Save the Storks founder Joe Baker has a dream to equip the nation with mobile pregnancy centers that have the potential to provide women all over America with knowledge of their alternatives to abortion. By parking outside abortion mills and providing free alternatives to the pricey services those centers offer (such as ultrasounds and pregnancy tests), as well as referrals for pregnant women to receive prenatal services while continuing their pregnancies, Save the Storks buses, which partner with local pregnancy centers, play a part in providing hope to a large portion of women who may otherwise never know that there are alternatives to abortion.
“There are a lot of vehicles out there that are like a massive RV. Instead of saying, ‘Let’s make it as big as possible,’ we are saying, ‘Let’s make it as small as possible.’ Massive RVs have things you don’t need, like a shower, but with Mercedes we are able to just start with a shell and add exactly what we need. We think the vehicle is better than an RV. If you want to park in front of an abortion clinic or anywhere near the city, an RV can be too big. We have an exclusive partnership with Mercedes Benz for our buses.”
In 2011, Joe and his new wife, Ann, gave birth to the vision, and their organization became a nonprofit in 2012. “We’re a pretty new organization,” he said. “My wife and I build our own businesses to support us, so Save the Storks only has one employee named Marcie Little.”
When asked how people can help to spread the word about this new organization, Joe said: “People can’t even comprehend the impact of just spreading our name around the internet. Spreading our ads around is a tremendous way that people can help. If we’re going to put one Stork Bus in every NFL city in America it’s going to cost 2.5 million dollars, so another way people can help is by donating money.”
Why storks? The name “Save the Storks” might not conjure up the typical images we associate with the pro-life movement, such as ultrasound pictures. This was deliberate. Joe and Ann chose the stork imagery for several reasons. Here’s how they explain it:
The white stork is a graceful creature, not something to be afraid of. There is nothing mean or aggressive about them. Storks are gentle – so are we. They are whimsical animals. It’s hard to think about a disproportionate bird flying through the air with a baby in its mouth without a smile coming to your face. The stork branding speaks of the atmosphere we bring to an abortion clinic. As lively, gentle, graceful young people, we are there to love and not condemn.
God has given us a heart for expectant mothers who find themselves in crises situations. Through our partnership with pregnancy resource centers, these mothers can experience the love of Jesus and get the answers and support they need regarding abortion, adoption, and other life matters.
If you would like to learn more about saving storks, visit the Save the Storks website, and spread the word about their life-saving mission on social media.
