Stephanie and Richard have been active with their Pro-Life beliefs for many years. The measure of one’s commitment to a cause is the desire to recruit others to fight alongside you. Over time, this couple’s deep-seated Pro-Life beliefs have led them to bring many of their friends into the Pro-Life movement.
Not only do Stephanie and Richard invite countless friends to partner with Texas Right to Life, but Richard is also excited about his plans for his business to become a corporate sponsor.
Take a few minutes to read through their interview. Become inspired to be a louder and more courageous voice for Life.
How did you first hear about Texas Right to Life?
Richard: I first heard about Texas Right to Life from a life-long friend. He was a donor and continued to invite me to the annual Celebration of Life but I always had a conflict at the time to attend. That same donor spoke with my wife, Stephanie, about an opportunity to go work for Texas Right to Life, and she has been an awesome asset to the organization ever since.
Stephanie: My husband’s friend began inviting us to attend the Celebration of Life events in Houston but we were never able to attend for some reason or another. I prayed for a way to be able to attend. In 2011, I was at a dinner party and started talking about how appalled I was with our country because the most pro-abortion president in the history of our nation was voted into office. I wanted to get more involved in the Pro-Life movement. A friend mentioned that Texas Right to Life was hiring and suggested I apply to work for these Texas Pro-Life leaders. I am now going on seven years as a Development Associate for Texas Right to Life.
As a small business owner, why do you want to be a corporate sponsor of Texas Right to Life?
Richard: As a small business owner, I have the opportunity to benefit from the hard work my team and I put in on a daily basis. We all get rewarded through these efforts and know that this is a true blessing. As a business owner, each dollar I make and each dollar I spend is extremely important, and I take that responsibility to my company and team very seriously. How I invest and use that money is no different, and I look for organizations and efforts that I know will positively impact my local community first and grow from there. I also look for organizations that I know will have a major impact and are in sync with what I believe, such as Texas Right to Life. I know the money I donate will go to make a difference because I see the impact my gifts make every single year (plus, I hear daily from my wife).
I am also EXTREMELY interested in the college students getting the support and direction from Texas Right to Life as that was a point in my life when I began forming more and more of my core beliefs and direction in life. The more we can help them promote this message and build a consistent and stronger presence on our college campuses, the better.
How did the election of 2008 impact you?
Stephanie: I grew up in Houston. Richard and I lived in Dallas for a couple of years. In 2002, we moved back to Houston and I failed to register to vote again. I was apathetic about voting and wondered if my vote was really important. Finally, my sister appeared at my front doorstep with a voter registration form saying, “This is a very important election. I believe God told me to bring you this form and tell you to register to vote against Obama.” I was shocked. I accepted the form, quickly registered, and started researching what Barack Obama believed and what John McCain advocated. I knew without a doubt that my conscience would not allow me to vote for Obama. I had been raised as a Republican and voted Republican in past presidential elections. This time I wanted to know why I would not vote for Obama. I was already receiving emails from 40 Days for Life campaign to pray for the end of abortion. I started forwarding these emails to friends and family urging them to vote for the “lesser of two evils”. How could any professed Christian vote for Barack Obama? I was accused of being a single issue voter. I would say to some of my friends who were interested in Obama, “What about the Declaration of Independence (our “unalienable rights”) which uses the phrase, ‘Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness’? The first word in the phrase is Life. We must be a country which protects all Life, especially the most vulnerable as in the preborn child in a mother’s womb. Our American president should reflect these values of protecting Life. With all this being said, I am actually grateful for President Obama waking me up to get involved in the Pro-Life movement. Now that the most outwardly spoken pro-abortion President was elected, I felt God calling me to action. I was now choosing to listen to His call for my life.
Has there ever been times when being Pro-Life among your friends/family/coworkers has been difficult? If so, can you describe those?
Stephanie: A friend of mine gave me a vivid description of how she felt during, and after her abortion, which was horrifying for me to hear. She was devastated. She immediately regretted her decision and felt remorse. I could see the pain in her eyes.