Earliest Beginnings

1931 to 1932
Fannie and two other prominent women organize a "Birth Control Committee" and work under the auspices of the Civic League.

From the Founding Onward

1965 to 1966
Fannie and other concerned community leaders reorganize the birth control group and incorporate it as Planned Parenthood Association of Kalamazoo County (PPAKC) on March 17, 1966. The first medical clinics are held in the basement of Douglass Community Center. After two years as a provisional member, the new agency successfully meets all standards and becomes a full affiliate of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. in December of 1968.

1970
The agency receives federal funding to provide birth control services through the department of Health, Education and Welfare.

1972
The agency moves its offices to 612 Douglas.

1973
Following Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion, the PPAKC Board sets up a separate corporation, Alternatives, Inc., to ensure that women of Kalamazoo County have the option of high quality pregnancy termination services, which become available in January 1974.

1977
PPAKC and Alternatives merge to become Reproductive Health Care Center of South Central Michigan, an affiliate of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. The agency adopts

1979
With the help of many volunteers, most especially Robert Hencken who was instrumental in getting the new Planned Parenthood building built, the organization moves into its new, 10,000 square foot, state certified, and outpatient surgical facility on W. Michigan Ave. All services are now offered in one location. The organization assumes a $365,000 mortgage on the building. Voluntarily stops receiving government Title X funding.

1983
The Center produces six videotaped programs on various reproductive health services, and one program, featuring founder Fannie Walton at 94 years, for local cable access television. Fannie Walton was awarded the highest honor: the Alan Guttmacher Award.

In a Kalamazoo Gazette article recognizing Fannie Walton she is quoted: "The more information people have about sex, the more wisely they'll use it. It's quite a bit different now, but it's still not different enough. Parents still aren't telling their children all they need to know." Questioned about teenage pregnancies: "I never remember meeting a 15 or 16 year old who was ready to be a parent."

1985
The Future of Choice Coalition is organized with representatives of 12 pro-choice groups. The "Every Child a Wanted Child" video series wins three more local, state, and national awards. Two new video programs for pro-choice speaking presentations are produced. An adolescent pregnancy prevention initiative is funded for two years.

1986
The campaign to raise an endowment for the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Linkage Effort (A.P.P.L.E.) to support expanded education outreach programs reaches $300,000. The Center again receives a Fairchild Award for excellence in services, Board involvement, and administration.

On December 1, the facility is destroyed by arson; on December 21, Planned Parenthood reopens temporary quarters on Turwill Lane.

1987
While in temporary facilities, the agency restores all pre–fire services except for female sterilization, although in most cases, those services do not reach pre-fire numbers of clients. The majority of abortion-seeking clients are referred to other facilities 45 minutes to one hour's driving distance from Kalamazoo. Groundbreaking for a new, enlarged, permanent building takes place in August on the W. Michigan Ave. site.

1988
The affiliate received a substantial bequest from the estate of Curtis & Lillian Meyer which was used to establish a Board restricted reserve account as well as a fund at the Kalamazoo Community Foundation to benefit education programs. This education fund was increased by $345,000 raised by the Board of Directors. The Education Library was named in honor of Curtis and Lillian Meyer.

The agency moves into its new permanent facility early in the year and opens a part-time satellite clinic in March, in the Village of Richland. All services are restored in the Kalamazoo site and all non-surgical services are made available through the Richland clinic. Services for males begin in both sites, including male screening for testicular cancer and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases. Cervical caps are now offered as a method of birth control. In November, Michigan votes to deny Medicaid funding for abortion, which denies services to poor women and increases the challenge of financial stability. Donor contributions to the Health Emergency Loan Program (H.E.L.P.) fund maintain access to abortion for poor women.

1990
The PPFA Fairchild Award for excellence in service provision is again awarded to the agency, and so is the National Society for Fundraising Executive's Chapter Award for excellence in crisis fundraising. The agency is the first in the area to offer a "no-scalpel" vasectomy, an outpatient procedure, which substitutes a single puncture for two incisions and reduces blood loss and the chance of infection. Client accounts and appointment functions are computerized to improve efficiency. RHCC/PP co-hosts the "Rally For Choice" in Bronson Park.

1991
"Planned Parenthood of South Central Michigan" becomes the agency's new title in a motion to reflect its six-county service area. A new clinic in Battle Creek is opened in the spring, and the satellite office in Richland is closed in the fall. The House to House program receives national recognition. A Teen Puppet Theatre is launched as a peer education project. PPSCM becomes the first provider in the area for Norplant, a long-term contraceptive, and begins to provide colposcopy, for cancer screening, and Cryotherapy, for treatment. The PPSCM property is fenced for added security. A new addition to the surgical facility, funded by Bronson Hospital, is added to the Kalamazoo building, and equipped with general anesthesia capability.

1992
The Louise A. Safron Fund was established at the Kalamazoo Community Foundation with gifts from private donors to honor Louise. The proceeds are to be used at the discretion of the Chief Executive Officer to pay unanticipated, unbudgeted expenses. The Ann V. Parfet Fund was created with gifts from "Friends of Ann" for the purpose of providing an annual monetary "Annie Award" to the staff member who best exemplifies the spirit and dedication of Ann.

