By Bonnie Finnerty, Education Director
You may think “explosion” too strong a word. But abundance, plethora, and even oodles seem to fall short. If you could have seen my kitchen table, you would agree.
Overflowing with Amazon boxes and puffy envelopes, I had to relocate the mounting stash into my trunk just as the Amazon Prime van pulled up to my house yet again.
This was the remarkable response to an online baby registry that was posted just a day prior. Everything on the registry was bought within an hour. Pro-lifers from around the nation contributed, never having met the mother in need. Bottles, diapers, wipes, baby girl clothes, and much more arrived. It was my privilege to open, sort, and deliver not only the much-needed items, but also to deliver a strong message of love and support from the pro-life community.
And this woman needed that.
She was six months pregnant when she lost her job due to the pandemic. Then the father of the baby walked out on her. Then she lost her housing. Just weeks away from having a baby, she and her nine year old child had nowhere to go.
Fortunately, someone gave her the number for LoveLine, an organization that has assisted 230 women and 400 children since starting in October 2019.
She called the number and found authentic compassion and real help. Their network of volunteers connected her with a local pregnancy resource center, paid for temporary housing, helped her get approved for unemployment, and set up the online baby registry. Because I live close to her, I was asked to receive and deliver the items from her registry.
If you don’t recognize LoveLine or their parent organization Pro-Love Ministries, you most likely will recognize the founder, Abby Johnson as the former Planned Parenthood Director turned pro-life champion. Her latest mission is to identify gaps in the pro-life movement and unite organizations and resources to provide strategic help to women in need.
In the words of one of the LoveLine workers, the help they offer is not just transactional, but relational. Their motto is When you love first, life follows.
So very true. And pro-lifers are willing to love in a big way.
Posted baby registries are usually filled in an hour. Additional donations are made through gift cards and a diaper fund. Whether through LoveLine, aiding pregnancy resource centers, or through some other means, the pro-life community continues to step up to welcome precious new life.
While my kitchen table is now clear and my trunk empty, the “smoke” from the explosion lingers as I recount the joy of meeting a deeply appreciative mama and her sweet newborn daughter. They and the generous pro-life community provided a powerful, bright light, an explosion of love, that will long illuminate my life.
To learn more about LoveLine, go to https://loveline.com/