I came across a very interesting (or at least I found it interesting) article tonight thanks to my Google News Alerts.

I know that these people and this organization are very well meaning, but I can’t help but think the money would be better spent actually helping young women. What they are doing is printing messages on balloons and releasing them into the sky in the hopes that a woman experiencing an unplanned pregnancy will stumble across the balloon and seek out help.

Let me explain more. An excerpt of the article:

An overwhelmed woman has her worst fear confirmed with a positive pregnancy test. In her moment of desperation, she sits on her front porch and searches the sky for guidance as she considers aborting the fetus. Like an answered prayer, a yellow balloon slowly floats down from amidst the clouds and into her yard. Curiosity leads her to the balloon that has a printed message, “Take my hand not my life.” On the other side of the balloon is the phone number for Catholic Charities and Birthright of Kankakee, a crisis pregnancy center.

Each latex balloon has a pro-life message printed on it and a sticker attached with contact numbers for agencies that assist families and women in crisis situations. He said, “Where the balloons end up, if, by some miracle, somebody needs help somewhere, it’s a number to call. If it saves one life, that’s what you want.”

Ok, I understand the sentiment, I understand they want to help people and I totally understand saying “if it helps just one person, then it was worth it” as I have said that in different avenues in my life. I think it’s great they are trying to help others, but realisticly, how many people are actually going to see that balloon? How many ballons are really going to end up at the feet of women in an unplanned pregnancy? It’s like writing a love letter, rolling it up and putting it in a bottle, throwing it in the ocean, and hoping and praying Mr. Right will read it and sweep you off your feet.

I’m not trying to be offensive or say that these people shouldn’t try to help women in crisis pregnancies, but I can’t help but thinking wouldn’t the money spent on the balloons be much more useful if used to buy baby supplies, assist with housing, or something to assist the women they are hoping to reach in parenting?

What do you all think?