Over the last few months, the NYAAF Board of Directors has been working on  figuring out how to make NYAAF a gender inclusive organization. We want to make sure that NYAAF isn’t just working toward every woman’s right to access affordable abortion care, but every person’s right, regardless of their gender. We realized that embracing gender inclusivity is about more than not assuming the gender pronouns that our callers use or replacing “woman” with “people” everywhere on our website. Becoming gender inclusive is an important part of our values as an organization.

We realized that we didn’t have a cohesive statement about our values. Inspired by the EMA Fund, we brainstormed as a board and came up with the following list. Let us know what you think in the comments:

New York Abortion Access Fund Statement of Values 
The New York Abortion Access Fund believes that every person should be able to determine their own reproductive destiny and have access to the resources, rights, and respect to be able to do so. We believe that access to affordable abortion care is a critical component of full-spectrum healthcare services. We are working towards a world where abortion funds are not necessary because affordable, safe abortion care is part of mainstream medical practice and covered fully by all types of insurance.

NYAAF believes that the people who call our hotline are experts on their own lives. We believe that they do not owe us anything, including their stories or repayment, in order to qualify for abortion funding. At our core, we believe that anyone seeking an abortion has the right to access one.

We recognize that systems of oppression, including racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, transphobia, and others contribute to systemic injustices in the healthcare system. NYAAF is committed to recognizing and addressing these barriers to the best of our ability.

NYAAF’s belief in physical autonomy is a core link between our belief in the right to an abortion, and our belief in the rights of transgender and gender nonconforming people to access holistic health care and services. We recognize that people who identify as men can become pregnant and seek abortions; we strive to meet the needs of all people who seek our funding.

We work to provide additional resources to callers beyond the scope of abortion funding, such as referrals for Medicaid enrollment, to demonstrate that we value the wellbeing of our callers beyond their need for an abortion.

NYAAF also recognizes that many of our callers would choose to continue their pregnancies if they were in different financial circumstances. As such, NYAAF does not try to speak for the motivations of our clients by framing abortion as an issue of choice. Reproductive freedom is a matter of social justice, not just an individual choice. We trust and support the decision of the caller and take their lead in adopting the language they use in talking about their pregnancy and circumstances.

NYAAF does not scrutinize how many abortions someone has had, whether contraception was used, whether a sexual assault was reported, or any other information that is volunteered by our client, nor do we attempt to encourage anyone to behave in a certain way. If someone identifies a desire to learn about how to report an assault, how to avoid pregnancy, or other concerns, NYAAF provides information and makes appropriate referrals.

We consider these values to be at the core of our decision making as a board. They serve as an indispensable guide to all of our fundraising, programmatic, administrative, and communications decisions and actions. Our board, comprised of a diverse group of individuals who are all committed volunteers, all strongly believe in the values and mission of this organization. These shared values reflect an understanding of our work as part of a larger social justice and reproductive justice movement to ensure the full rights of all people. By building and supporting this movement, we strive for a world where everyone has the right and ability to determine their own future.

New Yorkers! Are you itching to get more involved with your local abortion fund? Do you have experience writing and securing grants? We want YOU to join the NYAAF board as our Institutional Fundraiser! Responsibilities include:

• Drafting and submitting Letters of Inquiry and Proposals

• Researching prospective Foundation supporters

• Tracking foundation donor response, reporting requirements and deadlines

• Preparing narrative and financial reports

General board responsibilities include attendance at monthly meetings on the third Monday of every month, and an intake shift on our hotline once every three months.

NYAAF is committed to seeking a diverse group of candidates, including young folks, people of color, gender non-conforming and queer folks. We are an all-volunteer, board-run grassroots organization.

Interested? Have questions? Email nyaaf@nnaf.org for a board application! Applications are due May 20.

Written by NYAAF volunteer Chanel Dubofsky. Chanel lives in Brooklyn is interested in your personal choices.

Funding abortion is about more than helping someone end a pregnancy. It can also interrupt a cycle of poverty and economic insecurity. Recently, the New York Women’s Foundation released their Economic Security and Well Being Index, and the findings confirm the need for the vital work of NYAAF. Among the more startling statistics about women and girls in New York City (including the 5 boroughs) include:

• Approximately one in five young women in New York City lives in poverty, slightly higher than the citywide rate of 17.9% for all women.
• Among teens in the highest-poverty neighborhoods in New York City, 85.9% of pregnancies are unintended.
• Over the past decade or so, New York City’s teen pregnancy rate has exceeded the national rate by 21%—85.4 per 1,000 girls compared to 70.6 per 70.6 per 1,000.
• The maternal mortality rate has increased nearly 30% over a 10-year period in the city.
• In New York City, single mothers head one in five households with children under the age of 18, compared to just 2 percent of households headed by single fathers.
• In New York City 39.7% of households headed by single mothers with children under the age of 18 live in poverty.

