Gideon Spevak:
Campaign Life Coalition’s Maeve Roche and Kim Headley were honoured by Aid To Women at their Life Night Mass and Music Event on 26 April 2024, receiving the 2023 Joanne Dieleman Award.
Aid To Women, a Toronto-based crisis pregnancy centre, celebrated its 35th anniversary with a Mass at St. Mary Star of the Sea Parish in Mississauga followed by a reception where the annual Joanne Dieleman Award was given to Roche and Headley, and Toronto Knights of Columbus Council 1388 for their dedication to and support of the pro-life cause.
The Joanne Dieleman Award is named after Aid to Women’s founder and first executive director who worked tirelessly to help women facing crisis pregnancies. The award named in her honour is given to those who exemplify “virtuous leadership by their actions and caring commitment to save the lives of the unborn.”
Roche and Headley are co-coordinators for Campaign Life Coalition Young. They assisted Aid to Women in their move from their location from Gerrard St, making it possible for them to get set up more quickly and return to their work serving women in the Toronto area. With CLCY, they organized many “baby drives” and other events with donations of baby/maternity items going to Aid to Women. As CLC’s youth coordinators, they also run the summer internship program and bring interns annually to volunteer at the crisis pregnancy centre.
Commenting on her contributions to Aid to Women over the years, Roche said, “It’s a very fruitful experience to be able to perform manual labour for the pro-life movement – and serving the movement in very practical, material ways.” Roche told The Interim, “My contributions truly feel minute in comparison to the life-saving work that Aid to Women does on a daily basis.”
Roche also said “CLC Youth will continue to support Aid to Women, and other regional pregnancy care centres, through incorporation of various fundraisers during our youth events, and will continue to bring interns to the centres to educate them on the irreplaceable work that they do to care for the vulnerable – and bring about an end to abortion in our country.”
Regarding Roche and Headley, Aid to Women board chair Katy David stated that “women like them give hope to the cause because the young people are our future, and we have high hopes for a pro-life future.”
David added, Aid to Women is proud of their work and excited for the future, and they say that they are “looking forward to another 35 years.”
