Maddie, a teacher and Sidewalk Advocate in Indiana, is passionate about teaching her young students about defending life at every stage. During her school’s Sanctity of Life unit, she shares about fetal development, the reality of abortion, and the importance of sidewalk advocacy in her community. Maddie shared:
“Teaching has always been a calling and a passion for me … and pro-life ministry has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, but sidewalk advocacy is perhaps the heart of the work for me.”
Maddie’s inspiration on the sidewalk is simple: “When we live in a society where such an extraordinary injustice is occurring, we simply can’t sit back and watch it happen. … My heart goes out to women who are broken and at their most vulnerable. I get to be Christ’s hands and feet – that is something worth such a powerful fight.”
In addition to sharing the impact of sidewalk advocacy with her own class, Maddie loves volunteering her time and presenting her testimonial at schools throughout Northwest Indiana, to students ranging from sixth grade through college. Sharing pro-life apologetics and her experience on the sidewalk is the perfect combination of two incredibly worthwhile goals, and her experience has been nothing but positive. “Teenagers and young adults have so many questions and are willing to really think through things to form their belief systems, so it really is the perfect age to introduce them to what we believe as a pro-life community and why we believe it,” Maddie explains. She finds that students are very open to the truth and are struck by the reality of the topic. “I don’t think I’ve ever walked away from a classroom presentation on this subject and been disappointed!”
Beyond providing critical information, Maddie also hopes to encourage her students to get involved. “There are so many different ways to be involved, and sidewalk advocacy is a perfect way for even our younger generation. It can be intimidating at first, but when you realize the job we have of loving these women and reaching out to them in their hardest moments, our attitude starts to change.” She reminds her students that,
“You are never too young to share God’s love and compassion with those around you. This work is not only meaningful – it is essential. We are lifting up and saving lives.”
Melanie, the co-Program Leader in South Bend/Mishawaka, also recognizes the importance of educating the younger generation about the pro-life movement – specifically the loving impact of sidewalk advocacy on abortion-vulnerable mothers. “It’s such a powerful witness when a teacher not only teaches pro-life values in her classroom, but LIVES them for her students,” says Melanie. “These kids will grow up thinking of sidewalk advocacy as a normal and noble activity when their teacher regularly volunteers and shares her experiences in class.”
Submitted by Sidewalk Advocates for Life – South Bend, IN