Raleigh to rescind grant over center’s links to anti-abortion, LGBTQ conversion groups

May 14-- May 14--RALEIGH -- A week after approving it, Raleigh city leaders will take back $30,000 they had agreed to give a faith-based medical center.

Some residents questioned why the city would support NeighborHealth Center, which lists as its partners two groups that oppose abortion and support LGBTQ conversion therapy.

The Raleigh City Council unanimously approved the grant during its May 7 meeting at the urging of council member Kay Crowder.

In a Facebook post Monday, Crowder apologized for not following the city's normal procedure for funding nonprofits and said she only wanted to support an organization that tries to "improve the lives of those with the least means and greatest needs."

NeighborHealth is a faith-based, nonprofit health center that provides care to underserved communities, including refugees, and those who do not have insurance.

"NHC serves everyone without discrimination," said Karen Cook, who provides marketing and communications services for the center. "We serve patients of all ages regardless of insurance status, race, religion or sexual orientation. We've seen patients from more than 40 countries of all backgrounds."

The center, at 4201 Lake Boone Trail, lists several congregation, community and ministry partners on its website including Gateway Women's Care and Church of the Apostles.

Gateway Women's Center is part of the Carolina Pregnancy Care Fellowship, which opposes abortion, and is associated with CareNet, another group that says it's against abortion, according to Tara Romano, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina.

"We definitely have concerns about how some of the information on Gateway's website can be misleading, particularly on issues that many people already don't have good information on," Romano said in an email.

The Church of the Apostles lists several "local mission partners" on its website including Beyond Imagination. That organization lists services including support groups and a nine-month residential program for "men and women with undesired same-sex attractions."

"The discipleship for those seeking freedom from same-sex attractions is a difficult road," the website for the residential program states.

Several council members, including Crowder, said they learned of the connection to the other organizations after the vote.

"Last week I learned that one organization that supports the NeighborHealth Center also promotes 'conversion therapy,' the junk-science practice of trying to change a person's sexual orientation with spiritual 'healing,'" Crowder said. "To be clear, I completely oppose conversion therapy."

Nonprofits must normally apply to receive city funds through the budgeting process, but Crowder asked for a one-time use of the council's contingency funds.

"It is clear that not using the normal grant application process has resulted in a lot of confusion for the community and the city council," Crowder said. "I truly regret that this has occurred and will join fellow city council members in rescinding the grant to the NeighborHealth Center. I want the community to know that I take their concerns and need for more information seriously."

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

___

(c)2019 The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)

Visit The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.) at www.newsobserver.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.