Helping to save lives and make an impact on your campus sometimes doesn’t take much effort at all. In fact, it can be so simple, fun and easy yet have a profound impact on someone else’s life.
Take Lauren Goodale, the president of Promoting the Gift of Life at the University of Wisconsin Platteville, for example. Her club started two years ago and just this year they instituted the Pregnant on Campus Initiative, which seeks to be advocates for pregnant and parenting students. One easy thing they did to show their support was something all of us pro-lifers do all the time: sidewalk chalking.
Yesterday Lauren sent me a message that described an encounter she had with a young woman on campus and her 15 month-old boy. This woman found herself in an unplanned pregnancy nearly two years ago (when the club started) and was scared. This is how Lauren described what unfolded:
“[The woman] was scared and facing a lot of uncertainty, but she saw our chalk on the sidewalks and said she felt so encouraged, supported, and confident to carry on! I haven’t had anything like that happen before!”
Lauren isn’t the only one who has experienced joy in knowing their group made a difference in someone’s life.
Alec Weber, the president of Jacks for Life at South Dakota State University joined the Pregnant on Campus Initiative this year and recently called me excitedly to share some exciting news. He had been informed that a woman on his campus chose life after seeing the sidewalk chalk Jacks for Life did on campus promoting the two local Pregnancy Resource Centers near SDSU. This young woman went to the Birthright on campus and found the support she had been looking for.
It’s the end of the school year now, and by this time, many students are burned out by the hustle and bustle of running a club, being a student, having jobs and maybe even having a social life. Students— don’t be discouraged and take heart! This movement is making a huge difference on our college campuses. You are making a huge difference on college campuses. It may take a couple years to see the difference being made (like in Lauren’s case) or you may know almost immediately. The small things we do can make a huge difference.
If you’re a student looking for ways to make a huge difference on your campus next year, consider the following:
- Contact your Regional Coordinator. Wherever you are, we have someone who wants to support you in your mission of creating a revolution on campus. Students for Life of America’s Regional Coordinators are dedicated to equipping and empowering you through training and providing resources for you and your club. Email [email protected] to determine who your Regional Coordinator is.
- Joining our Pregnant on Campus Initiative. By joining this nation-wide initiative, you can learn practical and fun ways to support pregnant and parenting women at your school and in your community. If you have questions, be sure to contact Beth Rahal, our Pregnant on Campus Coordinator. To learn more, see our “Get Involved” page.
- Start planning your year! I know the end is in sight, but don’t let this summer go to waste. By planning your year before the school year even begins, your group will spend less time during the year focusing on what to do, and can spend more time focusing on how you’re going to do it. Be sure to ask your Regional Coordinator for a Plan Your Year Guide (or download it here) and training—they’ll help you schedule dates to do some sidewalk chalking too!
This post was contributed by Angela Erickson, SFLA Northern Regional Coordinator.
