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Marlene joined SBA Pro-Life America in November 2021 and serves as Pennsylvania State Director for our Voter Contact Program. In her position, she galvanizes, manages, and motivates a team of field directors and representatives who engage with pro-life and persuadable voters at their homes to influence elections for pro-life candidates. Marlene is also an ambassador, speaking in churches and arenas about the pro-life cause.

We caught up with Marlene recently to hear about the crucial role she plays in Pennsylvania’s pro-life movement, and to hear her personal story of what led her to her role at SBA.

I entered the pro-life movement as a post-abortive woman after having two abortions in my youth. Growing up, I faced issues that made me not understand my worth, leading to mistakes and unhealthy relationships. I didn’t believe I could support a child, which drove me to seek abortions.

I had my first abortion at 19. In retrospect, the guilt and pain from that experience drove me back to Jesus. Luckily, my aunt had always cared for me and took me to church when I was younger. With everything negative happening in my life, I started attending that church again, but I wasn’t fully committed. My hesitation to change my life kept pulling me back into destructive patterns.

By my early 30s, I had my second daughter, but I struggled to care for her after losing my job. I felt overwhelmed and ended up having to send her to live with my brother. The pain of knowing I couldn’t support my daughter really hurt and made me question my worth. Even after that, I still didn’t fully surrender to God. I soon fell back into old habits and ended up in an abusive relationship that was extremely damaging. I often questioned myself: “This isn’t me. What am I doing with my life?”

Eventually, I got pregnant again in that abusive relationship, and I felt like I had no choice but to consider abortion. I didn’t trust the father to be a parent, and I still felt unable to support another child. When I went to the doctor to start the abortion process, she challenged me: “Why are you so afraid to have this kid?” I expressed my fears about the father and my financial situation, but she insisted that I did have a choice. She told me I was playing Russian Roulette with my life with every abortion I had and questioned why I was still in my abusive and toxic relationship. I admitted I didn’t feel strong enough to leave. “You can do all things through Christ,” she told me. That hit me hard and reignited my desire to return to church.

With support from my church, where the same pastor encouraged me, I began to turn my life around. I left that abusive relationship and was even able to bring my oldest daughter back to live with me. I quickly found a steady job and started to build a solid career for myself while preparing for my second daughter.

Fast forward ten years, and I had worked my way up in my company, creating a great life for my two daughters. I was attending church regularly and healing from my past. At this point, my church decided to open a pregnancy center to help women in situations like I was in. My pastor asked if I would interview to be the director. I felt underqualified, but I went for it anyway. After praying about it, I accepted the position, feeling a calling from God.

Running that pregnancy center for four years was transformative. I saved many lives and learned so much about the pro-life movement, becoming a well-known pro-life advocate in Philadelphia. I loved my job, but after four years, I sensed that God wanted me to move on, though I wasn’t sure where to go next.

I was nervous to discuss this with my pastor, but he encouraged me, reminding me that as long as I was pleasing God, it didn’t matter what anyone else thought. After our talk, we started looking for my replacement, while I began to explore what God had in store for me next. Eventually, my prayers were answered when I received a call from SBA, asking if I’d be the Pennsylvania deputy state director.

That role was a perfect fit. I was able to make an impact for life, leading our field teams in spreading our pro-life message to voters. Before working with SBA, I never understood why someone would knock on doors to reach voters, but once I did it, I realized it was much more than just knocking; it was an opportunity to minister to the people God wanted us to reach.

Now, years later, I’m the Pennsylvania State Director for the field team, and I love my job and my team. We’re making a significant impact this election cycle and beyond. Looking back, it blows my mind to see how far I’ve come—from a broken, post-abortive woman who didn’t know her worth to someone who advocates for life and helps save babies every day. It truly shows how God can work through anyone.