Pregnancy Resources

There are many resources available to assist women who may need them during a pregnancy and for their babies. Let us Spread the Word that this help is available. This information might save some lives. This resource list is a starting point with essentials but there are even more local possibilities which can provide help.

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• Local Pregnancy Aid
  • Birthright Freehold - 732-462-2888
  • Birthright Toms River - 732-349-0154
  • Birthright Red Bank - 732-747-7600
  • Birthright Barnegat - 609-660-0485
  • Choice One Lawrenceville - 609-989-1023
  • First Way Burlington - 609-871-1431
  • Options for Women Cherry Hill - 856-795-0048
• Department of Social Services
  • Your county Department of Social Services can provide help with many needs. Programs can include Emergency Housing & other Housing Assistance, Food Stamps, Work First, Child Care Programs or referrals, Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid for Pregnant Woman.
  • Burlington 609-261-1000
  • Mercer 609-989-4320
  • Monmouth 732-431-6000
  • Ocean 732-349-1500
• Food WIC
  • Provides food to pregnant & breast-feeding mothers, food and formula for children to age 5.
  • Burlington 609-267-4304
  • Mercer 609-989-3636
  • Monmouth 732-471-9301
  • Ocean 732-341-9700
• Food Stamps
  • Food stamps are available through your Dept. of Social Services. See Department of Social Services for more information in your county.
• Food Pantries
  • There are many local food pantries. Some may require referrals. Call for your nearest location, hours, and requirements.
  • Burlington 856-764-6940
  • Mercer 609-406-0503
  • Monmouth 732-918-2600
  • Ocean 732-918-2600
  • Endhunger.org - search for food pantries by county or zip code: www.endhungernj.org/forms/providerssearch.aspx
• Shelter
  • For emergency housing and other housing assistance call your local Dept. of Social Services. If help is still needed call the local Pregnancy Centers or the 24/7 Hotlines listed above.
• Healthcare
  • New Jersey Care 2000+Family Care 1-800-701-0710. Local Hospitals can advise about prenatal health care.
• High Risk Pregnancies & Births
  • Saint Peters University Hospital, New Brunswick, NJ
  • Maternal Fetal Medicine, 732-745-8549
  • Infant & Perinatal Loss Evaluations, Infant Prematurity Assessment & Prevention, 732-565-5435
• Legal Center
  • If you need more information and free legal advice to pregnant mothers being coerced into abortion, call 973-984-0725.
• NJ Safe Haven Law
  • 24/7 Toll-Free Hotline, 1-877-839-2339, and a Parent/Designee can leave an unharmed, unwanted baby (less than 30 days old) at a hospital emergency room or police station for a safe haven without prosecution. NO QUESTIONS ASKED.

Pro-Life Chaplains

Available to those in need of guidance when facing a life decision concerning pregnancy, euthanasia, abortion, artificial contraception, end of life issues, or other concerns.

If you are seeking someone to listen with compassion when you don’t know where to turn, Pro-Life Chaplains are ready to assist you. As part of their active ministry on behalf of the Church's pro-life mission, Pro-Life Chaplains are available to minister to all persons who are in need of guidance when facing a life decision concerning pregnancy, euthanasia, abortion, artificial contraception, end of life issues, or other concerns.

If you wish to speak to a priest, please call 609-403-7192. Our office staff will assist you in arranging an appointment.

Deacons for Life

Deacons Preaching for Life stand ready to proclaim the message of the Gospel of Life at Mass and Holy Hours throughout the Diocese, especially during January and October - two months of particular importance for Respect Life issues.

Deacons Preaching for Life are available to speak with compassion and conviction on the Church’s teaching on loving and caring for life from conception to natural death. If your pastor or your group wishes to invite a deacon to speak at a liturgical occasion or some other event please contact our office at 609-403-7192 or respectlife@dioceseoftrenton.org

Project Rachel

Offering healing, counseling, and reconciliation to those who suffer from the aftermath of abortion.


Offered in almost all the Catholic dioceses throughout the United States, Project Rachel is a network of caregivers, including priests, mental health professionals and others who provide one-on-one care to those struggling after involvement in an abortion. Project Rachel is primarily a healing network connecting those in need with counseling and with the sacraments, right in the heart of the Church.

Project Rachel in the Diocese of Trenton call 609-403-7192.

For Project Rachel resources, go to: www.hopeafterabortion.org or www.noparh.org

For Rachel’s Vineyard retreat weekends go to: www.rachelsvineyard.org

Also visit the Pro-Life Secretariat of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops at: http://www.usccb.org

Rachel's Vinyard

Rachel's Vineyard is a safe place to renew, rebuild and redeem hearts broken by abortion. Weekend retreats offer you a supportive, confidential and non-judgmental environment where women and men can express, release and reconcile painful post-abortive emotions to begin the process of restoration, renewal and healing.

Rachel's Vineyard retreat weekends, go to: www.rachelsvineyard.org

For additional post-abortion information, visit the Pro-Life Secretariat of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops at: www.usccb.org

End of Life Issues

As Catholics, we respect and love life from conception to natural death. End of life issues, such as the proper treatment of the sick, threat of euthanasia, living wills (advanced healthcare directives), and capital punishment are the source of much debate. Anyone who has journeyed with a dying loved one will appreciate the need for clear and sensitive pastoral direction. In this section you will find some documents which highlight these concerns. See below tabs for the rights of the sick and euthanasia.

• Living Wills (Advanced Healthcare Directives)
  • Some Catholics perceive these documents as a doorway to promoting direct euthansia, that is, the direct taking of a human life. However, the Church does acknowledge the importance of the autonomy of the individual and the importance of his or her participation in healthcare decisions. The best preparation is to choose a proxy, a representative who will make decisions according to your preferences, in the event a patient is impaired. An understanding of the Church's teachings on hydration and nutrition for persons in a vegetative state is also necessary. Below you will find several articles which help to illuminate our understanding of end-of-life care.
  • Statement from the USCCB on Euthanasia
  • We encourage you to consider your healthcare options now, prior to any life-threatening situation. This link will bring you to an approved Catholic healthcare directive:
  • Advance Directives for Health Care
• Capital Punishment
  • The Church promotes respect for human life even in the face of crimes against society. We believe that human life should be preserved, even the life of a convicted criminal. Since we have many options in our country for preserving the life of the criminal while keeping society safe, we, as Catholics, must oppose capital punishment.
  • Statement from the USCCB on Capital Punishent and the Death Penalty