100 Parishes Unite to Support Pregnant Women in the 5th Annual National Orthodox Baby Shower
"This initiative is a beautiful witness in the parish, to the community, and for the world."
RIVERSIDE, CA—This spring, Orthodox Christians for Life sponsored the 5th Annual National Orthodox Baby Shower. A record 100 parishes from eight jurisdictions joined a nationwide effort to support local women facing unexpected or crisis pregnancies.
The event, which coincides with the Feast of Annunciation and the Lenten season, is an opportunity for Orthodox parishes to partner with nonprofit pregnancy resource centers, which provide free medical care, material resources, and ongoing support for abortion-vulnerable women to help them choose life.
Participating churches received support from Orthodox Christians for Life to organize their event, collecting baby supplies for the pregnancy resource centers in their local communities. This initiative mobilized over 2,200 individuals to donate over:
- 75,000 diapers
- 25,000 packages of wipes
- $20,000 in monetary gifts
- 4,200 baby clothes & shoes
- 3,000 other baby items, including cribs, car seats, strollers, formula, and more
Each year, the National Orthodox Baby Shower sparks dozens of new partnerships between Orthodox parishes and local pregnancy resource centers.
"This initiative is a beautiful witness—in the parish, to the community, for the world—as Orthodox Christians unite together in support of Life, building relationships with worthy local organizations, and helping vulnerable mothers and innocent babies in the most practical of ways," said Sophia Lyda, Program Coordinator. "Through participation in this event, we announce to vulnerable mothers we may never meet, ‘The Lord is with you!’ We are thankful for the 100 parishes who joined us this year, and anticipate even greater participation next year.”
To learn more about Orthodox Christians for Life and its mission, visit https://www.oclife.org.
