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July 8, 2020

Students for Life Action Completes Successful Deployment in Arizona

On June 15th, Students for Life of Action launched an internship for Students for Life leaders across the country to participate in campaign deployments across the country. Last week, the first deployment in Phoenix, Arizona came to a close.

Titus Folks, SFL Action’s National Campaigns Director, believes the students had a great impact. “In the last two weeks, we have canvassed 10,000 doors and knocked 30,000 calls for pro-life candidates in Phoenix,” Folks said. “Our team of a dozen college students has shown the Arizona political establishment that we will not tolerate abortion extremism in either political party. We eagerly await the results of the August 4th primaries.”

Many of our volunteers knocked doors and made phone calls for the first time. They endured long days in Arizona’s heat for one common reason: standing up to protect the voiceless!

This internship program not only helps elect pro-life candidates, but equips students with the knowledge and resources necessary to mobilize students on their own campuses. When our students return to their Students for Life groups in the fall, they will share this experience with campaigning and the pro-life movement with their peers.

We asked a few of them to share lessons they learned; here is what they said:

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“I knocked on one door, and while I was going on with the survey, the couple was excited and nodding along excitedly. It turned out that the couple already knew the pro-life vote. The woman I talked to runs a pregnancy resource center and is active in politics. She goes around and tells all her neighbors about the pro-life candidates. She said that the Lord knows what is going to happen and is in control, but we still need to be bold and work hard to save the preborn. It was awesome to meet an informed voter and help others learn as well!” -Maggie Donica

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“I talked to a candidate who got very frustrated at us for sharing her voting record and suggesting she was not the most pro-life candidate. The way she talked to me was somewhat aggressive and angry that I would not take her at her word for being pro-life. She had voted to support some pro-life laws but failed to support the pro-life movement on several important laws that would protect and support the preborn and women. I learned the importance of studying the candidate’s voter records and holding candidates to high standards. The Pro-Life Generation does not just want elected officials who are “kind of” pro-life but FIERCE defenders of the preborn who refuse to back down.” -Erica Caporaletti

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“My main experience of talking about abortion has been through campus conversations and tabling. So this trip helped me grow in apologetics as I learned to talk to people of many different demographics, whether it be on the phone or at their front door. I also became much more comfortable with the public policy process and feel more prepared and excited to be the Ohio Students for Life Action captain this school year!” -Francis Kennedy

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“I think that the most important thing that I’ve seen across the board on the Arizona deployment is mutual support for pregnancy resource centers and doctors’ rights. I think that we really need to spread awareness about the existence of these centers. Both pro-life and pro-choice individuals seem to think that I am referring to Planned Parenthood or other abortion clinics before I explain what they truly are. When I explain that these centers exist to help and support women, most seem to agree that PRC’s can be crucial to preserving the sanctity of life. I didn’t expect to educate voters about PRC’s while on this campaigning trip, but I’m so glad I had that opportunity while also encouraging everyone to #voteprolifefirst. I feel a huge sense of responsibility to continue educating individuals about pregnancy resource centers and other ways to support women and their children!” -Alyssa Jones

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“On this deployment, I got to meet so many young pro-life activists. I have been inspired by how much good my pro-life peers have been able to do in their campuses and communities back home. My favorite moment of this trip came when I was knocking doors for pro-life Democrat Catherine Miranda. The voter I talked to was friends with Catherine Miranda and will be voting pro-life, but she had a piglet as a pet guarding her front porch! While I was talking to this voter her piglet with sniffing as my feet and licking my shoes, it was adorable!” – Aaron Covarrubias

Students for Life Action is taking the lead by hosting deployment weekends to expand pro-life majorities this summer.

Sign up for one here: http://studentsforlifeaction.org/deployment/