Washington, D.C. — This year’s annual meeting of the National Coalition of Abortion Providers (NCAP) and the Abortion Conversation Project (ACP) May 17-19, 2008, awarded Charlotte Taft and abortion care providers, Mary Frank of the Memphis Center for Reproductive Health and Jen Boulanger and the entire staff of the Allentown Women’s Center with the organizations’ highest honors. NCAP and ACP meet annually to offer workshops on quality care for members and to strategize about improving the societal climate for their patients.
Charlotte Taft, currently a consultant and counselor in Pecos, NM, and former Executive Director of the Routh St. Clinic in Dallas, Texas, was awarded the David Gunn Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement. Charlotte was chosen for her visionary leadership in re-focusing attention on the woman’s abortion experience. She pioneered the concept of “head and heart” counseling and has offered thoughtful, honest analyses of abortion politics that have created a new dialogue about abortion.
The Allentown Women’s Center has been awarded the 2008 Vision Award by the Abortion Conversation Project. This award is presented to the abortion provider who challenges the stigma around abortion both within the clinic and in the community. For the first time, an entire staff was recognized: the Allentown Women’s Center was chosen for its dedication to quality patient services and outreach to the community under conditions of extreme anti-abortion activity. The staff, individually and collectively have worked hard to counteract stigmatizing messages about abortion in their everyday interactions with patients as well as creating a positive presence at community events.
The Abortion Care Network 