National Orthodox Baby Shower:

This Month, Orthodox Parishes Are Supporting Women Who Choose Life

RIVERSIDE, CA, MARCH 2022 - Orthodox Christians for Life is coordinating the second annual National Orthodox Baby Shower this month, coinciding with the Feast of the Annunciation on March 25.

Over 30 parishes have signed up to participate so far, up from eight parishes that participated last year. Each parish will connect with a local pregnancy resource center (PRC) to find out their material needs for mothers in crisis pregnancies, and then hold a drive for those items on the weekends surrounding the Feast of the Annunciation.

"Juxtaposed with the joyous news of the Annunciation and Mary's humble 'yes' to an unexpected pregnancy, many women who find out they are pregnant go into crisis mode," said Emily Wilkinson, Executive Director of Orthodox Christians for Life.

"They begin panicking and thinking they can't have a child, they don't have the resources to raise a child. But the pro-life movement is here to say, 'Yes you can, you are strong enough and we will support you.' By partnering with pregnancy resource centers, the Orthodox community can help transform a difficult circumstance into a profound blessing for these women."

PRC's around the country provide hundreds of millions of dollars in no-cost services each year, including pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, pregnancy and parenting classes, and material resources such as diapers, formula, baby clothes, and more. They rely on donations from local churches and individual supporters to distribute these items to women and families in need, playing a major role in preventing abortions.

It is not too late for churches to sign up to participate, and Orthodox Christians for Life will provide a complementary event guidebook as well as ongoing support  to each participating parish. For more information, see www.oclife.org/babyshower.