This week we will be speaking about almsgiving here and on Blessed is She’s Instagram stories. Throughout the week, we will be giving you a glimpse of some wonderful charities/non-profits that would be a great place to give alms during Lent. These are a few that are near-and-dear to the hearts of some of our writers, and whose missions align well with our Catholic faith.
Sidewalk Advocates for Life is a non-profit that provides resources, including training, tools, and prayers, to those who counsel to women and men at the sidewalk outside of abortion clinics, supporting those they encounter there and beyond.
The mission of Sidewalk Advocates is:
To train, equip, and support local communities across the United States and the world in “sidewalk advocacy”: to be the hands and feet of Christ, offering loving, life-affirming alternatives to all present at the abortion center, thereby eliminating demand and ending abortion.
Sidewalk Advocates provides effective training so that their advocates can meet women and men where they are at, speaking to them from a place of compassion, not judgment.
They seek to eliminate the crisis, rather than the child. If there is a way to eliminate the crisis that brought the woman to the abortion clinic in the first place, abortion can be eliminated as the only option in the mind of the mother. Advocates are there to listen with empathy and offer loving alternatives to mothers.
The help of advocates goes beyond the crisis moment at the sidewalk.
The help of Sidewalk Advocates goes beyond the crisis moment at the sidewalk.Click to tweet
They seek to offer on-going help and crisis management to those in distress.
The main elements of their program are: sidewalk advocacy, prayer, and community support. They understand the need to have prayer underpin all their work, so they provide a community where that takes place foremost and continuously. They also serve as a place for advocates to connect and support each other regarding their important, life-saving work. And they are teamed up with LIFE runners who support the organization with prayer and fundraising.
This Christian organization maintains values that align with the Catholic faith -- although not strictly Catholic, nothing they teach goes against Church teachings. They have an excellent board of directors as well as solid program advisors that lead them on their path.
Consider supporting Sidewalk Advocates for Life this Lent in your almsgiving, helping them to continue providing these vital tools for sidewalk advocacy. If you aren’t able to give monetarily, your prayers are always welcome and needed.
Also, I encourage you to see if there is a 40 Days for Life happening in your area and to take some time to stand as a witness to life at your local abortion clinic and pray there. It’s another excellent way to give as a pro-life witness during Lent.
Written by Laurel Muff. Find out more about her here.