COMMUNITY
tvc.dsj.org | February 20, 2018
5
A First-Timer at the West Coast Walk for Life
By Laura Feldman
I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, stretched,
a n d p o p p e d o ut o f b e d. W h at wo u ld t o -
day be like, I wondere d? Today would be my
first time to walk the West Coast Walk for Life.
The sun was barely up when our San Jose State Uni-
versity student club, Spartans for Life, gathered on
January 27. As we piled into a van for the drive to
San Francisco, the excitement was tangible. We were
on a mission to share the beautiful message that all
human life is precious and worth saving.
God gave us the gift of a glorious, sunny Satur-
day afternoon in San Francisco, as we joined 50,000
other people unifi ed under one goal: to turn hearts
and minds away from abortion and towards life.
Before gathering for the walk we listened to a few of
the brave speakers, women who are Silent No More.
They shared their powerful message about the pain-
ful and destructive eff ects of abortion, on them and
their families.
As we gathered with other students and pro-life
leaders at the front of the crowd, I was struck by
how joyful everyone was. It was clear by the smile
on everyone’s faces and the signs that read “Smile,
your mom CHOSE LIFE,” that we were spreading a
message of love and hope. As we walked, we were led
in song by a student from Thomas Aquinas College.
When met by a group of protesters, we responded
with singing and praying the rosary.
Sister Magnifi ca is a member of the Sisters of Life
religious community in New York. She shared with
us testimonies of brave women who made the deci-
sion to give their unborn babies life, whom the Sisters
support. We then knelt in a Holy Hour of Adoration
in front of the Blessed Sacrament. After the hopeful
and energizing day, Adoration was a beautiful way
to conclude the day and prepare ourselves for the
Students for Life Conference the next day. The Holy
Hour gave us quiet time to pray and refl ect on “Why
life?” Simply because life is a gift that Jesus gave us.
Sunday started early with 7:30 a.m. Mass at Saint
Mary’s Cathedral, where we were joined by other
student groups. After Mass, we checked in at the
National Students for Life Conference, ready for a full
day of learning how to be a powerful Pro-Life Advo-
San Jose State University Spartans for Life at the West Coast
cate. I thoroughly enjoyed the talks from speakers
Walk for Life, in San Francisco.
such as Kristan Hawkins, the President of Students
for Life, and David Bereit, founder of 40 Days for Life.
The Pro-Life movement is a cause that aff ects ev-
They made the idea of powerfully impacting our peers
eryone. I looked throughout the crowd of people and
seem possible with the Five Pillars: Public Policy, Ef-
saw every color and every age represented ranging
fective Education, Rapid Response, Support Service,
from babies in strollers to the elderly. Most surprising
and Industry Impact. I met students who traveled
and encouraging to me was the staggering number of
from Washington, Idaho, Arizona, and from all over
young adults that mobilized for this event. It shows
California for the West Coast Walk for Life. We proved
that we understand that abortion aff ects our peers
that we are the Pro-Life Generation.
the most – and it proves that we are the Pro-Life
For more information regarding Walk for Life visit
Generation.
www.walkforlifewc.com. For more information regard-
We ended our day with a dinner generously pro-
ing 40 Days for Life visit https://40daysforlife.com.
vided by the Star of the Sea Catholic Parish, a talk
Laura Feldman is a junior at San Jose State University,
CCH153_CarDonateAd2_4.937x6in_PressQuality.pdf
1
8/10/15
7:41 PM
from Sister Magnifi ca, and Eucharistic
Adoration.
studying business analytics.
Learn More About Get On the Bus
Get On The Bus (GOTB) brings
children and their caregivers from
throughout the State of California to
visit the parent who is in prison, at no
cost to the family. Each child is pro-
vided with a travel bag, a photo with
their parent and meals for the day. On
the return trip there is a receiving place
at which time there are snacks and each
child receives a teddy bear that has an
attached note, written by the parent.
On the bus there is a licensed counselor
available to the adults and children.
All the GOTB volunteers who travel on
the bus and help out during the visit
are fi ngerprinted. Get On the Bus is a
program of The Center for Restorative
Justice Works, a nonprofi t organization,
in North Hollywood, Calif.
Get On The Bus can only take place
through the generosity of individuals
and groups who have a heart for this
special event. Money is a big need for
direct and indirect costs. According to
Elizabeth Gaynes, Executive Director
of the Osborne Association, “research
consistently demonstrates that sup-
porting this parent-child relationship
meets the needs and respects the right
of children, and strengthening the
family leads to improved outcomes for
parents and their children during and
following incarceration.”
Why do children and families need
Get On The Bus? Research has shown:
• California has the largest prison
system in the U.S. 195,000 chil-
dren have a parent in state prison
and another 97,000 have parents
in county jail.
• 65% of women and 55% of men
in prison are parents to minor
children.
• A large percentage of incarcer-
ated parents are sentenced to
prisons more than 100 miles
from home.
• There is a disparate impact on
families of color, with African-
American children nine times
more likely and Hispanic chil-
dren three times more likely
than white children to have a
parent in prison.
For more information or to help
out in some way please contact Sister
Elaine Coutu, fund raiser for the San
Jose bus that goes to the prison for men
in Soledad, Calif. She can be reached at
[email protected] or (408) 223-2802.
Sister Coutu is willing to meet with
groups, speak to organizations, church-
es, etc. and can provide more informa-
tion regarding the program.
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