The Moose Jaw Right to Life office and its pro-life displays have been a fixture on Main Street for nearly three decades, but space issues have forced the organization to relocate.
Started by Eleanor Dombowsky in 1974, the Moose Jaw Right to Life (MJRTL) office was in its founder’s home for years before it moved to a second-floor office adjacent to the Sweet Spot golf shop on Main Street. It then relocated to 107 Main Street North — just south of Houston Pizza — in 1995 and has been there for the past 26 years.
“(It’s) the end of an era in that particular spot … ,” said Jean Landry, MJRTL president. “And it was a wonderful place with a big window, and we were able to do a lot of education through what we had in the window.”
The MJRTL office is moving to a basement location at 1010 Main Street North, where First Baptist Church is located. This new spot will give the organization more space to hold clothing for babies and children and giveaways.
Landry pointed out that a bus stop is outside the church, which will make the pro-life office easily accessible for anyone who needs its services.
“We were fortunate to find this location,” she said, adding the new spot should be open by April.
Besides space issues, the organization also decided to move because its operational costs and rent were consuming most of its finances, Landry continued. The organization thought it would be a wiser use of supporters’ donations to support mothers and their babies than to pay for overhead costs.
Furthermore, MJRTL no longer uses its 107 Main Street location as an office since most office-related functions now happen at executive members’ homes. The space originally served that function back in 1995, but gradually changed from an educational arm to a service arm helping mothers and babies.
“I’d say we’re more (a service arm) than an educational arm simply because we’ve had so much success with that area,” Landry said. “The community is amazing in giving us baby clothes, donations, furniture, strollers, that kind of thing.”
Social media has also helped the organization acquire needed supplies during the past few years, which has been greatly appreciated, she added.
Landry admitted that she was somewhat worried about the presence of Moose Jaw Right to Life declining with the move, especially since it was in a building with a big window on Main Street. However, the group has used Facebook during the pandemic to stay connected, while women and families have made appointments through that medium.
“The foot traffic, we will miss that part. It was a perfect location,” she said.
The pro-life group has been doing well since the pandemic began and has been thankful for its supporters, Landry continued. MJRTL received donations when it least expected it, and while it had no fundraisers, a letter she sent out generated a good response.
“And my gosh, through the grace of God and the generosity of people, we were blessed,” she said.
Anyone who needs support from Moose Jaw Right to Life can call 306-694-4111 or make an appointment through Facebook.
The group also has a web page, but Landry noted it needs to be updated. She hoped that a young person passionate about pro-life issues and technology would join the group to enhance its online presence.
