Dear John,

I extend my deepest empathy and support to Americans across our great nation as we all address the grave crisis of COVID-19, or the novel Coronavirus. This is a time when we all must come together in solidarity, as one community, to be available for one another to meet both material and social needs. These next few weeks are bound to be full of challenges that we cannot navigate without the support of our friends, family, and countrymen. 

The most frightening aspect of any crisis is the uncertainty. An enemy we understand isn’t so scary. A mysterious danger, on the other hand, is much harder to cope with because we just aren’t sure what’s going to happen next. During this national crisis, we at Americans United for Life plan to extend the same expertise and advocacy we channel towards supporting life-affirming law and policy year-round towards the efforts that could ease the burdens on those affected by the virus. There is no greater pro-life imperative in this moment than an effective national response to the COVID-19 crisis.

In my experience, uncertainty is also the most daunting part of an unplanned pregnancy. Uncertainty over how it might affect our health. Uncertainty over how we will continue to work or go to school. Uncertainty whether we will receive the support we need to take a pregnancy to term. Information, resources, empowerment, and love are the ways that we can best help mothers experiencing an unplanned pregnancy. The same must now be extended towards Americans dealing with this unprecedented crisis.

Here are a few things each of us can do to help protect our friends and family from the spread of this virus:

• Know the symptoms. There is a lot of misinformation out there, so it’s important to know your risks and the real facts by going to the CDC’s official website here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
• Encounter and be there for one another. While practicing social distancing, use video chat, phone calls, and email to reach out and stay in touch with family and friends, especially those who may feel most isolated. 
• If you are healthy, consider donating blood. Hospitals across the country are facing a shortage of blood products that may only compound in the weeks to come. Donating blood is a vital and practical measure we can take to support each other: https://www.redcrossblood.org

​Be safe and be well, 

  
Catherine Glenn Foster
President & CEO