Abigail Skelton

Morning Star is a pregnancy medical clinic providing essential ultrasounds, pregnancy education, STD testing and treatment and abortion pill reversal. When we couple medical services with supporting social services, including counseling, parenting classes and baby supplies, we are providing a full-service support system for women facing unplanned pregnancies. Our track record has proven that 80% of women at risk for abortion choose to have their babies when they receive Morning Star’s services.

In 2023, Real Alternatives was defunded in the state of Pennsylvania. On average, Morning Star received approximately $100,000 each year to support some of our parenting classes, baby supplies and counseling services. This funding helped us stretch our budget further so we could assist even more clients. Without Real Alternatives funding, we need your help to continue to provide both medical and non-medical services to the growing number of clients we see each year—including clients like Alexa:

Alexa’s Story

Alexa* was graduating from college. She had a great GPA, worked hard on her resume, lined up multiple job interviews, and landed her dream job working remotely so she could live in different parts of the country. She was looking forward to being independent and starting her “adult life.” And then Alexa missed her period.

With only a few weeks until she walked at graduation, Alexa shared her situation with her mom and they both agreed she “wasn’t going to wreck her life.” She would have an abortion.

Alexa and her mom had heard Morning Star’s services were free and decided to schedule an appointment. Alexa sat down one-on-one with a patient advocate and told her she was planning on having an abortion. Seeing how panicked Alexa was, our advocate slowed the conversation, giving Alexa a chance to calm down so she could concentrate on the information she was being given. Our advocate educated Alexa on all of her options and discussed what these options would look like for her, given her personal situation.

After pregnancy confirmation, Alexa was taken into the examination room for an ultrasound. During the ultrasound, Alexa was shocked to find out she was much further along than what she had realized. She watched in awe as her baby waved his arms and hands as if he was saying hi. Alexa asked for her mom, who quickly joined her in the exam room. When Alexa’s mother looked at the monitor, she immediately turned to Alexa and said, “Well, we’re having a baby.”

Alexa chose to parent her baby and is staying in the area to be near family. Our medical team provided her with prenatal vitamins and helped her transition to prenatal care. In addition, Morning Star is supporting Alexa with our nine-week parenting class, Live Connected, so she can plan for a stable and bright future for her baby, as well as with baby supplies as Alexa starts this new journey in her life.

The Pronio Family knows the importance of supporting women like Alexa and is offering a $15,000 Matching Gift Challenge to supporters of Life in our community to help Morning Star fill in a gap in maternal healthcare and meet the increasing demand for pregnancy services.

From now until June 21, you can help support a mom with both medical and non-medical services—giving her the information and education she needs to make an informed decision. It costs $625 to provide all of our services to one woman considering abortion. Your gift of $312.50 will be doubled—providing comprehensive support to one mom!

Join the Pronio Family to help make a difference in our community—saving the life of a child and the heart of a mother. Together, we are more—together, we are fulfilling God’s Life-affirming mission.

*Client names have been changed to protect confidentiality. Photos are stock photos posed by models.

FAQ About Morning Star and Real Alternatives

In August 2023, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro announced that Pennsylvania would be defunding Real Alternatives, a nonprofit that administers state funding to pregnancy centers and other pro-Life organizations that offer alternatives to abortion. This FAQ provides an update on the current situation and its impact on Morning Star.

Is Morning Star a Crisis Pregnancy Center?

Morning Star is a pregnancy medical clinic. We provide medical services including ultrasounds, STD testing and treatment, and abortion pill reversal, as well as non-medical services such as sexual integrity education in schools, parenting workshops, baby supplies and post-abortion support. Morning Star is licensed in PA under our medical director, Dr. Mary Elizabeth Higgins, our registered diagnostic medical sonographers perform all of our ultrasounds, radiologists read all of our ultrasound scans, and we have nurses that provide other medical services to our patients.

How has Morning Star partnered with Real Alternatives?

For the past 27 years, Real Alternatives has provided Morning Star with funding to help pay for some of our non-medical services. This partnership lowered Morning Star’s cost to provide pregnancy education, parenting classes and baby supplies, allowing us to help more women and families.

How much Real Alternatives funding did Morning Star receive?

On average, Morning Star received approximately $100,000 through Real Alternatives each year. Losing this funding creates a budget shortfall. Morning Star will need to raise this funding in order to continue providing our services to the growing number of women, men and families coming to our clinics.

Has Real Alternatives actually been defunded?

Yes. As of January 1, 2024, Pennsylvania is no longer funding Real Alternatives and Morning Star will not receive any additional funding from the state of Pennsylvania through this program.

