Every so often, as I’m going about my day, an old chant will come unbidden into my mind. As the kids says, this lives rent-free in my head: “Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho! Roe v. Wade has got to go!” As a young adult, especially during my college years, I spent many hours chanting this—outside of the Supreme Court, during various Marches for Life, on my college campus. As a mother to three young boys, it’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to chant at a rally or sleep on the steps of the Supreme Court, but three years ago, when I heard that the Supreme Court had overturned Roe v. Wade in the Dobbs decision, I will admit that my first thought was “What will we chant now?!?” Roe v. Wade had gone! It was a triumph for women and children and those who care about them. I still sometimes can’t believe it. 

Unfortunately, the demise of the unconstitutional Roe v. Wade decision did not herald the complete end of the horrors of abortion. Dobbs simply returned the ability to allow, regulate, or ban abortion to the states. Therefore, there is still much work to be done! The following list is far from exhaustive, but I hope it may inspire you to take action in your communities to the benefit of mothers and babies, even those are scared, unwanted, or hostile to you. Your efforts will be in my prayers as we work to make abortion unthinkable and restore the dignity of all life. 

A baby shower benefiting your local pregnancy resource center (PRC)

This can be done at any time of year, but it is particularly poignant to host a baby shower during Advent, in honor of Our Lady, and collect donations for a local pregnancy resource center. Many PRCs have wish lists (some even on Amazon!) that may make gift-buying easier for guests, or you could make one with some universally needed baby items (diaper, wipes, onesies, pacifiers, bibs, car seats, strollers, postpartum supplies for mothers, etc) to give to those you invite. On the day of the shower, you could pray the Rosary, decorate onesies, or play trivia games about Our Lady (our favorite is listing as many titles of Mary as you can think in one minute!). Make sure you check donation hours at the PRC before you deliver the gifts, as some can only accept donations during certain hours. 

Bring a meal to a new mom

This can be as simple as bringing dinner to a friend who just had a baby! Everyone needs to eat, especially a postpartum mother. If you find yourself with extra time and a heart for these mothers, you could organize a ministry at your parish that sets up meal trains for all the mothers in the parish when they have a baby. Additionally, you could contact the PRC and ask if they would be open to you creating meal trains for the moms they work with, if a mom is interested. Some of the moms who visit a PRC may have a local support system, but many don’t. Bringing a meal to a mom who may be unsure of how she will manage her new life is a beautiful way to support the moms in your area who may be most in need. 

Attend a prayer vigil at abortion clinic 

If you live in an area that has a nearby abortion clinic (Planned Parenthood or otherwise), you may be able to go pray outside. You don’t need to be a sidewalk counselor or speak to anyone to pray quietly for mothers to change their hearts. Many mothers will choose to forego their appointments if they see someone standing outside the clinic (read more about that here: https://www.ncregister.com/blog/prayer-outside-abortion-clinics-is-powerful-says-former-pp-employee). Whether you go with a group or pray alone, your presence will be powerful!

Educate yourself and stay up to date

Following local and state politics can be an effective way to support pro-life policies. Once you’ve heard about a proposed law or amendment that affects the unborn, you can call or email (or both!) your local representative to encourage them to work for life! The more constituents that contact their representatives, the more effective the pro-life movement will be in our government. 

In addition to politics, try to educate yourself on what abortion really is and how it is performed (if you can stomach it), which can be especially useful if it comes up in conversation with others. You can also find organizations that will give trainings in subjects such as prolife apologetics and sidewalk counseling, if you want to go deeper!

Write to prisoners

This may, thankfully, be a bit outdated at the moment, as President Trump has pardoned the most recent influx of pro-life prisoners. However, were this to happen again, writing to these brave men and women who were imprisoned for the cause of life would be a powerful way to encourage and, perhaps, strengthen those who are on the front lines of this battle. 

Create or join a parish pro-life apostolate

Recently, a few women at my parish created our parish’s pro-life apostolate. They host diaper drives after weekend Masses a few times a year, are the driving force behind showing up to pray outside our local Planned Parenthood each week, and keep those of us on their email list up to date about state and local issues, policies, and opportunities relating to the pro-life cause. Additionally, they occasionally host pro-life speakers to help educate and inspire our parish community. 

March for Life

If you live near DC, attending the annual March for Life is an impactful way (more so than legacy media would have you believe!) to show our government and nation how many people support the right to life for the unborn. If you are unable to travel to DC, many states and even towns host their own Marches. These may be even more important to show up for as they are drawing from a much smaller pool of possible attendees. 

Free babysitting

If your local Pregnancy Resource Center is open to it, you could offer free babysitting services to the moms who have used the PRC’s services. Since these moms tend to be those who are more in need of support, this is an excellent way to show that pro-lifers are not simply “pro-birth,” but will support women and children far past birth. 

Baby shower

While you’re thinking of the PRC, why not ask them if they know of any moms who might be in need of a baby shower? Baby items are expensive and can add up quickly. If you know of a few people who would be willing to buy gifts for and celebrate a stranger’s choice to give their child life, you could host a simple and beautiful shower for a new mom. 

Students for Life of America

If you are in college (or know a college student), Students for Life offers help running campus pro-life clubs, hosting speakers, and organizing impactful displays on campus. In addition, they offer many trainings to equip students to debate the issue of abortion.

Create a memorial for the aborted

If your parish doesn’t have one, you could spearhead an effort to install a memorial for the unborn on the parish grounds. This will give a solidity to the lives that have been lost but never seen and a place to grieve, for those who need to. 

Pray!

Most importantly, pray fervently and frequently for the end to abortion in our nation and globally. Pray for the women who have been harmed by this savage practice (even if they don’t realize it). Pray for hearts to change and become open to the gift and beauty of each life. Pray for the lawmakers who have the power to change the legality and access to abortion. Pray for the providers who do the unthinkable each day and for those who work with them. 

Be assured of many prayers as you continue to work to dignify all life!