Tag Archives: pro-life

Save a Life This Summer through Our Pro-Life Fair Outreach

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Every summer, I’m reminded of the old cliche “seeing is believing” when I help with our fair/festival outreach.

People for Life of Erie's pro-life booth

Volunteers at People for Life of Erie’s pro-life booth

When it comes to abortion, our society is very good about distancing itself from the reality of what abortion is: the killing of a baby in the womb. Society talks about women, pregnancy, health care, poverty, politics – everything but the baby. As our Legislative Director Maria Gallagher puts it, our society has “photoshopped” the baby out of the debate.

And so, we work hard to remind people of what is truly at stake when abortion is legal – the lives of babies in the womb. Every summer, we focus on sharing visual reminders at local fairs and festivals.

We and our 40-plus chapters set up booths at local fairs/festivals and display colorful, family-friendly images and models of preborn babies.

Photo of baby at 6-8 weeks

Photo of baby at 6-8 weeks

We encourage people to stop and hold our life-like fetal models of babies at 12, 20, 26, and 30 weeks. When people hold them, they usually are surprised to hear that they look and weigh about what a baby would at that stage of development.

And the reality hits them when we tell them that it’s legal to abort a 30-week preborn baby in some states, and it’s legal to abort a 12-week preborn baby in every state.

Through these simple means, we help people realize that abortion is more than just a political issue or a women’s issue. It first and foremost involves killing an innocent human life.

As a result, every summer, dozens of people come up to us and thank us for what we do.

I’ll never forget last summer when a woman walked by our booth, smiled and said, “Because of you, I have a grandson. Thank you!” Or two summers ago when a young woman shared one of our 12-week fetal models with a friend who was considering abortion, and her friend chose life.

Please consider getting involved in our fair/festival outreach this summer. The Federation and our pro-life chapters will be at dozens of events throughout the summer. For details about volunteering in your community, click here.

You can help people see the truth about abortion and save lives!

Congratulations to the Winners of Our 2015 Student Contests

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We are pleased to announce the student winners of our 2015 Pro-Life Essay and Video Oratory Contests. This year, we heard from close to 350 students from all across Pennsylvania for our annual contests. The students’ passion and enthusiasm for life always encourages and amazes us.http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-images-choose-life-modified-one-way-street-sign-indicating-image33829429

ESSAY CONTEST
Senior High
First Place — Andrew Shaffer, of Nazareth, a senior at Bethlehem Catholic High School
Second Place – Josemaria Heil, of Camp Hill, a junior at Immaculata Academy Home School
Third Place – Catherine Federline, of Murrysville, a junior homeschooler

Junior High
First Place – Sarah McLaughlin, of Harleysville, an 8th grader at Indian Valley Middle School
Second Place – Brett Craskey, of Aston, an 8th grader at St. Francis de Sales School
Third Place – Mia Baranowski, of Chalk Hill, a 7th grader at St. John the Evangelist Regional Catholic School

VIDEO ORATORY CONTEST
First Place — Tim Zhang, of Bethlehem, a senior at Notre Dame High School. He will receive an all-expense paid trip to represent Pennsylvania at the National Right to Life Oratory Contest this July in New Orleans.
Second Place — Stephanie Hamilton, of Johnstown, a senior homeschooler
Third Place — Jarod Wingert, of Harrisburg, a junior at Susquehanna Township High School
Honorable Mention — Elias Buhl, of Erie, a junior from Green Summit High School
First Place, Novice Division — Greg Bianchi, of Bethlehem, a freshman at Notre Dame High School

Students received cash prizes and recognition in our upcoming LifeLines Summer 2015 issue. Please check back soon to read the top two student essays.

Encouraging Words from Pro-Life Students in Pennsylvania

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The results of our annual student contests never fail to impress me.

Every spring, hundreds of students from across the Commonwealth send us pro-life essays for our annual pro-life essay contest.

babies on a light backgroundOur judges are almost ready to announce the 2015 winners, so check back soon. But in the meantime, I want to share a small sample of the passionate, poignant, encouraging, and creative words that I read in students’ essays this spring. I hope that their words will encourage you, as they did me.