Will losing Real Alternatives funding change the way that Morning Star operates?

No. Morning Star is a Christian organization rooted in the love of Jesus Christ for each human person. We do not—and will not—accept any funding that could compromise our mission or negatively impact the services we provide to our clients. We have faith that, through your prayers and support, God will provide us with the means to continue our Life-saving work and to reach even more families.

How can I help?

Our greatest need is to educate our community about the importance of Morning Star’s Life-affirming medical services and support for families. You can also help by making a direct financial contribution to Morning Star. Please consider joining our Circle of Friends by becoming a monthly donor: Your ongoing support will provide us with stability as we move our mission forward. Finally, please pray for Morning Star and especially for the women, men and families who come to our three clinics for help.

How can I spread the word?

Help us spread the word by talking to your friends, family, and coworkers about Morning Star, sharing our posts on Facebook, and encouraging your church or other groups to partner with us. Here are other sites that provide more information about pregnancy help organizations:

Pennsylvania Pregnancy Wellness Collaborative — www.papregnancy.com
Pregnancy Center Truth — www.pregnancycentertruth.com

Should I donate directly to Morning Star?

Yes. This will ensure that we receive your donation and can use it to help families in our own community. The majority of Morning Star’s support comes from individual donors like you: we do not receive funding from organizations like the PA Pro-Life Federation, the PA Family Institute, or (as of January 1, 2024) Real Alternatives.

How can I donate to Morning Star?

When you make a one-time donation to Morning Star or join our Circle of Friends by becoming a monthly supporter, you are making a difference in the lives of women, men and families in our community. You can donate online, call us at 717-734-4630, or mail a check to Morning Star Pregnancy Services, 2509 N Front St, Harrisburg, PA 17110.

Dear Morning Star Families,

Every morning at Morning Star, my staff and I join together to pray. We pray for our family and friends, as well as all of you who support and empower our mission. Most especially, we pray for the mothers, fathers and children who God is placing in our path each day.

One morning recently, we had a special prayer intention for Lindsey*. Lindsey already had a 7-month-old baby girl who she adored. But when she had a positive pregnancy test, she immediately knew that she wasn’t ready for another child. She had just started a new job and was worried about taking time off for medical appointments and maternity leave. Most importantly, she shared that the father didn’t want another baby and would not support her. Lindsey didn’t seem happy about it, but she thought an abortion was her best option.

In the face of current legal, cultural and economic challenges, my staff and I have been seeing a lot of women like Lindsey in our clinics. Women who feel like an abortion is their only option. Women who don’t want an abortion, but who feel pressured to end their pregnancies. Women who are overwhelmed by financial concerns. Women who are worried about what a pregnancy will mean for their relationships. Women who feel alone.

For 51 years, your prayers and financial support have provided counseling, medical services, baby supplies and education to women facing unexpected pregnancies. And while the political environment is constantly changing, Morning Star’s mission has never wavered.

We are committed to providing nonjudgmental support and to empowering HER choice for Life.

What has changed is the number of women at risk for abortion coming to our three clinics. With abortion companies now sending pills through the mail–often without the critical safety measure of an ultrasound or doctor’s visit–Morning Star’s services are a lifeline for women like Lindsey. These women need our help so they don’t feel overwhelmed by a decision they wish they didn’t have to make, and so they don’t feel like abortion is their only option.

I know you share my commitment to reaching and supporting these women. Women considering abortion deserve the accurate medical information they need to make healthy and informed choices. They deserve the chance to see and connect with their unborn babies on ultrasound. They deserve to know the truth about ALL their options, as well as encouragement and support to plan a future for themselves and their children.

When they receive this help, mothers overwhelmingly choose to continue their pregnancies. Last year, Morning Star saw 759 pregnant women at risk for abortion. And 609 of those women—80% of them—chose Life.

So far this year, 603 mothers at risk for abortion have come to Morning Star and chosen Life for their babies! Praise God!

At Morning Star, Lindsey learned the facts about RU-486 (the abortion pill), including the risk of serious side effects. Her counselor explained how her baby was already growing and developing—and Lindsey was able to see her baby’s development on ultrasound. Lindsey’s counselor also discussed the type of help she would need to feel supported in having her baby and helped her create a plan.

After receiving Morning Star’s services, Lindsey made the decision to continue her pregnancy. Lindsey shared, “I didn’t know much about abortion and what it was. After I talked with my counselor, I couldn’t go through with it.” During her pregnancy, Lindsey continued to come to Morning Star to work through struggles she was facing, including how to balance pregnancy, motherhood and her new job. And our Live Connected educational workshops gave her the chance to meet other moms and learn strategies to navigate her relationship with the baby’s father.

