My eyes were truly opened to how much the evangelical church often chooses not to engage in the political arena.
My name is Heidi Matzke, and I am the Executive Director of Alternatives Pregnancy Center here in Sacramento, California. Alternatives Pregnancy Center is a licensed medical clinic, licensed by the state of California. We are not simply a pregnancy center model. Over the last five years, we have embraced a full OB practice model. This was a vision God gave me five years ago. What would it look like to offer all the services Planned Parenthood provides, minus abortion, completely free, and with the gospel attached?
That vision includes far more than pregnancy tests and ultrasounds. We provide gynecological services, well woman visits, breast exams, STD testing, and treatment. We are meeting women where they are, both physically and spiritually.
I have to admit, being involved in the political arena was never something I wanted to pursue. To be honest, I did not pay much attention in political science class, and I did not understand how all of it worked. But The American Council has been more than an encouragement to me. They have been an absolute necessity for our ministry.
There was a season when our baby boutique was low in every way. We were low on diapers, low on baby supplies, and yet our doors were filled daily with patients who desperately needed those resources. I remember thinking, we are running low, who do we call, and how do we get help quickly? I reached out to Tanner and said, here is our Amazon wish list. Here is everything we need. We have twenty eight patients coming in over the next few days, and we are almost out of everything.
Almost overnight, everything on that wish list was provided. We were able to immediately distribute those supplies to women who needed them most.
I am incredibly thankful. As the director of a pro life organization that is constantly under attack here in California, it is vital that people know who The American Council is and that they are ready to take action. When I shared with Tanner and The American Council the reality of AB 2223 and what it meant for California, including the legalization of infanticide, the response was overwhelming. I truly did not expect it.
It brings tears to my eyes because when you are on the front lines, seeing this reality play out every day, and no one seems to listen or rise up or open their eyes, you feel stuck. The American Council gave us the voice we needed.
They launched a letter campaign to more than three hundred thousand constituents across California. They immediately took action. Alternatives Pregnancy Center, alongside The American Council and several other nonprofit organizations, hosted a rally where thousands of people showed up in opposition to AB 2223. We were able to make our voices heard.
Even though we live in California, we know the pro life movement is just getting started. We are deeply grateful that The American Council has our backs.
