About Stanton SoCal
Stanton Healthcare of Southern California (Stanton SoCal) was founded in 2011 with the goal of launching a life-affirming medical clinic in the High Desert. It was clear at the time that a medical option was needed for abortion-vulnerable women; while Rose of Sharon, Call for Life, Moses House and other ministries were providing wonderful services to mothers, there was no place for a woman to get an ultrasound in-clinic as part of her care.
Nationwide statistics from pregnancy medical clinics have shown that women who see their baby on an ultrasound are much more likely to choose life - over 90%!
Stanton SoCal was the first affiliate clinic for Stanton International, a women’s healthcare and advocacy movement based in Boise, Idaho. CEO and Founder Brandi Swindell started Stanton in 2006 as a Christ-centered response to the influence of Planned Parenthood and other abortion businesses in her community.
Stanton Healthcare in Boise opened a clinic next door to Planned Parenthood, offering life-saving, hope-giving services at no charge to clients - in direct contrast to the abortion giant. Planned Parenthood in Boise has since closed its doors (as a result of Idaho’s abortion ban), while Stanton Healthcare remains, committed to serving women and their babies and building a community of hope. Stanton International now has three clinics in Idaho - a flagship in Meridian, a wellness center in Boise, and a mobile clinic serving rural and immigrant communities.
Stanton SoCal President Danielle Versluys, Executive Director Sienna Melendez and Client Care Coordinator Roxy (L-R). Pictured with Uriah, a Stanton Baby saved from abortion after his birth mother visited the Stanton Mobile in Victorville.
Stanton Healthcare of Southern California is a DBA of Love Mercy, a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization, legally distinct from Stanton International but linked by the common vision of reclaiming our communities for life. Love Mercy was created specifically as the parent organization for Stanton SoCal - all members of our Board of Directors live locally, all donations are used for Stanton SoCal, and we are committed to partnering with individuals and churches in the High Desert to reach women and their families with the good news of Jesus Christ.
The mission of Stanton Healthcare of Southern California is to offer life-affirming solutions and resources to abortion vulnerable women; provide hope to those struggling from the pain of a past abortion; and share the message of sexual integrity - in a confidential and professional environment that promotes physical, emotional and spiritual wellness.
Stanton SoCal’s ministry is Christ-centered, Spirit-led, and sustained solely by the grace of God. He has shown us what is good, and we have seen that the Stanton Mobile is a powerful, effective means of serving the fatherless and the widow.
The Stanton Vision
Stanton Mom Melissa and Dad Leandro rejoice at the sight of their healthy first baby!
We believe in the fundamental truth that human rights begin in the womb. Every woman has an inherent right to embrace motherhood regardless of income, race, ethnicity, or place of residence.
We believe in practical, caring solutions which uphold the dignity of both mother and child. We provide life-affirming options to abortion-vulnerable women and provide hope to those struggling from the pain of a past abortion.
We believe sexual and reproductive integrity is vital to the health of each individual, every family, and by extension, society as a whole.
We believe people of goodwill should link arms to stand for justice and equality, speaking the truth boldly in the public square. Our voices together will shape public policy and cultural values for life.
Stanton International seeks to replace abortion businesses around the world because we believe that women and their families are entitled to quality, coercion-free care, and compassionate alternatives to abortion. Together, we will end abortion violence.
Statement of Faith
We believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and buried;
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
We believe in the Holy Ghost,
We believe in the holy catholic* church,
The communion of saints,
The forgiveness of sins,
The resurrection of the body,
And the life everlasting.
Amen.
*The “holy catholic church” referred to in the Apostle’s Creed is in reference to the universal church of all true Christians throughout time and in the world now who belongs to Christ.
The Stanton Story
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Born in 1815, Elizabeth Cady Stanton dedicated her life to pioneering the American women’s movement for suffrage and equality. Her upbringing brought her into contact with many fugitive slaves, and she later married abolitionist Henry Stanton.
In 1840, she traveled to London with her husband, who served as a delegate to the World Anti-Slavery Convention. There, Stanton met Lucretia Mott, a Quaker reformer. Like all women, Mott and Stanton were barred from participating in the convention with the men. After some brainstorming, the women decided to form a convention of their own, this one championing the cause of women’s rights. In 1848, their dream culminated in the Seneca Falls Convention, which united the nation’s women’s rights leaders in the push for women’s suffrage.
To the women at Seneca Falls, denying women the vote was not the only oppressive tool; ending a pregnancy was another (this was before abortion was even legal). In an 1872 letter to Julia Ward Howe, Stanton was quick to note a remarkable double standard: “When we consider that women have been treated as property, it is degrading to women that we should treat our children as property to dispose of as we see fit.”
Stanton was not alone. Her contemporaries refused to force women to choose between sacrificing their welfare or sacrificing their own offspring.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton spoke staunchly against the abuse of women, children, and African-Americans. She opposed exploitation in all of its brutal forms. Her vision lives on at Stanton Healthcare, where we continue the Seneca Falls tradition of equality, justice, and compassion.