For Lindsey, Morning Star’s services were life-changing. Because of your donations, Lindsey was spared the mental and emotional trauma of an abortion. Your love and support saved the life of her baby.

We celebrate each of the 603 mothers who chose Life so far this year, but there are many more women who need that same love and support.

I know you understand the importance of this work we are doing together. You are part of a community that recognizes this great need and will do something about it. As we enter into this holiday season, you have the opportunity to give a Christmas gift that could change the life of a mother like Lindsey—and save the life of her unborn child.

Your gift of $625 will provide one mother with Life-affirming counseling, medical services and ongoing education and support. Or, by donating $1,250, you can partner with Morning Star in providing love and support to TWO mothers at risk for abortion.

Whatever donation you are able to provide during this giving season, you will be helping Morning Star reach our year-end goal of $154,000 and supporting more mothers in our community—mothers like Lindsey!

Thank you for your prayers and partnership in this Life-saving work.

Wishing you many blessings during this Christmas season!

Linda Plummer
Executive Director

*Client names have been changed to protect confidentiality

We have incredible news!

As of September 30, Morning Star has provided 2,847 client visits this year — a 24% increase over the same period in 2022! And our sonographers have already performed 1,331 ultrasounds — surpassing our 2022 total!

Our marketing initiative is working. We are reaching more women. But this also means that we need your financial support to sustain this growth. Your investment will ensure that Morning Star can continue to provide our no-cost services to every woman at risk for abortion, including women like Adriana*:

When Adriana found herself facing an unplanned pregnancy, she immediately turned to the internet for help and answers. She was convinced that an abortion would be simple, but she was concerned about the price. Then she saw a digital ad for Morning Star’s no-cost medical services. She knew from her research that it was important to have an ultrasound before making a final decision about an abortion. She also liked the fact that our services were FREE. So Adriana reached out to schedule an appointment.

We got her in right away.

At the appointment, Adriana’s counselor gave her all the facts about abortion, and especially the emotional risks to her. Meanwhile, Adriana’s boyfriend met with our fatherhood counselor to discuss his own concerns about the pregnancy. Then Adriana and her boyfriend saw our sonographer for an ultrasound. Adriana asked for a copy of her ultrasound pictures to take home, even before our sonographer had a chance to offer them to her. Before she left Morning Star, Adriana hugged her counselor and shared her decision: She was going to keep her baby.

In 2021, over 33,200 babies in the state of Pennsylvania lost their lives to abortion. Planned Parenthood Keystone now offers direct shipment of abortion pills to a woman’s home. Some mail-order abortion companies are even selling abortion pills to women before they become pregnant. In this environment, it is more important than ever for us to reach women quickly – offering help and solutions that protect their physical, mental, and emotional health and honor their dignity as children of God.
Through our digital marketing initiative, Morning Star is doing just that. Since July 2022, we have been investing in strategic digital advertising to reach women like Adriana before they make the decision to have an abortion. And with continuing education, hiring additional nurses, counselors and a third sonographer, and increasing our hours of operation, Morning Star is growing to meet the urgent need for same-day and next-day appointments.

But we cannot do it without you.

As the number of at-risk women coming to our clinics grows, so do our financial needs. In order to continue to support these increases, Morning Star is asking for your help to reach our end-of-year goal of $154,000.

It costs Morning Star approximately $625 to provide one mom with Life-affirming services.

Please consider a one-time donation of $625 or a monthly donation of $52.08 to give one mom the medical services and resources she needs to choose Life.

Or perhaps you are able to do more. Your gift of $1,250 will help Morning Star support two moms at risk for abortion.

Your financial contribution will provide a pregnant mother like Adriana with:

Medical services, including pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, STD testing and treatment, and even Abortion Pill Reversal;
Counseling to identify the obstacles she is facing and provide the resources and information she needs to continue her pregnancy;
Educational programs to help her and her partner plan a positive future for their child;
Family support appointments, where she will receive ongoing counseling, referrals and baby supplies.

Every woman facing an unplanned pregnancy deserves real healthcare and support for herself, her family and her unborn child. Your gift to Morning Star will help HER—so that she can make a courageous, Life-giving choice.

Thank you for your continued commitment to Life.

*Client names have been changed to protect confidentiality

Because of you, women like Adriana are choosing Life for their babies every day. Can you help us reach our year-end goal of $154,000? Your gift will empower even more mothers and families to choose Life. Click here to make your donation today.

