Thank you for 20 incredible years

[NOTE: Serrin prepared this “thank you” email for you earlier in the week. Thursday morning her mother suffered a major heart attack and is currently hospitalized. While Serrin very much appreciates all of the well-wishes you may send on behalf of her 20th anniversary, she hopes you’ll understand if she is unable to respond quickly. Thank you, Sally]

SMFDonnaBap
Donna & Serrin

 

04.04.14

Dear Feminists for Life,

I remember when I first saw the ad for a job with Feminists for Life and knowing I have to do this job. Everything in my life prepared me for this position.

I remember the first FFL members who interviewed me, and thinking I’M HOME.

I remember those key people in my life who helped me along the way, most especially my late father who was a student parent and my mother who was an early pregnancy resource center volunteer and who inspired my first speech in college against abortion.

I am grateful to our feminist foremothers, our cofounders, board members, staff, interns, speakers, volunteers, past and present-and the members and donors who fueled our efforts made possible because you believe in our mission, message and solutions.

You have given up weekends and evenings, and money that you could have used for a night out, a vacation, or something else.

You have risked being ostracized by family, friends, other students and coworkers in a day when it was not popular to be a known as a feminist or pro-life.

Rather than run from the term, people now argue about who is a real feminist. We have educatedmillions about our rich-pro-life feminist history.

Because of your sacrifice we have shared the truth: Women Deserve Better® than Abortion. One major party uses that FFL slogan in its platform. Another major party talks about resources and support. Our job now is to put the message together with the meaning-to listen to women, to share successful strategies, to ensure women have what they need, and to make abortion unthinkable.

I celebrate the legislation and programs that we have helped make possible for the poor-including the working poor, pregnant women and parents who are in school, the workplace or at home, birthmothers, and our student activists whom we empower to carry on our revolution through FFL’s flagship College Outreach Program.

I thank you for trusting me with your darkest secrets and terrible losses and for sharing your greatest joys. I treasure your notes that accompany your gifts. I am humbled by the opportunity of a lifetime to represent Feminists for Life.

The Board of Directors-and you-could not give a better gift than to fund FFL so that the staff has the resources to make life better for women and children.

Many victories have been won; however, the one source of ongoing struggle and sleepless nights for me has been to think of the first-class initiatives Feminists For Life could put into action faster and further if only we had the funding.

How many more women would experience great joy instead of fear, shame and loss?

How many more fathers would be supportive of mothers and children?

How many more birthmothers would find adoption as an empowering option?

How many children would be here with us now?

I thank the Board for their $5,000 leadership gift in honor of my 20th anniversary – given over and above their ongoing donations – and I thank you for joining this celebration.

Today is truly our 20th anniversary because FFL always has been a team effort. I urge you to multiply our impact by inviting others to our movement.

In closing, as we look back over the past twenty years of achievements at Feminists for Life, our gaze must be firmly focused on the future – most especially on the women and children who willhave a future, a better future, because of the sacrifices we make today.
March forth.

Because women deserve better,
SMF sig
Serrin M. Foster
President