Planned Parenthood of South Texas in Corpus Christi promotes a strategic marketing plan to “recruit clients”. In this 43 page report, Amanda Stukenberg, Planned Parenthood’s CEO, lays out a comprehensive plan to build their client base that targets Coastal Bend children. To find out if Planned Parenthood has ear-marked your child as a future client, read on to learn more about their clinic marketing plan.
Page 24 spells out an “External Marketing Plan” including instructions on how, what and where to recruit clients. Instructions include: be aggressive, youthful; use flyers, posters; be community partners – be a partner to other agencies; attend health fairs – give away flyers, condom lollipops, condom packets, business cards, clinic cards, koozies; attend concerts and sports events; visit prisons and parolee’s, advertise at clubs with bathroom ads, visit work sites and more.
The next set of client recruitment instructions from Amanda Stukenberg, listed on page 24, made my heart sink:
“Recruit clients at area schools, agencies, housing projects, faith-based orgs.”
Area schools? Which area schools? Have my children been the target of Planned Parenthood’s aggressive and youthful client recruitment strategy?
The answer: YES
Planned Parenthood’s client recruitment strategy took place at a Health Fair, which is widely publicized to Aransas County students of all ages. The annual Health Fair is sponsored by Aransas Citizens Against Drugs Coalition (ACADC). ACADC is a school-based coalition or club. According to the ACADC Director, Patricia Garcia, she personally obtained special permission to invite Planned Parenthood to join the ACADC coalition.
A Planned Parenthood employee followed the strategy to a tee when recruiting my child at the ACADC Health Fair. The flyer used for their client recruitment plan invited Aransas County students to become a volunteer for Planned Parenthood at “Independent City.” Fortunately, my child is aware of the dangers of Planned Parenthood, thanks to an educational session by Jim Sedlak of STOPP International. However, Planned Parenthood effectively planted a small seed of doubt in my child’s mind as the “Independent City” event for elementary children appeared innocent and educational.
Planned Parenthood’s web-site reveals more seemingly innocent programs used as bait to attract kids to events where they can carry out their “aggressive” client recruitment strategy targeting children of all ages. Some of these programs are “Young Men United”, “SHE Thing”, “Baby Think It Over”, “Counseling Services for Teens and Parents” and other custom designed programs.
Amanda Stukenberg’s marketing plan goes on to lay out more details of her child recruitment strategy on page 26 with pictures of Planned Parenthood’s float in the popular Buccaneer Parade; teens distributing flyers at neighborhood block festivals; sponsoring a boxing tournament and sports events.
Page 27 boasts 4 pictures of Planned Parenthood employees in beach attire implementing their “aggressive and youthful” recruitment strategy as they pass out condoms and other freebies at Padre Island Beach during Spring Break. There’s more evidence on page 28 with pictures of Planned Parenthood employee’s posing with male students during “club outreach”; a snapshot of Planned Parenthood’s super hero, “Condom Man”, during Valentine’s Day outreach.
“Condom Man”, really? A super hero hawking condoms to students, Planned Parenthood’s child recruitment techniques are stooping to a new low!
Page 28 continues with a snapshot of a Planned Parenthood employee speaking to a large group of students at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Freshman Orientation, and last on page 28, a picture showing a large Planned Parenthood – Male Central Clinic sponsorship banner hung high on the wall at a community sports center, possibly the YMCA.
The tag line for page 28 brags “Colleges are a gold mine: Fraternities, Dorms, Clubs.” I wonder how college students, many of them surviving on a shoe-string budget, feel about being specifically targeted by to serve as a Gold Mine for Planned Parenthood?
There is much more proof of their recruitment efforts on page 29 with a picture of a Planned Parenthood employee posing with students holding Planned Parenthood flyers; two pictures of students holding up Planned Parenthood t-shirts ; and Planned Parenthood employee, Efrain Franco, teaching a large high school group assembly of boys and girls. I wonder how the girls and boys felt about a getting a sex ed talk in mixed company?
Finally, Planned Parenthood’s recruitment plan and marketing strategy shows off a picture of the Planned Parenthood Male Central Clinic Little League Team. Sadly, the boys on the Little League team appear younger than 10 years old.
The comprehensive marketing plan prepared by Amanda Stukenberg is far-reaching and leaves Texas Coastal Bend parents to question if any area schools, clubs or community organizations are protected from Planned Parenthood’s “aggressive and youthful” client recruitment plan targeting area kids.
Parents beware. Is Planned Parenthood actively recruiting your children at school, sports teams, health fairs, or community organizations?
For a list of community groups and schools listed in Planned Parenthood’s contract with the Nueces County Hospital District, see Planned Parenthood of South Texas EXPOSED, Board Chair Says Kindergarten is Not Too Early to Start Sex Education .
What do you think? Should schools, clubs, sports organizations and community groups allow Planned Parenthood of South Texas to “recruit clients” in their programs? Leave a comment and let me know what you think.
