New York Abortion Access Fund

NYAAF is in the news today. Check out Retuers’ article about the effects of the recession on family planning. Keep the movement going, donate today.

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE53L0S520090422

Just a quick update from last week’s intake duty. Think y’all might be interested in hearing the kinds of cases we deal with on a weekly basis.

It was a busy week. We funded 5 women’s procedures, but fielded many more calls and more are in the works for this week.

One that stands out:
Tia from Philadelphia. A 26-year-old mother of two, she emailed us on Tuesday, 9 weeks pregnant and desperate for help. She is on welfare and has Medicaid, but because she happens to be from Pennsylvania–a state that does not allow any state Medicaid funding to be used for abortions–she may as well have been uninsured. She wanted to come to NYC for the procedure, because the cost is substantially less here than many other cities–even when you take into account travel costs to get here. Guess it’s a supply and demand thing–so many providers here they have to compete by lowering the cost.

While we answer email, it’s easiest to deal with clients and clinics by phone to ensure quick results, so I asked Tia to call me. She responded to my email with apologies, saying that she was so poor she had no long distance calling on her phone, and asked that I call her if at all possible.

Tia had saved $100, and the cost of the procedure was $425. I called the clinic and was able to negotiate a $50 dollar discount. That left $275, but given all the other cases this week and our fiscal situtation, I took the extra step to call the abortion fund in Philly and they agreed to pledge $50 as well, given that she was a Philly resident. So NYAAF pledged $225 for Tia and she was able to get to NYC and had her procedure on Friday.

Tia was exceedingly grateful to us for the assistance, and I am in turn exceedingly grateful to all of YOU–our supporters and donors who make it possible for us to help women in need!!!

All for now,
Julia

THANKS to everyone who came out to the Other Means reading at The Flying Saucer cafe in Brooklyn last night. We raised very respectable $331 from the over 50 spectators packed into the coffee shop.

Associated Press covers the deep effects of the recession on abortion funding across the country.

ABC News: Meltdown Impact Extends to Abortion, Birth Control
abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=7161386

To give you an idea of where the money donated on Facebook goes, yesterday NYAAF pledged $2700 to a woman who had no where else to turn to be able to obtain her abortion. Thank you to to all our Facebook supporters whose donations allow us to say “Yes, we can help you” when faced with emergency cases like this one.

$2700 is a big pledge for us. In 2008, we gave out just over $48,000 to 71 women who needed help paying for their abortions. At the moment, we have far less than that sum in our bank account.

And the calls keep coming. Since late last year, we have noticed an increase in the number of women seeking our help—a result we think of both the economic crisis and our own efforts to increase our reach by partnering with New York clinics beyond the five boroughs. In order to keep pace with the demand for our services, we have a lot of fundraising to do this year.

Please consider helping us out by donating here and inviting friends to join our cause. Share the NYAAF page on your profile, or follow the example of our friend Katha Pollitt by setting a fundraising goal and inviting friends to help you meet it.

NYAAF board members will post messages (on our wall, so as not to clutter your inbox) to let you know where the money goes; and once a month we will send a note like this one to update you on trends we are witnessing from the front lines.

Thank you for helping us help women and for spreading the word about NYAAF,

Leila

NOTES FROM THE NYAAF BOARD MEMBER HANDLING INCOMING CALLS FOR OUR ASSISTANCE THIS WEEK:

What a busy week for funding! NYAAF was able to assist five women to access abortion services, but we had calls or emails from 12 women! (some were able to get Medicaid, others were still making arrangements for their procedure so did not have them this week)

One case really highlighted for me the impact our current economy is having on us all, especially women who need health services. This caller had a history of difficult pregnancies and had no children because of her problems carrying to term. She called NYAAF because she and her partner were concerned that she was pregnant at this time…they realized that since he had lost his job and she could not afford maternity leave they would have a hard time raising a child or paying expensive medical bills that could result from a difficult pregnancy. She did not have insurance from her work but made too much to be eligible for Medicaid. She was making just enough money to get by so NYAAF stepped in and covered her abortion procedure.

In this tough economy we have a greater and greater need to support women so that abortion is not just accessible, but also affordable and funded!

Karlin

“I Had An Abortion” Documentary Screening & Discussion with Jennifer Baumgardner, Filmmaker, Activist, Author & Gillian Aldrich, Filmmaker

*in honor of Roe vs. Wade anniversary*
a portion of the proceeds donated to
New York Abortion Access Fund

additional support by Women & Hollywood

Location: The People Lounge
When: Wednesday, Jan 21, 2009
Time: 7:00 PM
Where: In the heart of the Feminist District – People Lounge, 163 Allen Street, NYC
(Between Stanton and Rivington, F or V Train to 2nd Avenue)
HopStop Directions

Cost: $12 online pre-sales until Jan 20, $15 at door

“Fresh, moving, important…Muriel Rukeyser wrote, ‘If one woman told the truth about her life, the world would split open.’ [This film] gives us 10 truth-telling women, and splits the world open in as many ways.”
Katha Pollitt, The Nation

Underneath the din of politicians posturing about “life” and “choice” and beyond the shouted slogans about murder and rights, there are real stories of real women who have had abortions. Each year in the US, 1.3 million abortions occur, but the topic is still so stigmatized that it’s never discussed in polite company.

Powerful, poignant, and fiercely honest, I HAD AN ABORTION tackles this taboo, featuring 10 women — including famed feminist Gloria Steinem — who candidly describe experiences spanning seven decades, from the years before Roe v. Wade to the present day. Filmmakers Jennifer Baumgardner and Gillian Aldrich insightfully document how changing societal pressures have affected women’s choices and experiences.

More info and to purchase a DVD:
http://www.wmm.com/filmCatalog/p…

About Jennifer:
After a five-year stint as an editor at Ms., Jennifer Baumgardner began writing for a diverse array of publications, doing investigative pieces for Harper’s, Mother Jones, and The Nation. Jennifer is co-author of Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism, and the Future; Grassroots: A Field Guide for Feminist Activism; and author of Look Both Ways: Bisexual Politics, as well as Abortion & Life.

Jennifer is a popular pundit and interview guest for venues from Oprah to Talk of the Nation. For two years, she was a host on She Span, a weekly political roundtable on the Oxygen Network for women. In 2003, the Commonwealth Club of California hailed her as one of six “Visionaries for the 21st Century”in their centennial year.

About Gillian:
Gillian Aldrich is a documentary producer and journalist who has worked on social justice issues in television, radio, and print. She has worked with Michael Moore on several projects, including most recently as a field producer for the academy award-winning documentary Bowling for Columbine; on his television series, The Awful Truth; and on his best-selling book, Downsize This; as well as contributing to his documentary, The Big One. In television, she line-produced Trio’s The Syringa Tree, a moving one-woman show about growing up in South Africa under apartheid. With Skylight Pictures, she co-produced Battle for Broad, a documentary about the Kensington Welfare Rights Union, a renowned group of homeless activists in Philadelphia who have made homelessness an international human rights issue.

About New York Abortion Access Fund:
NYAAF is a voluteer-run, non-profit organization that provides financial assistance to low-income women who cannot afford to pay for an abortion.
http://www.nyaaf.org/

About Women & Hollywood: News and commentary about Hollywood from a feminist perspective
http://www.womenandhollywood.blo…