May the presence of God’s Son, whose coming we await, give us—the HALO family, including you, our readers and supporters—joy in our blessings and consolation in our trials. We, members of the HALO Board of Directors and the Board of Advisors, wish you all a blessed and happy Christmas and New Year.
Julie Grimstad—HALO Board President
WELCOME!
It is with delight that I greet you this Christmas season and welcome you to the HALO family. As we celebrate the birth of our Savior and remember the love, trials and sacrifices of the Holy Family, I give thanks for all you do to defend and befriend the most vulnerable among us. May God bless you and your families and grant you His peace.
Jo Tolck—HALO Board Vice President
To the readers of HALO’s Newsletter:
I want to say, “Wow! Thanks be to God! And Merry, Merry Christmas!” The reason for my exuberance is that I have been around a long time and I am not easily impressed, nor am I the first to jump onto a moving bandwagon, but the HALO bandwagon is on the fast track and the right track. I was motivated to “climb on Board” when I was informed the organization could use a senior citizen (close to the end-of-life) as an advisor. I am truly impressed!
I’ve observed a lot of new charitable organizations, with enthusiastic founder volunteers, starting up to take on the Goliaths of the secular world, only to suffer early setbacks due to almost insurmountable obstacles. The progress was slow and painstaking, often due to the volunteers’ own inexperience, and sometimes because of the lack of a clear-cut MISSION.
Witnessing the expertise and dedication of those who have joined forces to get HALO off the ground, make it operational, and propel it into a life-saving organization so quickly and comprehensively, has been truly remarkable! The HALO volunteers are filling a void and giving the world a much-in-demand Christmas present! Again, Merry. Merry Christmas!
Marlene Reid—Advisor to the Board
May God bless you abundantly in this upcoming year!
Mary Flores—Advisor to the Board
Director of Outreach, Culture of Life Studies Program
Director of Outreach, Culture of Life Studies Program
Just imagine . . .
God became a helpless human infant who was totally dependent on two people who did not understand Him. May we love and cherish others who are dependent or difficult to understand to the very end. May no one’s death be hastened today, tomorrow or ever.
Sara Buscher, Esq.—Advisor to the Board
In this beautiful season for celebrating the birth of a very special Child, may we all reflect on the tremendous gift of our own life and that of our elderly, disabled, and chronically ill loved ones, and most of all, on what the Christ Child was born to give us: eternal life with God. I wish each of our readers and supporters a most blessed Christmas and New Year!
Stephanie Hopping—Advisor to the Board
The birth of Jesus offers a strong message about the value of all human life from conception to natural death. HALO offers help to protect each person until natural death.
Bill Beckman—Advisor to the Board
Friends of life,
We wish you a most blessed Christmas, hoping that the Christ Child brings you His peace and that the Holy Family continues to inspire you to defend the innocent and the vulnerable. God bless you all.
Judie Brown—Advisor to the Board
In this season of Advent, we remember not only the dignity of the most vulnerable, as Christ was at his birth, but also the fact that we must be ready for when Christ comes again. Let us never forget to receive everyone in our midst with mercy, so we may be received likewise into God’s embrace when we meet him at the completion of time.
George Williamsen–HALO Contributor
At the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, I am looking forward to a short family and spiritual break around the celebration of the birth of Christ.
I anticipate an incredibly difficult new year as the assisted suicide lobby in the US will be introducing bills in at least 20 states. The assisted suicide lobby will also continue working to change the position of the American Medical Association to that of neutrality concerning assisted suicide.
In the New Year the Canadian government will begin to debate the extension of euthanasia to children, to people with psychiatric conditions alone, and to people who previously requested to be killed by lethal injection in their advance directive.
As crazy as the culture of death has become, I am a person of hope. My hope does not derive from human ideology or individual circumstances, but rather in the fact that there is life and hope beyond my mortal existence.
Alex Schadenberg—HALO Board Member
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (alex@epcc.ca)
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (alex@epcc.ca)
We both believe that the communications this organization offers are sometimes the resource needed to change hearts and the direction in which end-of-life situations can lead us. May God bless us and give us all the words to help those who need help.
Mary and Mike Schaefer–Advisors to the Board