Regional anti-abortion pregnancy resource chain Alternatives Care Center closed its second Kalamazoo location earlier this year. ACC officially opened Burdick House in March of 2024 and closed it in February 2025.
ACC executive director Cathy Stoner said a local business owner gave the organization permission to use a building on Burdick street for a year on a trial basis — but things weren’t progressing as the organization hoped.
“We just had a difficulty continuing to keep it open. And what we did discover were that the people that did come, the majority of those folks were already being cared for or had been cared for at our site on West Michigan Avenue," Stoner said.
Alternatives Care Centers is a Christian anti-abortion organization that provides services to pregnant people including pregnancy tests and ultrasounds, as well as basic necessities such as diapers and clothing. Stoner said it served just 29 people in a year and eventually had to close its doors because of the low volume.
“It's a lot of work to build trust with people and to get your name out there and help people know that you're here to provide that lending hand," Stoner said. "So even with the advertising that we were doing, it just wasn't showing us to be productive as far as those advertising opportunities that we used.”
The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology advises patients to avoid pregnancy resource or “crisis pregnancy” centers. It says they largely exist to discourage patients from seeking abortions. But Stoner said the Burdick street location closed because of low engagement, not opposition.
“We had a good experience with the neighbors. And we had great relationships with one neighbor in particular — so I don't feel like there was anything that was necessarily outwardly negative about us being in that location," Stoner said.
ACC's Kalamazoo and Battle Creek locations are still open and providing services.
