DeKALB – A normal day at the We Care Pregnancy Clinic, located in downtown DeKalb, begins with prayer in the building’s breakroom.

The microwave in the breakroom has a sticker that says “love every heartbeat” in cursive, and the whiteboard has a written reminder for staff to make sure all clients’ partners’ information is stored in a folder separate from their partner’s.

In February, WeCare4NIU, a student outreach group for We Care Pregnancy Clinic, was approved by the Student Government Association as an official student organization at NIU.

The group and clinic are anti-abortion, citing the medical procedure goes against their religious values.

The student organization has two members. Neither member was available to speak on the record regarding their involvement in WeCare4NIU.

“We host information tables, we try to host them once a month and we do ask those that are in the group to help staff that have conversations with students,” said Erin Andrews, executive director of the clinic. “If they have any questions, we hand out free pregnancy tests. If they need them people can just come and get them – male, female, doesn’t matter.”

The group is in the process of being recognized by the Association of Campus Religious Organizations as a religious student group, Andrews said. The group is projected to be approved by the end of March.

When the student group hosts tables around campus, they hand out pamphlets and roses and offer free pregnancy tests.

Andrews said the student group exists to offer alternatives to reproductive health services provided by the Student Health Center. A list of services offered by the Student Health Center is available on its website.

“We let them know what the procedure is, what the risks are,” Andrews said. “We talk about parenting, we talk about adoption, so all those decisions are hard.”

The clinic does not perform abortions and will not refer people for an abortion.

“It doesn’t matter what choice they make, it’s gonna be hard,” Andrews said.

Pamphlets in the clinic are made by Focus on the Family, an anti-abortion faith-based non-profit. The pamphlets recommend patients to get an ultrasound, which the We Care Pregnancy Clinic provides for free.

Also in the clinic is a baby clothing store called Hannah’s Closet. Participants of the clinic’s “Learn While You Earn” program can attend parenting classes in exchange for fake currency to “buy” baby clothes and shoes.

Packages of diapers are sold for real currency, and baby food and formula are available for free.

The clinic receives funding from local Christian churches in DeKalb, Sycamore, Rochelle and Genoa.

Information about WeCare4NIU can be found on Huskie Hub.