Pullman church will honor Planned Parenthood with humanitarian award

Posted 9 September 2013 at 12:00 am

Press release, Pullman Memorial Universalist Church

ALBION – An organization that has been providing rape crisis services in Orleans County for 40 years will be honored with a humanitarian award by an Albion church.

Pullman Memorial Universalist Church is proud to present Planned Parenthood of Albion in the Rochester Syracuse Region with the church’s 2013 Humanitarian Award. The organization will be honored at 11 a.m. on Oct. 13 at the church on East Park and Main streets.

Jeff Pier, regional manager of Rape Crisis Service for Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming Counties, will accept the award for his organization. Pier will speak at the ceremony and at a public reception to follow at noon.

The Pullman Memorial Universalist Church Humanitarian Award is given by Pullman’s board of trustees on behalf of the congregation to individual residents of Orleans County or a local organization most exemplifying Pullman Memorial’s liberal religious principles of social justice and equality.

“The Pullman Memorial Universalist congregation historically affirmed that ‘God is Love’ and continues to this day to believe that ‘Love wins,’” said Pullman Pastor H. Lee Richards. “This love is expressed in doing good works for others so that justice and peace may reign throughout the world. To that end, the congregation approves of, and supports, the rape crisis work of Planned Parenthood of Albion.”

Since 1973, Rape Crisis Service of Planned Parenthood in the central New York region, including the four GLOW counties, has provided personal support and advocacy for survivors and significant others of sexual assault and violence. Staff members and trained volunteer counselors at Planned Parenthood’s rape crisis center in Albion provide for sexual assault victims’ medical needs, psychological support, and police and legal intervention.

“I’d like to say at a time when the crime of rape has become politically trivialized and many times denied as even being a crime it’s more important than ever that victims of these vicious assaults be supported and empowered to receive the medical, psychological and legal assistance that are due them,” said Gay Smith of Kendall, chairwoman of the Pullman board of directors.