Our counselors see it every day in our clinics: A father walks in with his pregnant girlfriend, saying he’ll support her decision, whatever she decides. Our culture preaches “Her Body, Her Choice” as a message of female empowerment, but at Morning Star we know differently. By making the decision her choice, a father is disconnecting himself from the pregnancy, making it easier for him to walk away or to pressure the mom into choosing abortion.

That’s why, at Morning Star, we take the fathers out of the waiting room and into a counseling room. Steve Morris, our Nurse Clinic Manager, talks to these dads one-on-one, giving them the opportunity to work through their fears and form a positive vision of what fatherhood might look like for them. Discussions help these fathers recognize the importance of their role in the decision-making process and how they can support the moms.

After counseling, these dads enter the ultrasound exam room and see their babies—making it very real for them.

An ultrasound shows them it’s not just tissue.
An ultrasound shows them their babies’ heartbeat.
An ultrasound allows them to bond with their babies.
An ultrasound connects them to their children.

At Morning Star we are connecting moms and dads to their babies, to save as many families as we can from the trauma of abortion. Abortion has long tentacles and alters the lives of so many, lives like Angela’s husband, Jonathan. Angela came to Morning Star after struggling with her abortion from years ago. She found healing in Morning Star’s post-abortion support program; but as she experienced recovery, it brought to light the disconnect and denial her husband had been living with. He was willing to share his innermost thoughts on how their decision to have an abortion affected him.

Jonathan’s Story

I was already a dad of a two-year-old when my wife Angela told me she was pregnant again. My immediate response was “This is not the time.” There were too many things going on in our lives—we were busy with work, raising our young son and the children from my wife’s previous relationship. I disconnected from the pregnancy and thought it wouldn’t have an impact on me if she got rid of it.

By disconnecting, it made me feel like I wasn’t the one doing it, my wife was. I didn’t have to take on that responsibility or guilt.

Angela had the abortion. And I didn’t even really think about it. She came home from the appointment and I just went on about my business, not even acknowledging what happened.

I now realize it was a dark time in my life. How could I just leave her alone to deal with it physically and emotionally? My mindset was selfishness. I didn’t want to feel the pain. Disconnecting was allowing me to live my life and forget about it.

I buried that abortion for many years as I lived my life being a father and husband, providing for my family. But my growing relationship with God began to awaken me—slowly revealing my disconnect. And while I began realizing the ramifications of my own decision, Angela made the choice to go to Morning Star for help, to heal emotionally and spiritually. After one of the sessions Angela came back home and said she felt if we had the baby it would have been a boy and his name would have been Dominick.

Dominick.
He has a name.
He was real.
I got rid of Dominick. I didn’t value his life.

By giving a name to our child, he became real to me. I don’t know if, up to that point, I truly comprehended the consequences of our decision: Our own selfishness affecting the plan of God.

I had confessed multiple things to the Lord over those years, but I hadn’t owned up to anything about ending the life of Dominick.

My thoughts started spiraling that I could have had another son. That I didn’t just take a life, I took my own child’s life. And then when those thoughts finally settled, I began to mourn the loss of never hearing the sound of his cry, his smell, holding him in my arms.

It’s so like human nature … the thing you think you don’t want can all of the sudden be the only thing you want … and you would do anything to have it back.

I wish I could call his name.
I wish I could put his name to paper.
I wish my older son would have his brother, friend, companion.

You don’t think about how your decisions affect other people. I had to give it to the Lord. I was a man on my knees suffering from condemnation and He showed me how disconnected I was.

I didn’t get to pick my son’s name, it came from my wife’s healing process; but the name Dominick is so precious to me now.

It takes the Lord to reveal certain things to you. I know the Lord has been walking with me on this path and my journey is not finished. I know He has the power to forgive and the power to heal. Today I have freedom in Jesus. I know my story is not finished.

My hope is that, when I meet the Lord, I will see Dominick.

In today’s culture, it is too easy for fathers to give into the fear and uncertainty that surrounds an unplanned pregnancy—to disconnect and leave the mother of their child feeling alone, scared and desperately seeking a way out.

This Father’s Day, Pronio’s Market is encouraging our community to step up and support Life with a $15,000 Matching Gift Challenge. The deadline for this Life-Saving Match is June 23.

YOUR partnership with the Pronio Family will allow Morning Star to help 48 clients—empowering fathers to connect with their children and supporting families in making a choice for Life. It costs $625 to provide our services to one person in our community—services that include counseling, pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, STD testing & treatment, relationship & sexual health education, parenting classes, fatherhood program, baby clothing and supplies and Abortion Pill Reversal.

Help us reach men and women considering abortion and provide them with the support they need—so they can celebrate LIFE on Father’s Day.

2024 Matching Gift Campaign