St. Louis, MO – February 14, 2025 – Coalition Life, the nation’s largest professional sidewalk counseling organization, will resume sidewalk counseling efforts outside the St. Louis Planned Parenthood on Forest Park Avenue on Monday, February 17, 2025. 

This return follows a pivotal decision in the ongoing legal challenge from abortion facilities seeking to reopen following the passage of Amendment 3 by a slim margin. Late Friday afternoon Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Jerri Zhang issued a three-page ruling that overturned licensing requirements for abortion facilities in the state of Missouri, and cleared the way for Planned Parenthood to immediately begin performing abortions on women.

View Court Ruling Here

“The court’s decision marks a sad day for anyone who values the sanctity of life.” said Coalition Life Executive Director Brian Westbrook, who pioneered the “St. Louis Method” of compassionate outreach. “This ruling reinforces the need for pro-life agencies and advocates to offer life-affirming alternatives to women. Coalition Life remains steadfast in our mission to provide resources, education, and support to women facing unexpected pregnancies.”

Missouri’s pro-abortion Amendment 3 officially took effect on December 5, 2024, thirty days following the election, potentially removing all protections for preborn children and loosening regulations on abortion facilities. However, abortions had not been performed in the state at that time, as Judge Jerri Zhang had yet to rule on the lawsuit from Planned Parenthood and the ACLU challenging the state’s remaining abortion regulations. The laws include informed consent requirements, a 72-hour waiting period, licensing standards for abortion facilities, and others.

While the amendment expanded abortion access through all stages of pregnancy, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey vowed to enforce existing regulations until explicitly overruled by the court. These laws have been credited with significantly reducing the number of abortions in Missouri, dropping from over 5,000 in 2014 to 167 in 2020. At the same time, as legal efforts in the courts are ongoing, Coalition Life sidewalk counselors will stand steadfast with resources for women who need information and support to help them choose life.

“This moment reaffirms the importance of the work our sidewalk counselors do every day,” said Westbrook. “They are often the last chance for women seeking help and while we are sad that we will be needed once again in Missouri, we are ready to serve wherever women and children are at risk. We are committed to continuing our efforts to empower women with life-affirming options while we pray that Missouri will return to protecting all children born and unborn..”

Coalition Life’s sidewalk counseling program has a proven track record of success, with more than four thousand turnarounds recorded across the Midwest. Volunteers and staff members are trained to engage in peaceful, compassionate conversations, ensuring women are informed about available support services and healthcare alternatives.

For more information about Coalition Life’s sidewalk counseling program or to get involved, visit CoalitionLife.com or call (314) 827-4039.

About Coalition Life

Coalition Life is a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization with a mission of ending abortion… peacefully and prayerfully, by offering every woman who is at risk for abortion information and resources that allow them to choose life. Founded in St. Louis, Missouri in 2011 by Brian Westbrook, the organization operates a pregnancy center in St. Louis, and provides sidewalk counseling at six sites in Illinois, Kansas, and Missouri. Coalition Life continues to grow as a national leader in the frontline effort to provide alternatives to abortion. Differentiated by its professional staff of sidewalk counselors and proven approach to reach women who desire options and resources, Coalition Life created and perfected “The St. Louis Method” of sidewalk counseling that has resulted in more than 4,300 turnarounds outside of abortion facilities and countless lives saved. For more information visit CoalitionLife.com.