difficult and important life decisions they didn’t expect to have to make.
“We all expect life to go a certain way,” Kimmer said.
“I realized that life is a lot more gray than we really like to say. It’s not so black and white.”
