It’s National Volunteer Month! (Part 1)
It’s National Volunteer Month! Throughout the month of April, we’ll be highlighting some of our great volunteers from around the state, and sharing how you can connect with the pro-life grassroots network in your community.
This week, we’re featuring 3 volunteers who give their time and talents to their local chapter or Life on Campus group – Becky from Clintonville, Steve from Eau Claire, and Riley from Milwaukee.
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Becky W.
CSALT (Clintonville Saving All Life Together)
“After the passing of the New York Reproductive Health Act on January 22, 2019, I knew the time had come for me to do something tangible in the pro-life movement. I started up our chapter – CSALT (Clintonville Saving All Life Together) – and I’ve been the Treasurer ever since.”
Growing up with a Lutheran pastor for a father, Becky has always been pro-life. But now that she is a mother of 5, the thought of aborting your own children has become even more unfathomable to her. Using her limited free time to spread the pro-life message, Becky is motivated by the other members in the CSALT chapter, who work together to plan community events, pregnancy center support, and outreach initiatives. When the Coronavirus pandemic halted their in-person chapter meetings and events for a time, the CSALT chapter pivoted to online fundraisers – like their Facebook Silent Auction in January – or virtual outreach programs – like their ongoing “Snapshot of Life” Photo Contest.
“WRTL is a fantastic organization with which to volunteer because it is well-organized and far-reaching. You can be as involved as you like – anything from simply sharing a Facebook post, to attending an event, to going to your chapter’s meetings, to becoming a chapter leader – it all helps! You can make a difference at any activity level you choose.”
Want more information about CSALT? Check out their Facebook page or send them an email at csaltwrtl@gmail.com.
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Steve W.
Eau Claire County Chapter
Before joining Eau Claire Right to Life in 2006, Steve managed a group home for the developmentally disabled, and after that was the primary caretaker for his mother who had Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. While he always thought of himself as pro-life, these experiences caring for vulnerable members of society prompted Steve to become a member of Eau Claire Right to Life. He eventually became the President of the chapter, and has been serving faithfully in that role since 2013.
Active in his church and community, Steve serves on the Sacred Heart Hospital Volunteer Council and sings in his church choir. He’s always been very interested in political matters, and used to think that the most important issues were, for example, the economy, or the size of government, or foreign policy. He says, “I’ve always been interested in political issues, but right now my main issue is being pro-life. Those other things are important, but the pro-life issue is the main issue. As I’ve grown in my faith as well, that’s been another reason why it’s been a priority for me.”
Eau Claire Right to Life hosts a Rally for Life each January, bringing in special speakers that encourage the crowd to live out their pro-life values in their community. The chapter also engages with the public at their Northern Wisconsin State Fair booth and October Life Chain event. With their funds, Eau Claire Right to Life regularly supports their local pregnancy resource center, and sponsors teens and college students from the nearby UW-Eau Claire Students for Life Group to the March for Life in Washington, D.C, Wisconsin Right to Life’s Teen Impact Camp, and other pro-life learning opportunities.
“We’ve always been a very active chapter,” says Steve, “but we can always use more volunteers!”
Want more information about Eau Claire Right to Life? Sign up for their e-newsletters (and read recent ones) at https://us11.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=446c91eccb06814e94b359737&id=cacdc0e493 or send them an email at eccrtl@gmail.com.
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Rylie G.
MSOE Students for Life
Pro-life activism runs in Rylie’s blood. From a young age, she remembers helping her older sister with her Wisconsin Right to Life campus group, which eventually sparked her interest in the pro-life movement. When she made it to college herself, Rylie started her own pro-life group – MSOE Right to Life – and has been President for the last 2 years.
As a Life on Campus leader, Rylie says, “I seek out pro-life opportunities close to my school, such as volunteering at women’s care centers, life chains, and sidewalk counseling. Additionally, I do a lot of virtual speaker events now with COVID regulations in place. I also seek out on-campus events, such as sidewalk chalking, fundraisers, and displays (like Cemetery of the Innocents).” Recently, MSOE Right to Life has spent time volunteering at Women’s Care Center, sending Valentine’s Day cards to local nursing home residents, and hosting virtual discussions with pro-life leaders from Let Them Live.
Rylie’s motivation to reach out to her fellow students with the pro-life message comes from her deeply held belief that “every human life is created in the image of God, and as such, each has an inherent value and sanctity that cannot be erased by situation or society.” While she enjoys the campus events that bring her group closer together, her main goals are educating MSOE students who may be on the fence about pro-life issues like abortion and euthanasia, and inspiring others to be courageous as they share the truth about life. “There are highs and lows because being pro-life is controversial today. However, keep your eyes on the goal: preserving human life by educating and inspiring others to share the pro-life message.”
Want more information about MSOE Right to Life? Check out their Facebook page.
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Interested in joining Wisconsin Right to Life’s Better Together Volunteer Corps? Please fill out the Volunteer Interest Form, or register to attend the Better Together Volunteer Training Luncheon on Saturday, June 12th!
