More than 80 knights attended the July 7 membership meeting, and they were treated to a great meal and two excellent speakers who feel very strongly about their life’s work and spoke to the knights directly from their hearts.

Nancy Goodwin, one of three regional directors in

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Arkansas, was scheduled by Lecturer Dave Johnson to share information about the Red Cross blood drives and to encourage knights to participate in a new program supported by the council.  She accomplished these objectives by a very poignant personal family story as well as by giving many facts and figures including: every two seconds someone in the US needs blood; 500 units are needed daily in Arkansas; people in the northern states are more likely to donate blood than those in the southern states; there is typically more of a shortage in the summer since high school and college students, who account for 30% of the blood supply in Arkansas, are dispersed in the summer; one donation can save up to three lives; 50% of the blood supply in the US is collected by the Red Cross; and, the #1 reason people give for not donating blood is “No one asked me!”

The knights of Council 10208, however, cannot use the #1 excuse, because they, along with all Sacred Heart parishioners, are being asked to donate.

Anne Dierks of Sacred Heart

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spoke to the knights about St. Joseph’s Helpers, which is also known as the Arkansas Pregnancy Resource Center, a secular name that is used so the program does not have a ‘Catholic’ connotation and can be somewhat more effective in reaching women, either directly or by referral.

Anne has been involved with pro-life issues since 1982, when she worked to pass the “Unborn Child Amendment” to the Arkansas Constitution.  She was hired by Archbishop McDonald for the diocese in 1983, and she still works there part time.  In 1991 Anne founded Project Rachel, a ministry to help heal women who have had abortions, and she continues to serve as its director. 

Having their office located directly across from an abortion clinic in downtown Little Rock, the volunteer counselors at St. Joseph’s Helpers have saved the lives of 20 babies so far this year.  According to Anne, the most important gift that the knights can give is prayer, but obviously funds are needed to help purchase equipment, baby items, maternity clothes, and training.

The timely messages of these two women will definitely help Council 10208 focus on the core values of the Knights of Columbus.