Lest you drown in a puddle of statistics and facts, let’s do some unpacking. New York is a divided city: “The day-to-day lived realities of women and girls in the South Bronx are worlds apart from those living on the Upper East or West Sides of Manhattan. “ (Borough Highlights, p.6) The gaps in access to education, employment, and other resources also means inequities in access to all kinds of health care, including abortion. The ability to afford a safe abortion can be the difference between remaining in or falling into poverty and being a step closer to coming out of it. It impacts the entire family, and in a city where the maternal mortality rate is increasing (the 30% statistic is staggering), every baby should be a wanted baby who can receive prenatal care.

Recently, a campaign to prevent teen pregnancy took to the New York City subways. The ads shame teens (read: mothers) by purporting to inform them about realities of becoming young parents. One such ad says, “If you finish high school, get a job, and get married before having children, you have a 98% chance of not being in poverty.” The results of the NYWF index tell us that for many young women in New York, poverty is where they already live, regardless of whether or not they are parents. Factors such as race, class and geographical location in the city intersect with gender, perpetuating a situation that hurts women, babies, and communities.

The NYWF findings reinforce the need for a closer look at the distribution of New York City’s resources and the focus of its attention. It’s a call to arms for those working for economic and reproductive justice and education, as well as for everyone and anyone looking to directly impact the reality of women and girls in the city. And if you were wondering how to do that, make a donation to NYAAF.

Last Sunday, you helped strike down barriers to abortion access by raising over $85,000 for NYAAF!!  You made NYAAF’s 4th annual bowl-a-thon #1 in the country!

A HUGE thank you to bowlers, donors, and supporters, who worked tirelessly to make sure that a lack of financial resources isn’t a barrier to accessing abortion care. We couldn’t do this critical work without your generous support.

You can check out photos from the bowl-a-thon here.

If you have donors who still want to give don’t worry, bowl-a-thon contributions can be made in-person or online until the end of April.

If you had a great time and want to continue breaking down barriers to abortion access, stay involved with NYAAF!  If you would like to volunteer with us,
email us at nyaaf@nnaf.org.

And please join us at these upcoming events!

Magic, Music & Mystery at Madame X: A Charity Soiree to Benefit NYAAF
May 7th, 6:30pm-10:30pm
Madame X, 94 West Houston St, New York, NY
With your donation of $50 in advance, $60 at the door, you gain entrance into this fun-filled charity event as well as one signature drink ticket, a special performance by burlesque star Legs Malone, and one raffle ticket for fun prizes!
Purchase tickets here.

Punk Rock Karaoke for NYAAF
May 24, 9:00pm, Pine Box Rock Shop
12 Grattan St, Brooklyn, $8 Donation
Punk Rock Karaoke is a DIY, fund-raising event that benefits a different community group at each event.  Featuring songs from: Against Me!, Bikini Kill, Black Flag, Bratmobile, Buzzcocks, Choking Victim, The Clash, Circle Jerks, Crass, Dead Kennedys, Descendents, Devo, Flogging Molly, Fugazi, Gogol Bordello, Gorilla Biscuits, Jawbreaker, Joy Division, Minor Threat, The Misfits, NOFX, Operation Ivy, Pixies, The Pogues, Ramones, Rancid, Screeching Weasel, Sex Pistols, Sleater-Kinney, The Smiths, The Specials, Stiff Little Fingers, Wire, X, X-Ray Spex + More!!!

Thank you again for all that you do,

The NYAAF Board of Directors

We’re raffling off ten kickboxing packages (each package includes three group classes and a free pair of boxing gloves!) generously donated by NY San Da / iLoveKickboxing.com 35th Street.  The top three winners will also get a free personal training session from long-time NY San Da trainer and NYAAF Board Member Rebecca Wind.

Here’s what else you can do to make NYAAF’s 2013 Bowl-a-thon a success:

• Start a team, join a team or sponsor a team on the NYAAF Bowl-a-thon page.
• Spread the word! Share the link to NYAAF’s Bowl-a-thon page or forward this email to friends, family, and colleagues.
• Tweet to let your friends know that you are excited for this year’s Bowl-a-thon by clicking here.