Laparoscopies, a less invasive type of female sterilization, replace mini-laparotomies. The Frederick Margolis Traveling Library is developed to help parents talk to children about sex. The agency co–hosts "Stand Up For Your Rights" pro-choice rally in Bronson Park. Crowd estimates were over 600.

1994
Pregnancy loss counseling begins. The Healthy Foun-dations Program provides comprehensive sexuality education to childcare providers at ten local day care centers. A postpartum depression workshop is presented. PPSCM co-sponsors "Say Choice Michigan" rally in Bronson Park. The agency begins to receive grant money from the Michigan Department of Community Health for statewide sterilization services.

1996
The agency receives a grant to increase voter registration among clients with a campaign called Maggie's Millions. Mid-trimester abortions, for pregnancies up to 15 weeks and 6 days are now offered. PPSCM co-hosts a rally in Bronson.

1997
The Dr. George and Virginia Hoekzema Fund was established at the Kalamazoo Community Foundation with a generous lead gift from the Hoekzemas. The proceeds are to be used to subsidize the cost of sterilizations for women and men otherwise unable to afford the procedure.

To involve a new generation of young people in reproductive politics, PPSCM initiates a campaign. The agency receives a Clinical Laboratory Investigative Authority (CLIA) recertification of Compliance, to ensure quality of lab-work. The surgical suite was named in honor of Dr. and Mrs. Hoekzema.
Louise Safron retired due to health issues in 1997 after 17 years as Executive Director.

The Rev. Mark Pawlowski was hired as chief executive officer in November, 1997. The Board that oversaw the transition was a large one.

1999
The Hormonal Contraception with Optional Pelvic Exam (H.O.P.E.) program begins. Collaboration starts up with the Community Aids Resource and Education Resources (CARES) for HIV testing and counseling. Vox: Voices for Planned Parenthood, a national organization devoted to educating and organizing young Americans about their vanishing reproductive rights, is initiated.

2001
An arson attempt is made on the Kalamazoo Health Center resulting in $5,000 in damage but no actual fire. Lunelle, a new contraceptive injection, is introduced. In January, the Michigan law requiring premarital counseling is revoked. A Teen Clinic hosted by Project T.R.U.S.T. begins at the Battle Creek Health Center. PPSCM sets new all-time records of clients seen for family planning services in both the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek Health Centers. Plans are developed to expand the Battle Creek site with double the square footage to accommodate the increase in client numbers and house an education/resource library section. The agency wins PPFA's Affiliate Excellence Award for clinical training of professionals.

2004
PPSCM coordinated efforts for hundreds of local supporters to attend the March for Women’s Lives in Washington D.C. on April 24 — the largest march in U.S. history with an estimated 1.15 million participants (5,000 from Michigan). It gets no press coverage other than the Washington Post. PPSCM won the PPFA Affiliate Excellence Award for "Special Efforts Serving Teens." PPSCM achieved 4 year PPFA affiliate accreditation. Cosponsored a pro-choice Rally in Bronson Park. The Center for Leadership in Sexuality Education reached more than 10,000 adults & teens. Provision of Emergency Contraception continued increasing with over 7,000 prescriptions dispensed. Battle Creek & Kalamazoo health centers reached near capacity for both medical and educational program provision which increased efforts to find solutions to forward our mission.

2005
PPSCM becomes one of the first in Michigan to offer a new female sterilization method Essure® — a less invasive procedure with no incisions and little anesthesia. Project T.R.U.S.T. teens were privileged to meet and listen to Archbishop Desmond Tutu during the Great Lakes Region "PeaceJam Slam." PPSCM joins other Battle Creek agencies in providing services through "Community Houses." www.ppscm.org adds the ability to accept donations online. A color copier is leased & all agency printing is now done in-house. PPSCM won the Affiliate Excellence Award in Community Education for working to lower the infant mortality, teen pregnancy & STI rates by recruiting and educating health promoters as part of its Healthy Babies-Healthy Start program.
Capital Campaign for the building in Battle Creek and renovations and expansion in Kalamazoo commences with great participation from supporters and a feasibility study.

2006
PPSCM celebrated its 40th anniversary.  In addition, we launched our first capital campaign in 20 years "Building for Tomorrow," a $4.6 million campaign to create two modern facilities that will accommodate significant increases in demand for our healthcare services and educational programs.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved the Michigan PlanFirst! Program, a five-year family planning waiver through which the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) provides access to reproductive healthcare for eligible Michigan women who otherwise could not afford it.

PPSCM offered the HPV Vaccine to its clients starting in October.

Healthy Babies Healthy Start (HBHS) received Planned Parenthood Federation of America's Affiliate and Volunteer Excellence Award in Community Education for its effective education and outreach strategies to lower infant mortality teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection rates.

The Center for Leadership in Sexuality Education created its first ever training catalog for professionals.  Additional Project T.R.U.S.T. teens and staff attended the International PeaceJam Conference in Denver, Colorado to present their listserv project idea to over 300 teens and educations.  The Center also held its first ever Planned Parenthood Young Leaders (PPYL) event — "Cocktails for a Cause."

In November, PPSCM expands by opening a satellite clinic in Albion, taking over family planning clients from the health department there.