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Lifelong Youngstown resident launches Voices for Life, urges support during Sanctity of Life month
Summary
Jerry Beulah told the council he and his wife founded a new Youngstown-based pro‑life nonprofit, Voices for Life, said the local leadership now includes a Black man for the first time, and cited 2024 abortion figures for Ohio and the U.S.; he offered brochures and wished the new mayor well.
Jerry (Gerald) Beulah addressed Youngstown City Council during the Jan. 21 public‑comment period to introduce a newly founded nonprofit, Voices for Life, and to urge city awareness and community support during Sanctity of Life month.
"My name is Jerry Beulah. I am a lifelong resident of Youngstown, born and raised," Beulah said, noting he and his wife, Lori, are cofounders and directors of the Youngstown-based pro‑life ministry that serves Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties. He told the council that Voices for Life was formed after Mahoning County Right to Life disbanded in 2024 and that, "for the first time, this leadership position has been occupied by a black man in the history of right to life." He told the council, "I intend to serve with integrity, empathy, and compassion." (All quotes from Jerry Beulah.)
Beulah described abortion as "sensitive, often emotional, and a very spiritual issue" and cited 2024 figures he said are available from the CDC and the Guttmacher Institute: 30,940 reported abortions in Ohio and 1,038,100 nationwide in 2024. He prefaced the statistics as figures listeners could verify, and noted 2025 numbers had not yet been posted. He said Voices for Life will offer resources and alternatives to people in crisis and had brochures available after his remarks.
Beulah closed by congratulating and blessing the new mayor and wishing the mayor and administration well. The council acknowledged his remarks and moved on to other agenda business.