“Every baby, human, or soul created has a purpose. God does not make junk.” — Abigail

“There are many reasons why I’m glad my mother chose life for me over abortion … friends, family, food, and other things I love. … I also would never have experienced leg room because the womb would have been a bit cramped.” – Isaiah

“This silent horror is called abortion, and it is a national disgrace.” — Martyna

“Abortion is a terrible thing. You could actually equate it to walking up to a child on the street and killing them. Who would do such a thing? Not many, if more people thought of it this way.” — Eli

“To be pro-life is not just a stance on abortion but a way of life.” – Kelsey

“Every one of those embryos created in a lab is a miracle. They can eventually be breathing, walking around, laughing, crying, and brightening the life of the people around them.” – Vanessa

“Every life is worth the pain of saving; if we realize this, then the pain we feel isn’t pain at all – it is something else entirely: love.” — Andrew

Keep watching for a list of the 2015 Pro-Life Essay Contest winners!

What Circles the State Each Spring? Our Pro-Life Town Halls

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By Michael Ciccocioppo, Executive Director

This was my fifth year leading the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation town hall tour around the state. I was privileged to have our education director, Micaiah Bilger, as my co-presenter this year.

0 Michael and Micaiah

Executive Director Michael Ciccocioppo and Education Director Micaiah Bilger

Based on the feedback we received at every stop along the way, the tour was an unequivocal success. People genuinely appreciate our brand of pro-life education. And we reached hundreds of citizens in their hometowns.

We traveled 1,200 miles in seven days this month, speaking in 11 different communities, starting in Ebensburg and continuing on to Uniontown, Pittsburgh, Titusville, Erie, State College, Scranton, Nesquehoning, Easton, Philadelphia and Lancaster. We have one last stop to make in Grove City on September 16. Click here for details.

People like the way we provide the most important information on some of the hottest pro-life topics of the day with high energy, passion and plain English.

This year, we covered seven topics at each stop:

  • The state of abortion in Pennsylvania
  • Gov. Wolf’s ties to the abortion industry
  • Hope for parents whose babies have poor prenatal diagnoses
  • Abortion and medical rationing in the era of the Affordable Care Act
  • The push for doctor-prescribed suicide
  • Encouraging signs for the pro-life cause
  • What you can do to help restore the culture of life in Pennsylvania

Since each event is one-and-a-half to two hours long, we keep our talks brief and focus on the most important aspects of each topic. When people want more details, we provide them during Q&A.

Special thanks to all those who hosted this year’s pro-life town halls. Check out a slideshow of photos from all these events here.

If you or a group would like to host a pro-life town hall in your community in 2016, contact the Federation at lifelines@paprolife.org or 717-541-0034.

Come Listen, Learn and Connect at Pro-Life Town Hall Meetings

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2015ProLifeTownHall

This April will be my third time traveling across the state for our annual Pro-Life Town Hall Tour.

Micaiah1

Micaiah Bilger

The tour is one of the ways we bring the latest pro-life information to people all across the state. We’re planning to share up-to-date news on a variety of topics, including abortion trends in Pennsylvania, dealing with a poor prenatal diagnosis, the push for assisted suicide, the Affordable Care Act, Q&A and more.

I love the tour because we offer a pro-life perspective that people can’t get anywhere else. But most of all, I love having the opportunity to connect with people all across the state.

I love when a grandmother comes to me after a meeting and shares a picture of her grandson who was almost aborted. I love when a teenager eagerly asks me what she can do to help moms and babies. I love listening to the decades-long pro-lifers, because their stories encourage me to keep going strong. And I love talking with the people who aren’t sure where they stand on the life issues and are looking for answers.

Our Pro-Life Town Hall meetings are an opportunity to learn, ask questions, and connect with the people around us.

I hope you’ll join us in Ebensburg, Uniontown, Pittsburgh, Titusville, Erie, State College, Scranton, Nesquehoning, Easton, Philadelphia, Lancaster or Grove City. Click here for details.

