Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, September 22, 1995 TAG: 9509220064
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LESLIE TAYLO| STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
An anti-abortion group said Thursday that it will no longer accept contributions designated to it through the United Way of Roanoke Valley unless the organization drops its affiliation with Planned Parenthood of the Blue Ridge.
Planned Parenthood, a United Way partner agency for 25 years, announced in February that it would begin providing first-trimester abortions this year. Since then, United Way has had to defend itself against opponents of abortion and argue that its allocations to Planned Parenthood are used only to fund three of the agency's education programs.
Thursday, the Roanoke Valley chapter of the Virginia Society for Human Life held a lunchtime protest in front of United Way's downtown Roanoke offices. The group was not out to encourage people to stop charitable giving but to ask people to "use your conscience when you're giving," said Andrea Sexton, chapter chairman.
"We just advise people if they feel, now that Planned Parenthood is performing abortions, that they can't give to United Way, that they give directly" to organizations they support.
About 15 society members walked back and forth in front of United Way carrying posters with such messages as "Blood and money. Planned Parenthood wants both." and "What's next United Way? Dr. Kevorkian?" United Way officials watched through office windows or from the fringes of the small crowd.
"Whether one is pro-life or pro-choice is a personal decision and a personal value," said Bob Kulinski, United Way president. "Organizationally, the United Way takes no position on those matters. Our board is composed of people in the community who represent a complete spectrum - religious, political, philosophical and other belief systems."
Planned Parenthood, one of United Way's 36 partner agencies, received $42,881 this year from the pool of money allocated by a citizen committee.
Planned Parenthood also received $31,360 in "positive designations" this year - contributions that donors direct to specific agencies. Donors also requested that a nearly equal amount - $30,455 - not go to the agency.
The Virginia Society for Human Life also receives money through the United Way. It is one of 78 "eligible agencies" for which contributions to the United Way may be earmarked.
Since becoming an eligible agency in 1991, the society has received $6,242 in contributions through United Way fund-raising campaigns.
But Sexton notified Kulinski by letter this week that if United Way wasn't willing to cut ties with Planned Parenthood, the society no longer wanted to be part of United Way campaigns.
"We feel it would make us complicit in killing unborn children," she said. "We have said that unless Planned Parenthood is removed, we cannot be a party to United Way."
For more than a decade, United Way has allowed contributors to direct their donations to, or away from, particular agencies. That decision was in part prompted by a community debate over local governments' allocations to Planned Parenthood.
In 1984, opponents of Planned Parenthood took their concerns to Roanoke City Council. After an emotional three-hour public hearing, council voted to eliminate its annual allocation to the agency.
Anticipating its own battle over Planned Parenthood, United Way that year beefed up its "donor choice" program, allowing givers to designate that their contributions go to - or not go to - specific agencies.
But donor choice does not satisfy Sexton.
"It is insufficient because when a person supports United Way and United Way is supporting an organization that is actually killing unborn children, then the United Way benefits Planned Parenthood," she said. "The people who've assembled here and the pro-life community believe it is being complicit in abortion to give to United Way."
All of the money United Way sends to Planned Parenthood, even the money donors have designated for the agency, is used solely for education programs related to teen pregnancy, said David Nova, Planned Parenthood spokesman.
Planned Parenthood began providing first-trimester abortions in mid-July, and has done about 100 since then, he said.
The protest came a week after United Way kicked off its 1995 community fund-raising campaign. The organization hopes to raise a record $5 million.
"You'd rather not have the disruption," Kulinski said. "But any opportunity to restate the way we work is a good one for the community and a good one for the campaign."
Staff writers Sandra Brown Kelly and Cody Lowe contributed to this story.
by CNB