Being pro-life should look like something.
If being pro-life is something you rarely share for fear of being labeled, hated and ridiculed, I can relate. But as a new year begins, I’m setting a challenge to make my pro-life belief more tangible. As often as the label “anti-abortion” gets thrown around, we know the pro-life movement is much bigger than that.
This year, instead of just believing or asserting that human life is valuable and sacred, I’m going to act on those beliefs. Will you join me?
To get started, here are 20 actionable ways we can be pro-life in 2020.
#1 Attend the March for Life
On Friday, January 24, 2020 thousands will gather in our nation’s capital to physically stand for the preborn. It’s not too late to join the march. Or you can watch it streamed live on Facebook.
#2 Share Directions to a Local Pregnancy Resource Center (PRC)
You never know who you’re connected with online who might need this resource but doesn’t know it exists. Find a local PRC and simply share its location on social media.
#3 Volunteer at Your Local PRC
Each Pregnancy Resource Center has different needs. Give your local PRC a call, introduce yourself and ask how you can volunteer your time to support their mission.
#4 Sign up to Mentor or Support an Expecting Mom
If choosing life seems overwhelming for a mom-to-be, it’s our pro-life duty to step in and help provide the resources she needs before and after the birth or her child. There are initiatives meant to encourage expectant mothers through education assistance, childcare, mentorship and more.
#5 Donate to a Foster Care or Adoption Agency
Many local agencies provide scholarships to ease the financial burden of families getting licensed for foster care and adoption. They rely on generous community members to donate time, money or resources to support these families during the process.
#6 Directly Assist a Foster or Adoptive Family
There are over 300,000 churches in the U.S. and around 400,000 children in foster care. If each church could provide one forever home for 1-2 kids, we could end this crisis in 2020. Maybe you can’t be the family who fosters or adopts but: Can you support that family?
Depending on the size of each church that family could be supported by dozens, hundreds or thousands of people who can offer to prepare meals, clean the house or plan activities. With that much support, the prospect of fostering or adopting sounds a whole lot more doable.
#7 Be Informed
See how many children are waiting for forever families in your state. It’s eye-opening to bring those national numbers to your area.
#8 Register for a Wait No More Event
Focus on the Family operates this program to educate and empower families to get involved in the foster care and adoption process. These events aren’t only about getting signed up for foster care or adoption, although they can be. These community events are a safe place to bring your questions and learn how you can support these vulnerable kids and their families.
#9 Become Licensed Respite, Foster Care, or Adoptive Parents
If you’ve considered this before, 2020 is the year to take the next step. The foster care system is often overloaded and desperate for more families to step in and help. Find a local licensing agency and get started.
#10 Learn About Suicide Prevention
All of us can play an active role in preventing suicide. Websites like Focus’ Alive to Thrive have great resources to provide direct help to those in need and also equip those who want to be part of the solution.
#11 Share a Suicide Prevention Message
Share the number for a suicide prevention hotline (1-800-273-8255) or simply call or a text a friend to remind them you’re always available to talk.
#12 Donate Used Items to a Pro-Life Organization
When spring cleaning rolls around, take your gently used items somewhere that promotes life. These decisions might seem small, but to an organization literately fighting for lives it makes a huge difference.
#13 Share your Opinion Publicly
If you’re like me, you don’t share your opinion online about controversial issues (I guess this article changes things for me). But maybe this is the year you like the I Am Pro-Life Facebook page and share some content. Seeing pro-life material in the news feed reminds us we’re not alone in our beliefs.
#14 Write to Your Representatives
Foster care. Adoption. Abortion. Suicide. There are many topics that relate to life. Take the time to write or email your local, state or national representatives about these issues. This will be a momentous year for some of these issues legislatively – be part of the process.
#15 Contribute to a Pro-Life Organization
There are thousands of groups across the country. Here are just a few:
- Focus on the Family (full disclosure – Daily Citizen is a branch of Focus)
- March for Life
- National Right to Life
#16 Pray, Fast, Intercede
Even if you’re not a believer, consider spending time with God about this issue. Pray for his will to be done and his victory to be won. Pray that the pro-life movement would be filled with grace and love so that more people would acknowledge our father in heaven. Billions of prayers are being said every year to figuratively move the abortion mountain; join in.
#17 Support Those with Differing Abilities
American culture seems to be becoming more comfortable with the idea of abortion when the fear or likelihood of the child being born with a disability is present. Life is life no matter what abilities someone possesses. Find an organization or a family who is supporting someone with differing abilities and lend a hand.
#18 Help a Family Who has a Child in the NICU
Having a newborn in the NICU is a taxing and difficult season. Families can quickly become exhausted physically and emotionally when someone they love is fighting for life. Ease the burden by providing meals, offering transportation, or helping around the house while the family is in the hospital.
#19 Vote for Pro-Life Politicians
When a local petition surfaces to support the preborn, sign it. When election season rolls around vote for the politicians who advocate for life. 2020 will provide myriad opportunities to support pro-life legislation, so be ready to take part in it.
#20 Attend ALIVE 2020
If you aren’t able to make the March for Life, or you’re ready for the next nationwide pro-life event, get registered for Alive 2020.
On May 9, 2020 the event will be simulcast from five different cities. It will include musical performances, celebrity spokespeople, and a community of pro-life supporters witnessing a live 4-D ultrasound showing the miracle of life in the womb. If you’ve never witnessed an ultrasound firsthand, this is the perfect time to do so. You’ll be amazed.
Let’s Make 2020 Count
It boils down to this: there are endless ways you can make your pro-life belief more than a political or religious opinion.
Whether you’re passionate about helping people who are struggling financially, people of various abilities, the elderly, children in the foster care system, or children who are still growing and developing in the womb, this is my charge to you: make your pro-life stance actionable in 2020.
If you have more suggestions, leave a comment on our Facebook page. The conversation of life is broad and there really are infinite ways to take action, so share your ideas with us.