Together, we’ll strike down barriers to abortion access!

Many thanks,
NYAAF Board of Directors

Meet Your Local Abortion Funder is an interview series conducted by NYAAF volunteer Chanel Dubofsky in which she interviews current NYAAF board members about why they are involved in abortion fund work.

Rye Young has been on the NYAAF board since September 2012. He’s the Intake Coordinator, which means that he focuses on our intake protocols, how we collect data from our intakes, and our systems related to the intake process. He heard about NYAAF through his years of running Third Wave Foundation’s Emergency Abortion Fund (EAF). The organizations often worked together on challenging cases; it was part of Third Wave’s mission to compliment the work of local funds by working together on some of the most daunting cases.

Why do you do this work?

I serve on NYAAF’s board because abortion policies have increasingly become complex tools of sexism, racism, and class oppression. I am on the NYAAF board because I believe in the universal right to quality health care, the right for people to determine their own lives, the right for our bodies to not be used in service to the imbalance of power that this country was founded on, but is so increasingly buried in a maze of policy and bureaucracy. I am on the NYAAF board to figure out what kind of state we want to live in, and to disrupt a perverse system violence – the consequences of which are only partially understood. Because abortion (and many other services of health and self-determination) is quasi-legal in this country, it is so important for state-based organizations to carve out a pathway to access.

What does reproductive justice mean to you?

To me, RJ is about paying attention to the way that structures of oppression maintain their power by literally taking power from the bodies of marginalized people. RJ has shown me how the women’s movement was built from the perspective and power of middle and upper class, college educated, white and often, but not always, straight, cisgendered women. Thus, at the same time in history that marked the height of the Eugenics movement in America with the forced sterilization against indigenous people, disabled people, incarcerated people, trans and queer people, and Puerto Rican people, the women’s movement, even the more radical revolution seeking women’s liberation movement, saw the fulfillment of reproductive freedom in the right to contraception and abortion. At the end of the day I think RJ is about building a movement that does not allow anyone’s body to be sites of state power, gender binary enforcement, white power, class oppression, or colonialism. I gravitate towards this frame because I am White, class privileged, able-bodied, transgender and queer person who experiences privilege and oppression at the same time. This frame is an important part of becoming aware of the ways that I have privilege in my movement work as opposed to seeing myself as someone who is a part of this movement because I am oppressed by my birth sex, sexuality or gender.

What are your hopes for the future of abortion access?

I hope that the movement for abortion access stops talking so much about abortions! So many people that we serve would rather have a child, but can’t because they can’t afford one, or another one as the case may be. The focus on abortion alienates many would-be movement participants because that might not be the preeminent struggle in people’s lives. Folks aren’t calling the fund to talk about how oppressive it is to have a uterus, people call us because they don’t have money, or a way to get where they need to go, or someone who they trust in their lives. I want to see the movement really listen to the needs of the people they serve and talk about economics and talk about not just abortion stigma, but the stigma of choosing to have a child even if you’re poor, or young, or undocumented, or homeless, or somehow not a “perfect parent.” Sometimes in those cases, abortion attaches less stigma than carrying through with a pregnancy – it’s all relative. To that end, I’d love to see the “choice” frame completely turned on it’s head! In addition I would like to see people stop talking about abortion as a woman’s issue when in fact we are talking about cis-gendered women, transgender men, gender non-conforming, and intersex people of a wide variety. I also hope that the abortion movement can start making connections between the ways that healthcare access is denied in other ways and start building solidarity and share strategies with the queer and trans liberation movement, birthing justice movement, sex worker/street-based economy movement, immigration movement, de-decriminalization and de-carceration movements. Many people are getting denied the healthcare access that they need because they are X, Y or Z.

Meet Your Local Abortion Funder is an interview series conducted by NYAAF volunteer Chanel Dubofsky in which she interviews current NYAAF board members about why they are involved in abortion fund work.

Maureen has been on the NYAAF board for four years. She started as a volunteer and shortly thereafter joined the board as the volunteer coordinator. She also serves as the Board Co-Chair.

Why do you do this work?

