Kosciusko County Right to Life
Right to Life of North Central Indiana started as a single-county organization, Kosciusko County Right to Life, in 1973. The organization was entirely volunteer-based, founded by a group of passionate pro-life individuals, including Mary Louise Lowe, whom we now honor with an award at our annual Legacy of Life Banquet. In the early days of Kosciusko County RTL, the group met in the basement of the Kosciusko County Justice Building until they eventually settled into an office on Market Street in 2000. Dave and Linda Koontz joined Kosciusko County RTL as volunteers in 1990. Dave and Linda struggled with infertility, which sparked their interest in protecting unborn life. They also attended “Tell the Truth”, a pro-life Focus on the Family event in Washington D.C. in the spring of 1990 which grew their passion for the life movement. In 1994, Dave was elected President of the Board of Directors of Kosciusko County RTL, and in 2001, he began his position as the first official Executive Director of the organization.
Kosciusko County Right to Life was involved in a number of projects in the community, including the production and distribution of quarterly newsletters, presence at the Kosciusko County Fair, hosting the annual Baby Photo Contest, and putting on the annual Life Chain, beginning in 1993.
In October of 1997, the organization hosted its first banquet in the Rodeheaver Auditorium (now the Winona Lake Heritage Room), bringing in over 260 guests and raising upwards of $16,000! Over the years, the banquet grew as more and more people became interested in standing for life.
Whitley County Right to Life
Whitley County Right to Life was established in January of 1980 by a passionately pro-life woman named Linda Zimmerman.
“In the summer of 1979, I was horrified to open a mailing from a pro-life organization that showed what abortion really looked like. I began trying to talk to others…no one seemed interested. People didn’t want to look at the pictures that broke my heart. Then, in October 1979, my husband, Max, and I attended the “Whatever Happened to the Human Race” seminar in Indianapolis! I decided right then I MUST start a group in Whitley County to educate people.” – Linda Zimmerman
Along with Tim and Marcia Meyer, and a handful of other volunteers, Whitley County Right to Life was born, and began raising awareness and starting conversations at festival booths. In their early years, Whitley County Right to Life did banner displays, sent out bi-monthly newsletters, staffed a booth at the 4-H Fair, hosted annual Life Chains, promoted the FW Friends for Life Camp, held the “Most Photogenic Baby Contest” fundraiser, and had a storefront on Van Buren St. that gave away baby items and had advocates and counselors for pregnant women to talk to. The organization hosted an annual fundraising banquet, starting in 2008 with 78 attendees. They also held regular public meetings showing educational films, placed newspaper ads to spread the truth about abortion, and even started a crisis pregnancy center where numerous lives were saved. In March of 2009, Paul and Debra Tomaszewki, two faithful Whitley Co. Right to Life volunteers, were promoted to leadership positions and continued to build on the organization’s countywide pro-life efforts.
The Merge
In 2013, Kosciusko County Right to Life began the process of merging with other Right to Life organizations, starting with Whitley County Right to Life, to broaden their pro-life reach to those in surrounding counties. The organization, under Dave Koontz’s leadership, felt that there were many who were passionate about pro-life work in surrounding counties, but needed an established place to start participating. Right to Life of North Central Indiana was one of the first in Indiana to think regionally, connecting individuals from different cities or counties with the same values under one umbrella organization. The various counties could now share and adopt ideas, lending an air of consistency to the region. In order to accommodate the needs of a growing organization, Right to Life of NCI moved to its current location on Buffalo Street in Warsaw in 2015, the same building that once housed the local Planned Parenthood for decades. Now in 2024, Right to Life of NCI serves nine counties in the region with the message of life.
Today, Right to Life of North Central Indiana is well-established in Warsaw and beyond. The organization is involved in a number of projects throughout the year, including:
- Hosting five annual Legacy of Life banquets, one in the fall & four in the spring
- Sponsoring the Pro-life Chain every October in 12 cities
- Creating awareness & education at fair booths and other community events
- Partnering with five regional pregnancy resource centers & hosting an annual Pregnancy Center Networking Day event
- Promoting the Safe Haven Hotline number and baby boxes
- Reaching the public through pro-life billboards, radio, and various social media platforms
- Encouraging high-school and college-age youth to be passionate advocates for life through our annual Life Guardians Training, church youth group presentations, and mentoring students as they start pro-life student groups at their schools
Read more about what Right to Life of North Central Indiana does for LIFE in our region.
The mission statement of Right to Life of North Central Indiana continues to be to “serve, support and strengthen our communities and local life-affirming organizations for the purpose of promoting the dignity and sanctity of human life through education, fundraising, outreach and collaboration.” None of this could be done without the generosity, of both time and financial gifts, of faithful Right to Life volunteers and donors. As we reflect on the 50+ years of our organization’s history, we celebrate the successes and humbly advance towards a future where all women are supported and all human life is valued and protected.