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Offer is only available to Members at our Beechwood branch. Terms & Conditions apply. See branch for details. *Rate is an annual rate, and interest is paid on maturity. ™Trademarks of Meridian Credit Union Limited. 04/2017 Only available at our Beechwood branch. SAVINGS. INFLATE YOUR FOR 90 DAYS* 3% GIC 440 Erb St. W. (at Fischer-Hallman Rd. N.) 519-886-5322 Be Savvy Go With Zahavy +1-866-225-1555 +1-416-225-1555 info@zahavylimos.ca ISLAND AIRPORT $165 PEARSON AIRPORT $140 PEARSON ZAHAVY LIMOUSINE Friendly Professional Team... where your total health is our goal! • Free Blood Glucose Monitor & Teaching • Free Blood Pressure Check • Compounding hours: Mon.-Fri. 9am-7pm • Sat. 9am-4pm 519-747-0320 373 Bridge St. Waterloo www.thpharmacy.com 6 • WATERLOO CHRONICLE • Thursday, april 27, 2017 By Samantha Beattie Chronicle Staff an online portal will soon match women in Water-loo region with abortion resources, the first of its kind in Canada. shOrE Centre, formally planned parenthood, is cur- rently raising funds to create and maintain the database of service providers with the goal of getting their clients the help they need, in a way they're comfortable with, as soon as possible. "it can be a pretty humiliat- ing, needlessly time consum- ing process to get an abortion," said lyndsay Butcher, shOrE's executive director. Currently, abortions aren't a streamlined process. Clients often go to a walk-in clinic or family doctor first to get a refer- ral for an abortion, and might not get the information they're looking for, or be referred to get an ultrasound or blood work done when it isn't necessary. "it can be quite the process with stigma and judgment from nurses, doctors, ultrasound and lab technicians, and even the receptionist that answers the phone," Butcher said. "This (online portal) will cut out all of that." Clients will enter informa- tion about their pregnancy, decision to have an abortion and availability and other logis- tics. Then, they'll be provided with a list of doctors across the Greater Toronto area and southwestern Ontario who'd be the right fit. The list will also include doctor contact information, location, average wait time and other details. They'll also be offered the option to speak with a shOrE counsellor. "We'll make it very clear in the portal that if someone would like to talk or needs more infor- mation, we're always available," said Butcher. For shOrE's younger cli- ents, online is where they're most comfortable. Of the more than 1,200 people shOrE sup- ports each year, the majority are between the ages of 19 and 25. "We're finding younger people prefer to get their infor- mation online and there's a hesitancy with picking up the phone, especially for something as sensitive as abortion," Butch- er said. When shOrE rebranded a year ago and launched a new website, it introduced a simple online contact form where indi- viduals fill out their name, email address and message. it was "nothing high tech" but result- ed in a 55 per cent increase in the number of clients seeking shOrE's support, Butcher said. Not all clients are seeking abortions and shOrE can con- nect them with adoption coun- sellors, or with midwives to continue on with prenatal care. shOrE also provides pregnancy tests, information and counsel- ling about birth control options, sexually transmitted infections and safer sex. For those wanting an abor- tion, the online portal will be one more way for them to get connected to accurate informa- tion. shOrE works with 15 clinics in Ontario, including Waterloo region's Freeport health Cen- tre, part of Grand river hospi- tal. The wait time is two to three weeks, and it only provides sur- gical abortions for clients in their first trimester. Clinics in Toronto that offer same-day abortions will be included in the online portal, as will clinics offering medication or second trimester abortions. since shOrE went public with its online portal fundraiser, other groups and affiliates have expressed interest, as have tech companies. First, shOrE is aim- ing to raise $50,000 to develop and maintain the database. For info, visit shorecentre.com. SHORE develops online portal