By Jessica Easthope
Father Chris Piasta flings open a garage door to reveal dozens of strollers. They came from homes all over the world, but somehow, they’ve reached him.
Father Chris is the chaplain at John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia Airports. By law, passengers only have 30 days to claim luggage or items left behind. When he was contacted about strollers of all shapes and sizes that were never picked up – he knew exactly what to do with them.
“People have needs, strollers are expensive and if there is a chance for them to get a stroller for free, then that’s great so we call it strollers from the skies because they literally come from the skies,” said Fr. Chris.
He’s delivering them to The Bridge to Life women’s center in College Point. A pro-life organization that helps mothers, and expecting and unwed women plan for their pregnancies and new families.
“For them to be able to come here and get items for free it makes the biggest difference in the world for them, they have a burden and they leave here with so much stuff and they stand taller, they feel important and special and like someone actually cares for them,” said executive director Francesca Yellico.
The Bridge to Life serves more than 4,000 women and children a year. Yellico says many of the women Bridge works with who seek an abortion do so because they feel financially unprepared for motherhood, being given an expensive and necessary item like a stroller for free – makes a big difference.
“So many women are like wow I can do this, I don’t have to choose abortion and it doesn’t have to be something I feel forced into doing, they get to make a decision that’s their choice instead of one that’s like I don’t have a choice because I can’t afford it,” she said.
This isn’t the first time Fr. Chris has delivered strollers to The Bridge to Life, he’s given them more than 120 so far, and recently he’s also been dropping off women and children’s clothing found in lost luggage.
“It’s not only pro-life as in anti-abortion but pro-life as in supporting life in every instance so if we with our limited resources and whatever comes our way can support life that’s exactly what we should be doing,” said Father Chris.
As long as families are flying, Fr. Chris says he’s willing to help lost strollers find a greater purpose. He says it might just be the reason a mother in need chooses life.