| "In high school, I saw countless teenagers who wanted to help others, yet had no outlet through which they could effectively produce change. Aware that many adults were working to reduce the number of abortions, I recognized that there was a need to engage the youth in this noble effort. After realizing that billboards would be an excellent way to spread the pro-life message, I worked tirelessly to post a pro-life billboard." - Pinckney Pro Life Founder, Alex Hastings
Pinckney Pro-Life Founding
Pinckney Pro-Life (PPL) was founded in 2001 by high school students, Alex and Stephanie Hastings. Alex looked upon a billboard outside a school in his home town of Pinckney and wondered, "Where is the pro-life message?" He began convincing his family, friends, and community leaders of the importance of pro-life billboards and soon the mail box began to fill with donations. He quickly realized that he had uncovered a need in the community to engage youth to spread the pro-life message and was empowered to post pro-life billboards. Alex sought consultation from business leaders, who advised him to create a 501 (c) 3 charity. Following their advice, the 501 (c) 3 charity, Pinckney Pro-Life was founded and the phrase Project LIFEBOARD™ was coined to describe the pro-life billboards. Project LIFEBOARD™ was launched!
Pinckney Pro-Life has been empowering students to join the pro-life movement across Southeastern Michigan for the past eight years. Over 300 LIFEBOARD™ pro-life billboards have been posted and seen by millions, thousands of youth have been educated on the sanctity of human life through peer-to-peer LIFEtalk presentations and over 450 students have been energized by attending the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. with PPL. Through PPL's three Impact Projects - LIFEBOARD™, LIFEtalk, and March for Life - thousands of youth have successfully defended the civil right-to-life of the unborn. Aimed to increase the growth of
students in the pro-life movement, PPL now seeks to expand these proven
projects to empower youth across America to make a difference in people's
lives under the name Impact73.
Impact73 Today
The three impact projects - LIFEBOARD™, LIFEtalk, and March for Life - continue to grow. Impact73 is staffed by six paid staff members and hundreds of youth and adult volunteers donating over 5,000 hours. Over 500 youth have participated in Impact73's programs and thousands more have heard and seen the pro-life message. Working in the pro-life movement has a long lasting effect on youth. In fact, the Impact73 youth volunteers have dedicated their life to ministry in the church, many have become pro-life leaders, and still others have started their own pro-life group.
Successful Partnership Collaborations
Through these three impact projects, Impact73 has the ability to spread the pro-life message to students across the nation. Impact73 is working with Catholic, Christian and Protestant churches, as well as pro-life groups throughout the country, including Rachel's Vineyard Ministries, Project Rachel, and Project Gabriel, to bring the pro-life message to the streets. These efforts have resulted in Impact73 to post pro-life billboards in other parts of the nation, including Arizona, Connecticut, Kansas, Montana, New York, Tennessee and Virginia. PPL also works with local pro-life groups in Michigan such as the Students for Life, Right-to-Life of Michigan affiliates in Livingston and Washtenaw Counties, local crisis pregnancy centers, and Lifespan of Metro Detroit.
Impact73 gives young people a platform for their voices and encouragement to develop their talents. These voices will change the world. Through direct education and training they will become successful, pro-life leaders in their communities.
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