Sunday, March 28, 2010

Empire State of Mind.




Spring has sprung. The time has come to support your local abortion fund! Abortion funds are local, grassroots organizations that raise money to support women in need of abortion services.

In honor of my current home, I am highlighting the fabulous New York Abortion Access Fund!!

"NYAAF is a volunteer-run, 501(c)3 non-profit organization that provides financial assistance to low-income women in New York State who cannot afford to pay for an abortion." They are an affiliate of the National Network of Abortion Funds and believe that abortion services should be available to all women, regardless of their ability to pay.

Why New York (you may ask)?

Yes, New York is what abortioneers call a 'Medicaid state' -- in other words, low-income women who are eligible for Medicaid (public health insurance) and can provide documentation can have their abortion paid for, up to 24 weeks (in some cases). Yes, abortion access in New York is better than in most other states (there are no parental consent/notification laws or state-mandated waiting periods). In New York, no metropolitan area lacks an abortion provider.

Even so, many women struggle to come up with the funds for basic reproductive health care. Whether it's because they are undocumented and cannot get on Medicaid, fall in the "donut hole" where they aren't eligible for Medicaid but can't afford private insurance, or a slew of other reasons, the need for abortion funds is substantial because many women fall through the cracks.

NYAAF supports not only women who are from NY, but also women who have to travel there from states where they cannot have the termination because they are too far along, or if it is less expensive in NY than in their own state. NYAAF has made grants to women from New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and even Texas! From 2008-2009, "NYAAF provided over $43,000 in assistance to support 77 women."

What can YOU do to help?

1) Make a donation directly, http://www.nyaaf.org/how-you-can-help/

2) Volunteer to help with fundraising, technical assistance for the website, stuffing envelopes and other tasks.

3) Host an event to raise money.

4) Join their Board.

Thank you, NYAAF and all the other wonderful, dedicated abortion funds across the country that help women access their reproductive rights everyday. Without you, many women would not have the means to exercise their right to healthcare.

4 comments:

  1. Kick Ass!

    There are so many ways to support women, as you mention. Donate funds directly. Host beer 'n brats, cocktails, barbecue, brunch or gourmet dinners to raise funds. Volunteer as an escort at clinics. Be a driver for a woman who needs transportation. Offer to babysit a woman's children while she has an appointment. Help women find low-cost birth control through pharmaceutical companies or local clinics. Teach comprehensive reproductive health. Deconstruct the web sites and the pamphlets of the antichoicers to separate the wheat from the chaff, the truth from the lies, the science from the mumbo-jumbo. And, of course, join like-minded organizations, contribute to web sites, publish articles, comment on blogs, create your own blogs, and speak out against the tyranny of the extremist, misogynist patriarchy.

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  2. Brunch fundraiser! I would be the best at that! Ooh, thank you for the ideas - gonna start plotting.

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  3. Oh my goodness - is there a way I can get that shirt?

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  4. crystalsaurus - I got mine here: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=35541972

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This is not a debate forum -- there are hundreds of other sites for that. This is a safe space for abortion care providers and one that respects the full spectrum of reproductive choices; comments that are not in that spirit will either wind up in the spam filter or languish in the moderation queue.