I came to this work because, as a young activist, I was looking for a place to get involved, do direct service and find my voice. But now it is more than that. I’ve learned so much about the barriers to abortion access and seen them first-hand and it feels like something I need to do, as someone who believes in reproductive justice, to try and help bring down those barriers. And it’s so concrete! There is such a measurable impact of this work. We provide funding and someone who doesn’t want to be pregnant doesn’t have to be pregnant anymore. Or we give information about enrolling in Medicaid and someone who qualifies is able to have that coverage going forward. I also believe it’s about empowerment. We want people to know that they can advocate for themselves at a clinic, at a Medicaid office, and on the phone with us. We want to empower people to do what they think is best for themselves and for their families.

What does reproductive justice mean to you?

That is a big question! I love the definition from SisterSong, “the right to have children, not have children, and to parent the children we have in safe and healthy environments.” To me, it’s about being able to create the life, family and future that you would like to have. It’s easy to understand the idea of individual reproductive rights but reproductive justice take that and adds consideration of the intersections of race, class, environment, immigration status, gender identity, etc.

I feel really inspired by reproductive justice. It means I have to get out of my comfort zone, learn about things I may have never experienced personally, try to let go of my privilege, try to be a better ally. It feels so promising. Really big things could happen if we could all address the problematic, unjust systems and power structures with the reproductive justice framework in mind. Many forms of injustice are systematic and interconnected so if you want to dismantle those systems you will not be effective if you come at it from one angle.

What are your hopes for the future of abortion access?

My hope for the future of abortion access is that all abortion fund volunteers can go home and take a nap soon! I’m joking but what I really mean is that I would love to see a world where abortion funds are not needed. Repeal the Hyde Amendment, expand insurance coverage for abortion, expand Medicaid coverage. Make sure everyone makes a living wage and can afford to support themselves and their families. Everyone having the financial means and support to create the family they want to create would be my dream.

At our 2012 Bowl-a-thon, we raised a grand total of $73,315. Thanks to over 200 pro-choice New Yorkers, we were the #1 abortion access Bowl-a-thon in the country!

We are reaching out to you now to ask for your help in making the 2013 Bowl-a-thon an even bigger success. This year’s Bowl-a-thon is on Sunday, April 21, 2013 at Bowlmor Union Square, 110 University Place, New York, NY.

If you want to take the lead on starting an awesome team, just visit NYAAF’s Bowl-a-thon page and click ‘Register’. Next, recruit a few friends and form your 6-person dream team!

As you know, the Bowl-a-thon is not about how many pins you strike down — it’s about having fun, building community, and ensuring that abortion in New York state isaccessible and funded.

Here’s what you can do to make NYAAF’s 2013 Bowl-a-thon a success:

• Register your team on the NYAAF Bowl-a-thon page. Can’t attend? Then consider donating to support an existing team or individual.
• Spread the word! Share the link to NYAAF’s Bowl-a-thon page or forward this email to friends, family, and colleagues.
• Tweet to let your friends know that you are excited for this year’s Bowl-a-thon by clicking here.

Together, we’ll strike down barriers to abortion access!

Many thanks,
NYAAF Board of Directors

Meet Your Local Abortion Funder is an interview series conducted by NYAAF volunteer Chanel Dubofsky in which she interviews current NYAAF board members about why they are involved in abortion fund work.

Sunny has been on the NYAAF board for a year and a half as the institutional fundraiser. She heard about NYAAF through her friend and colleague at the Ms. Foundation, Irene Xanthoudakis, who is a NYAAF founder.

Sunny Daly, NYAAF board member

Why do you do this work?

Honestly? Because it makes me feel like a superhero. Because every person who calls us has their own story, their own reasons for calling, their own plans and decisions to make. NYAAF gives them the means to make the decision they want to make – whether it’s a $50 pledge to a clinic on their behalf, or information about how they can find an abortion provider near them. The people who call us are empowered by NYAAF; and when I am the one talking to them, asking them what they need, it’s hard not to wear a cape and brightly colored underwear!

What does reproductive justice mean to you?

Reproductive justice is the goal of full information, full ability to ask and have questions answered, full availability of technologies and treatments, and the full means to access all options of reproductive and sexual health care. Reproductive justice is more than reproductive rights, as it keeps those people most often marginalized by bias, racism, homophobia and other bigotries at the center because these are often the people who cannot access their rights.

I want to highlight that information and informed consent are essential pieces of reproductive justice. This goes beyond the usual sex ed information on the differences among the pill, the IUD and fertility awareness, but must include how one’s own body works (it’s fascinating and beautiful!).

