Memphis Planned Parenthood Plans to Build New Health Center

Planned Parenthood Greater Memphis Region (PPGMR) plans to expand and enhance its patient services by building a second health center to complement its existing center on Poplar in Midtown, and it's launched a massive fund-raising campaign to pay for it and other expanded services and education efforts. Those plans were announced on Thursday night at PPGMR's 75th anniversary gala and James Award celebration at the Hilton Memphis.

The Now Campaign, which is intended to fund the local organization for at least the next 75 years, has a goal of $12 million, but so far, $10 million has already been raised. Of that, $4.5 million will go toward the second facility. Its location has not yet been revealed.

Another $750,000 from that $12 million total will be spent on education and outreach efforts, and the same amount will be set aside for advocacy work to ensure access to reproductive health services. The remaining $6 million will be set aside as an endowment for the future of PPGMR.

“While Planned Parenthood has evolved in amazing ways over the last 75 years, our core mission – providing care no matter what – has remained constant,” says Ashley Coffield, President and CEO of PPGMR. “The idea of providing compassionate, quality care in some ways remains as controversial today as it did 75 years ago. Even as we celebrate this milestone, we know that there are many in this community who would seek to eliminate our funding, terrorize our patients, and attack our facilities. The Now Campaign is about committing ourselves to building a fearless, empowered community of advocates and healthcare practitioners for the next 75 years. A new era of Planned Parenthood in Memphis begins now.”

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