MOOSE JAW — Moose Jaw Right to Life is celebrating its 50th anniversary — or Golden Jubilee — this year, which has prompted some board members to begin searching for new leaders to guide the group.
The organization came to life in the mid-1970s in the home of Eleanor and Louis Dombowski, Jean Landry, MJRTL president, said during the recent annual banquet.
The couple would likely be pleased to see that their legacy and dedication to protecting and preserving life lives on through the group and the more than 140 people who attended the banquet, she continued. She also commended the Dombowskis’ children and grandchildren for promoting the couple’s values and protecting life from natural birth to natural death.
“Our fight for the lives of the unborn and now, too, the lives of the elderly and disabled, is greater than ever,” said Landry.
She pointed out that abortion abandons the mother in her crisis and destroys new life, while assisted suicide — or medical assistance in dying (MAID) — leads to the abandonment of the frail, vulnerable and suffering.
More than four million Canadian babies have been aborted since 1969, when it became legal, which is equivalent to the population of Alberta, the pro-life board president continued. Furthermore, more than 60,000 people have chosen assisted suicide since it became legal in 2016.
Some MJRTL board members were privileged recently to listen to a young woman named Amanda Achtman, with the group Dying to Meet You, speak about her work fighting euthanasia and bringing hope to people, Landry said.
“She travels the world bringing hope where there is euthanasia,” the pro-life president remarked, noting that Achtman has videos and stories at dyingtomeetyou.com of people and families who have suffered because someone they loved chose assisted suicide.
“So with our prayers and action, let us continue to do our part to work toward a culture of life, without losing faith that God is in charge when the future looks dismal,” Landry added.
Landry thanked the community for supporting the organization, saying members are overwhelmed with the generosity residents show when donating items. It’s not just baby clothes that people give, but other high-quality items — like cribs and strollers — that could be sold privately but are instead donated to the pro-life group.
“The joy on the faces of recipients makes this mission so gratifying,” she continued.
Moose Jaw Right to Life was recently able to provide extra help to two new mothers and journey with them during the first few months of their babies’ lives. A week before the banquet, one mother sent the organization photos of her baby and an update about how well both are doing.
“So this always has been our hope to journey with a mother and provide her with supports necessary at this time,” Landry remarked, before encouraging banquet attendees to send new mothers to the pro-life group for assistance.
Meanwhile, Landry has been board president of Moose Jaw Right to Life for almost 14 years, while other board members have been with the group for several decades more. While many wonderful volunteers offer help, she said that some board members recognize that new people must take on the executive leadership to keep the group going for another 50 years.
“We do need people with vision, new ideas (and) new energy,” Landry continued, adding that new members can step forward during the annual general meeting on Tuesday, April 29, at 7 p.m. at the centre at First Baptist Church.
Visit Moose Jaw Right to Life’s Facebook page for more details, including about its upcoming garage sale on May 2 and 3 at Church of Our Lady community centre.