What are your hopes for the future of abortion access?

That it is absolute.

Abortion access is one of many components of this goal of reproductive justice. NYAAF’s work, and the increasing need for our services, highlights that rights are not the only thing we need to fight for, even in in today’s anachronistic assault on legal abortion. For so many people, especially those with low or no income, in rural areas, without English as a first language or afraid to try their luck with the system because of immigration status, past incarceration or other circumstances, a legal right is besides the point. These are issues of access. And we can’t achieve our goal of reproductive justice without it.

Today as you see roses everywhere, eat chocolates out of a red heart shaped box, send multiple someecards to your friends, and raise a glass of champagne toasting that special person in your life — I raise my glass to one organization – the New York Abortion Access Fund.

I started volunteering with NYAAF late in 2010 and found a group of people that understood my passion for reproductive justice, wanted to talk about abortion access as much as I did, and welcomed me with open arms. When I was alerted to an open position on the board, I immediately applied and prepared for my interview more than most people prepare for their senior prom. When I was offered a position on the board in August 2011 I knew my life would only be changing for the better.

I attended my first board meeting, received intake training, and was prepared to start my first week of intake. Our intake week begins on Sunday, my first Sunday of intake was the day after the 2011 SlutWalk, which I helped to organize. So while putting away protest signs and bullhorns I was checking the voicemail and returning calls to people seeking funding for their abortions. Not only was I winding down from SlutWalk but I was also preparing to head home for the wedding of a close friend. I traveled to Vermont and was answering intake calls in a barn while de-thorning roses for the brides bouquet. During wedding prep I would hear my phone ring and sneak away to speak to someone who was seeking funding. I answered the phone early in the morning before getting out of bed and negotiated price discounts with clinics while setting up centerpieces. I learned that abortion fund volunteers don’t take a vacation, or a sick day — we work every day of the year no matter the occasion.

In 2012 I was on intake six times. Six weeks of the year I was responsible to respond to emails, check the voicemail, return phone calls, and negotiate prices with clinics. That is six weeks of the year that my co-workers saw me come into the office early to be able to call clinics as soon as they opened. Six weeks that my friends received notice that I wouldn’t be able to go out after work, or attend Sunday brunch because NYAAF intake takes priority over everything else. Six weeks that I carried my black intake binder with me everywhere I went. Six weeks that I called and texted with people who were seeking funds for their abortion or were looking to be connected to resources such as a medicaid enroller in their community or a clinic that provides abortion care. Six weeks that I dedicated my time and energy to helping people raise as much as they could on their own and bridging a gap in the end if needed. Those were the best six weeks of my 2012.

I made intake calls in airports, on a bench in Washington Square Park, in the small conference room in my office, in my living room, in my parents living room, in coffee shops in Burlington Vermont, ducking into quiet spaces while attending a friends birthday party. Always asking the person what was the best time of day to reach them. If they’re a student it may be early in the morning before class. If they’re a parent it may be after 9pm once their children are fast asleep. NYAAF doesn’t have an office so board members find a quiet and private space to make and return calls.

There are some people in my life who don’t understand why I love this work so much. Some people who think I talk about abortion too much or too often, or the in wrong spaces. Who think I spend too much time working. To them I say it’s not possible. To them I say spend a week with me while I’m on intake, check the mail and open a letter from someone we have funded expressing their unlimited thanks and telling us how we have now opened doors for them and put them in control of their life.

I love the New York Abortion Access Fund. I love the other 12 people who serve as board members. I love each and every person who supports the organization. I love the people who attend our events, who talk about us on Facebook and Twitter, and who donate when they can. I love the people who aren’t afraid to talk about abortion, or the Hyde Amendment and other reproductive justice issues. I love everyone who talks about NYAAF as much as I do, because the more you talk about NYAAF the more people realize we exist.

Today many people choose to overtly express their love and gratitude for others in their lives. On this day, and every other day of the year, I choose to express my love, gratitude and extreme appreciation for the New York Abortion Access Fund.

I want to say thank you to every person who makes NYAAF what it is, who makes NYAAF the incredible abortion fund it is. Thank you to every person who will put on a pair of bowling shoes on April 21st and bowl for abortion access. Thank you to every person who celebrated abortion access with us on the 24th of January, and thank you to each and every person who works together to ensure abortion is safe, legal, accessible and funded. If it weren’t for all of you I wouldn’t have a valentine.

xoxo,

Alison Turkos
NYAAF Board Member