Success Stories
St. Louis University (SLU) Students for Life, campus life-savers
After regaining momentum in the 2006-2007 school year, Students for Life at SLU had another extremely active year in 2007-2008. The year began with a positive Respect Life Week, including a featured speaker from Feminists for Life. Uniting with other pro-lifers, SFL organized a trip to the March for Life for over 80 students. During the first semester, the organization grew from 10-15 members to 50+ active members.
In the spring semester of 2008, the 2nd annual Run for Their Lives 5k run/walk raised $2,700. Over 150 people attended the on-campus run/walk. Also, SFL collaborated with multiple university departments to publish “It’s Positive. Now What?” which is the first and only printed resource for pregnant students on campus. To help women who choose life, SFL organized a baby shower for 15 mothers at Our Lady’s Inn, a crisis pregnancy center in St. Louis.
However, the highlight of the 2007-2008 school year was the creation of the Pregnant and Parenting Assistance Scholarship. SLU Students for Life believes that no student should have to choose between having an education and having a child. This scholarship is the first step in bringing financial resources to expecting women and men on campus, whether they are students, faculty, or staff. During the course of the year, SLU Students for Life were able to raise $6000 for the scholarship endowment fund.
Mary Washington Students for Life, campus life-savers
Mary Washington SFL was founded by Megan McCrumb in the 2004-05 school year. Their mission is to provide an educational forum for students and faculty, regarding the issue of abortion and to provide an opportunity for activism in the pro-life movement. Their main events in the 2007-08 school year were participating in the 2nd Annual Wash for Life, taking group members to see the Bella opening, attending the 2008 March for Life and Students for Life of America conference, organizing a Rock for Life concert on campus, making club t-shirts as seen in the picture, and holding diaper drives at local churches and stores collecting over 3100 individual diapers, 80 boxes of diaper wipes, 40 baby bibs, as well as baby clothes, baby powder, lotion, and shampoo, diaper bags, baby blankets, maternity clothes, baby hats, pacifiers, etc. for the local pregnancy resource centers in Fredericksburg, VA. Their group meets weekly and has had guest speakers this year from 40 Days for Life, Rachel’s Vineyard, the Vitae Caring Foundation, and Bethany Christian Services to help educate their members and peers. Mary Washington SFL is an example of what one motivated campus SFL group can accomplish in only 1 year!
Joanie Barrett, life-saver.
Joanie is a student at Wayne State in Detroit. As a sophomore, she helped start Students for Life at her school and began volunteering at a local crisis pregnancy center with some friends. She answered the phone at the clinic one day to hear a young woman ask, “How much is it for an abortion?” She called thinking that the pro-life pregnancy center was an abortion clinic. Joanie talked with her and helped her figure out her due date and stage of pregnancy, she was about two months along.
She told Joanie about her boyfriend, her mother, and her friends all pressuring her to have an abortion. But that wasn’t what she wanted. After hours of crying, talking, thinking and praying she finally decided to keep her baby. Months later, Joanie visited the two of them in the hospital when her son was born. That experience redefined her commitment to the pro-life cause. There is a baby alive today who almost didn’t make it. But she knew that it wasn’t just his life that was saved. So many women who have abortions experience terrible grief and immerse themselves in a lifestyle of promiscuity, drugs, and alcohol. And more abortions. But she chose life and is so glad she did. She is a great mom and is committed to providing the best she can for her son.
Erin Raiche, double life-saver.
Erin is SFLA’s Field Coordinator and also a double life-saver. When working as an intern in the SFLA office in the summer of 2007, Erin saved 2 unborn children in 1 week! Erin saved one child by sidewalk counseling at a local Planned Parenthood and another by using Facebook.
© Students for Life of America 2008