'Mom' Star, Producer Spearhead Donation Campaign For Planned Parenthood
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The news for Planned Parenthood around the country has been grim of late.
In the past few days, Wyoming's only chapter announced it was closing. Iowa announced two more closures. New Mexico said Thursday it was closing three more.
Multiple Emmy winner Allison Janney and "Mom" creator Chuck Lorre announced Thursday that they are spearheading a donation effort to keep Planned Parenthood strong and healthy.
The Republican-led U.S. Senate is currently considering legislation that would block low-income patients from going to Planned Parenthood for preventive care, like birth control and cancer screenings.
Lorre, who also created such hits as "Big Bang Theory," "Mike & Molly," "Two and a Half Men" and "Dharma & Greg," and Janney are asking fans and concerned citizens to stand with Planned Parenthood and help with donations or spreading the word via the ppaction.org/MOMsupportlink and rallying support by using the #StandwithPP hashtag throughout social media.
"In Los Angeles County alone, we answer approximately 2,000 calls each day from people asking us for help," says Sue Dunlap, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles. "Across the country, millions of women and men are relying on Planned Parenthood health centers for their basic care — like birth control, life-saving cancer-screenings, and STD testing and treatment. We are committed to being here for them, no matter what. Generous support from our community fuels this work, and we are honored that the team behind 'Mom' is launching this campaign at this critical time."
In lieu of spending money on an Emmy "For Your Consideration" campaign, the show instead is donating $250,000 to the effort.
Janney, a longtime advocate for the embattled group, says The Mominitiative furthers her family's support for the organization "for generations."
Giving back to social causes near and dear is not new for Janney, Lorre and "Mom" star Anna Faris. The three are known to be tireless and generous when it comes to healthcare-related charities and educational efforts. Lorre has been a long-standing benefactor of the Venice Family Clinic, where he established the Robert Levine Family Health Center in his father's name. Faris supports The Global Alliance to Prevent Premature and Stillbirth, a global effort to drastically prevent prematurity and stillbirth.
Critically acclaimed for tackling serious topics such as substance abuse, addiction, suicide, death, depression and infidelity, "Mom" follows single mom Christy (Faris), who's trying to get her life back on track after years of questionable choices. Testing her daily is her mother, Bonnie (Janney), who Christy still considers the root of her troubles. As they both deal with sobriety to varying degrees, they try to mostly survive each other.
To join the "Mom" campaign to support Planned Parenthood, click here. For more information about Planned Parenthood, click here.