THE MARQUETTE PLANNED Parenthood health center will shutter its doors permanently on April 30 as a result of federal budget cuts. (Courtesy photo)

MARQUETTE — After the news broke April 1 that Planned Parenthood was set to close its Marquette office, local residents upset by the announcement have pushed to keep the site open.

Planned Parenthood of Michigan plans to permanently close the health centers in Marquette, Jackson and Petoskey on April 30, with the final patient appointments taking place April 25, according to a PPMI press release. In addition, two Ann Arbor locations will be consolidated.

The move comes as the Trump administration cut tens of millions of dollars of Medicaid funding to the organization.

Marquette resident Noelle Del Preto has launched a petition drive to convince Planned Parenthood Michigan to keep funding the Marquette location and calling on Michigan officials to help if they can.

“The hope of this petition is to urge Planned Parenthood of Michigan to reconsider closing their Marquette location,” Preto said. “We understand that they’re faced with an unfortunate funding dilemma and that some clinics must close; however, by closing the Marquette one specifically, there would be drastic consequences for an already medically underserved rural region of the state. This petition’s goal is to show with the voices of the people just how vital this location is for residents of the entire Upper Peninsula, and to help strengthen our task to keep it open.”

The petition is available at www.change.org/p/keep-planned-parenthood-open-in-marquette and has gathered more than 6,000 verified signatures, with the total growing daily, since it began Saturday.

“It’s clear that our community and our supporters are making their voices heard in regards to accessible care in this region,” Preto said.

The petition also has Marquette County residents voicing personal stories on why the clinic matters and how it helped them or people they know.

“Almost every woman I know in Marquette, including myself, as well as several men and nonbinary people have utilized this Planned Parenthood location for a wide range of health care needs,” Preto said. “The care myself and countless others have received at this clinic has been extraordinary, and the loss of this clinic would be devastating for the Upper Peninsula. The staff at this location are truly phenomenal health care workers, and it’s clear that they view their patients as individuals rather than numbers. Planned Parenthood also utilizes a sliding payment scale to help make care affordable for people across varying income brackets, and for people like college students or from low-income households, this clinic may be the only place they can turn to for care while still being able to afford groceries. It’s imperative to keep a clinic like this open in a region of the state that’s median household income is over $13,000 lower than its downstate counterpart.”

Copies of the petition and a letter detailing community concerns have already been sent to major lawmakers in the state, including Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer; U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield; U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Holly; and U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Watersmeet.

“Planned Parenthood is important to me because it’s important to my community,” Preto said. “As a Yooper, I’ve met all kinds of people here; mostly humble and kind folks who will stop to help a neighbor in need. To me, being active for this cause feels like I am returning the favor to the countless people that have helped me within this wonderful community. Not everyone has the means to see a doctor for routine visits or have specialty testing done, and Planned Parenthood fills that huge gap in the U.P.’s health care system. It prioritizes care for patients over profits, and it’s so unfortunate that it’s been stigmatized and politicized the way it has been.”

Planned Parenthood has been defunded by the Trump Administration, leading the organization to close down multiple operations across the country. It prompted Planned Parenthood advocates to protest and rally across the country and in Washington last week.

“It feels incredible to see so many people putting their names to a cause that is largely important to a small region of Michigan,” Preto said. “Across the board, most signers are Michiganders, but I’ve also seen lots of names ranging from across the entire country. We are beyond grateful for the national support.”