Pro-life advocate Abby Johnson will be coming to the university to speak for a fundraising banquet enabling Restoration House to collect donations to save the lives of unborn babies. 

On Thursday, September 17 the Student Union Ballroom will open its doors at 6:30 p.m. with a tentative schedule of the night’s event beginning at 7:00 p.m. Seating will be reserved. 

Restoration House books a pro-life speaker or a pro-life advocate for their banquets annually. 

“Every year our speaker is someone big in the pro-life movement,” said Executive Director for Restoration House Kawanda Reed. “Abby Johnson has been on our radar for a couple of years, and this just happened to be the time that she came up.”

Students for Life, a pro-life organization on campus, worked with Restoration House for the preparations of the banquet. 

“We got in contact with the Students for Life organization there [at Southeastern], and they decided that they would like to host our banquet this year,” said Reed.

Abby Johnson originally had a career working for Planned Parenthood but according to the website abbyjohnson.org, “All of that changed on September 26, 2009 when Abby was asked to assist with an ultrasound-guided abortion. She watched in horror as a 13 week baby fought, and ultimately lost, its life at the hand of the abortionist. At that moment, the full realization of what abortion was and what she had dedicated her life to washed over Abby and a dramatic transformation took place. Desperate and confused, Abby sought help from a local pro-life group. She swore that she would begin to advocate for life in the womb and expose abortion for what it truly is.”

Since leaving Planned Parenthood, Johnson has dedicated her life to traveling the world and helping not only unborn children, but the workers in the abortion industry as well. 

According to abbyjohnson.org, “Today, Abby travels across the globe sharing her story, educating the public on pro-life issues, advocating for the unborn and reaching out to abortion clinic staff who still work in the industry. She is the founder of And Then There Were None, a ministry designed to assist abortion clinic workers out of the industry.”

Along with hosting a fundraiser helping the unborn, Restoration House wants students to know that they offer other services for young women. 

“We just really want to get the word out that we are here to help, that if they would just come meet with us and partner with us, we are more than happy to go over all their options [other than an abortion],” said Reed.  “We also offer post-abortion concealment so that is another thing we are trying to get out there. So if you have any young lady or anybody, and it can actually be men as well because we do have some literature for men too, who are dealing with post-abortion issues; they can come to us.”

Though the banquet is designed as a fundraiser, students can still register at restrationhousebanquet.eventbrite.com. 

“It is a fundraiser, so the purpose of being there is to raise money to continue to support our efforts,” said Reed. “The banquet is open to anyone, but keep in mind it is a fundraiser.”

To learn more about the organization Students for Life found on campus, like their page on Facebook, or if you would like to learn more about Restoration House and what they have to offer, visit their website at resthse.org.