And please take a moment to say, “Hello.” I’d love to connect with you.

Why Support Made All the Difference to My Mom, and to Pregnant Women Everywhere

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By Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director

She was an only child, and both her parents had already passed from this life. Her husband was unemployed and she was struggling to take care of her year-and-a-half-old daughter. A number of her husband’s relatives expressed disdain when they learned she was pregnant.

http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photo-newborn-baby-meeting-parents-looking-over-their-look-surprise-face-image34534465But then there was her mother-in-law — an immigrant with limited ability to speak English. However, she made her feelings intensely clear. Upon learning of my mother’s unexpected pregnancy, she took out a bottle of wine, raised a glass, and in her heavy Italian accent said, “Anne, I salute you.”

She was the one person who supported my mother’s pregnancy — a pregnancy which resulted in a premature five-pound baby girl — the girl who became the sister I so loved.

While at times she might have felt very much on her own, my mother was not alone. Her mother-in-law, father-in-law, foster-mother, and husband all helped in the child care responsibilities — enthusiastically so. She had a solid support network, despite some naysayers. And she proved herself highly capable of the task of raising two little girls.

According to researcher Dr. David Reardon, of those women who experience difficulties after their abortions, more than 80 percent report they would have brought their babies into the world if the circumstances had been better or if loved ones had shown support.

That means the vast majority of women who regret their abortions were craving help and understanding from those closest to them, but did not receive the assistance they longed for.

The pro-life movement is essentially a pro-support movement. I have known so many parents who have selflessly come to their daughters’ aid when they were facing unexpected pregnancies. I also know many women who have benefited from the pregnancy support centers which offer not only counseling but material assistance to pregnant women (For the nearest pregnancy center in Pennsylvania, call 1-888-Life-Aid or click here).

The importance of these gestures of love cannot be underestimated. For they can provide the bridge to a better future for these women and children. In fact, the outstretched hand can rescue a woman from the brink of despair, and save a child from death at the hands of an abortionist.

Or, raised in a toast, it can simply give a woman the courage to go on and fight for her child.

Our Littlest Comedians: Babies Understand Humor at 9 Months

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By Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director

Is that a future Ben Stiller sitting in that high chair near you? Is a would-be Tina Fey in that crib at your daughter’s house?

CuteNewbornBabyNew research suggests that those little cutie pies may just be comedic geniuses. A recent NBC News report stated that babies as young as nine months may understand humor. In fact, scientists now believe that humor is an important part of a baby’s cognitive development.

The report made me think about the key role humor plays in life. As the daughter of a man who tried his hand at stand-up comedy when he was young, jokes were second nature in my family. And I remember as a youngster that my greatest joy came from making my little sister laugh.

As it turns out, research now confirms that babies and laughter are inseparable. Since laughter is an expression of joy, it can be said that babies and joy are deeply connected as well.

Babies teach us so many serious-minded things: responsibility, legacy, accountability. But now science has proven that babies also teach adults how to laugh.

With every abortion, a life is ended and laughter is silenced. It kills joy and, therefore, a little piece of ourselves dies with each abortion. Roe v. Wade has made our country a sadder place, a place less hospitable to life and laughter. Our profound national tragedy has given rise to an ocean of tears. It is only in reverencing the child and her laughter that true joy can be restored.

What Millennials Mean for the Pro-Life Movement

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Young pro-lifers are changing the face of our movement.

Millennial adults, those ages 18 to 29, are coming to the pro-life movement from all walks of life. A 2013 Public NRLA2013HannahVictorReligion Research Institute study found that young pro-lifers are even more ethnically and religiously diverse than older pro-lifers. About 30 percent of young pro-lifers identify as black or Hispanic, and 15 percent say they are not religiously affiliated.

Evidence indicates that young adults also are enthusiastic and active in the cause. Many Millennials are calling themselves the Pro-Life Generation.

Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, wrote in the fall 2014 issue of Human Life Review: “(We) currently work with 838 active student pro-life groups across the country. At the time of publication, the nation’s two most notable pro-choice activist groups combined report fewer than half the number of active groups as Students for Life.”

What do these things mean for the pro-life movement?

First, we should find renewed strength in the fact that our cause unites people from all backgrounds. Pro-lifers may disagree on politics and religion and we may come from different cultures, but we are putting aside our differences and working together to end the slaughter of innocent preborn babies. Our unity is further evidence that our cause is true and just.

Second, we need to be welcoming. Sometimes, pro-lifers are guilty of stereotyping ourselves, assuming that other pro-lifers are white, conservative and Christian. We must be careful not to assume. When we gather outside of an abortion center or march in Washington, D.C., we need to be aware that not all pro-lifers pray the way we do – or pray at all. It doesn’t mean that we should water down our message or stop praying, but we should be considering new ways to work together as an increasingly diverse movement.

Third, we need to encourage more young people to get involved. When young adults realize the truth about abortion, they become a powerful force for life. Whether through pro-life clubs in schools, at the March for Life in Washington, D.C., or in the voting booth, Millennials are taking action to end the massive tragedy of abortion.

Yet, many young people are not well-informed about the right to life issues. We can inspire young people by inviting them to join us at a pro-life event, encouraging them to volunteer (Millennials are very service oriented), sharing a pro-life article with them on social media, or visiting our website for more ideas.

And remember, no matter what your age, you can be a voice for life!

Big Crowd Gathers for Inspiring Pro-Life Evening in Harrisburg

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Today is one of those rare days when I’m feeling exhausted and energized, inspired and tired. Last night was our 2014 Celebrate Life Banquet in Harrisburg, which drew 600 people from all across the state. IMG_1652

The evening was truly inspiring, and I’m not just saying that. I felt so encouraged to see pro-lifers from all across the state and all walks of life who gathered together in unity for our great cause – to protect and defend every human life from conception to natural death.

It takes a lot of work here in our office to put together our annual banquet. And though I’m still physically tired from the event, I’m also feeling energized by the enthusiasm and dedication of so many fellow pro-lifers.

Read local news coverage of the banquet here. And check back in later to read about our keynote speaker the Most Rev. Ronald Gainer, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg, and his challenge to pro-lifers about how we can change our culture for life.

Cartoons, Cupcakes and Chalk: Six Pro-Life Ideas for Youth

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October is Respect Life Month. What better time to get your youth group, Sunday school class, or children/grandchildren involved in speaking out for the right to life?

Here are six pro-life activities for young people this fall:

National Pro-Life Chalk Day on Thursday, October 2 – Grab a bucket of chalk, chalk2gather a group of friends, and head to a sidewalk near you. Use big letters and bold colors to write pro-life messages such as “Choose Life!” or “Heartbeat begins at just 21 days.” Click here for ideas and tips.

Wear your support for babies in the womb — Organize a group of people to wear pro-life themed T-shirt on a specific day or week, and encourage them to start conversations with their friends about why there’s always a reason to choose life.

Pro-Life Cupcake Day on Thursday, October 9 – Bake and decorate a big batch of cupcakes, and share them with people at work or school. The idea is to start conversatiCupcakeons with people about how every baby deserves a right to life – and a birthday!

Use your voice for life – Encourage students to enter our Pro-Life Oratory Contest. We have exciting changes this year. We’ve started a Novice Division for 9th and 10th grade students in addition to the Oratory Contest for 11th and 12th graders. And now, all students will be asked to record their speeches and submit the videos to us for judging. Students have the chance to win cash or a trip to New Orleans. Click here for details.

Use the power of the pen – Share our Pro-Life Essay Contest with junior and senior high school students. Winners will receive cash prizes, and the top two essays will be published in our state-wide newspaper, LifeLines. Click here for details.

Get to know Umbert the Unborn – Introduce younger children to the pro-life comic strip, Umbert the Unborn. Umbert is a preborn baby boy who goes on adventures in the womb. Visit creator Gary Cangemi’s website to find games, coloring pages, and other activities.