This morning, NYAAF Board Member Steph Herold was on MSNBC’s Melissa Harris-Perry show talking about abortion access. You can watch her two segments below.
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On January 18, 2013, NYAAF board members Alison Turkos and Phillip Kim testified before the New York City Council Committee for Women’s Issues on a resolution commemorating the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade and calling on the US Congress to fund comprehensive reproductive health care, including abortion. This is the first time NYAAF has provided testimony, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to report that the resolution passed!
The hearing was live-streamed, and our testimony begins around 57 minutes into the video. You can read our testimony here. Below are photos of our board members reading the testimony. Thank you to Gina Asprocolas for taking them!
Join us on January 24, 2013 as we honor City Council Member Jessica Lapin, Salon.com jouranlist Irin Carmon, and Jasmine Burnett, lead organizer with the New York Coalition for Reproductive Justice. Tickets available to be purchased here. 
As this year comes to a close, we at NYAAF are looking back and celebrating a year of success.
We’re also reflecting on our experiences this past year and why we do the work that we do. In spite of the seemingly countless attacks on reproductive rights, NYAAF has worked harder than ever to ensure abortion access to those that reach out to us.
In 2012, we increased both the amount of financial assistance and number of people we served by 31%, welcomed six new board members, celebrated our 10th anniversary, and expanded our collaborative funding both locally and nationally.
Though we do have a dedicated team of board members (some pictured above!), we couldn’t do our work without you.
As you think about New Years resolutions, keep NYAAF in mind — volunteer with us, tell your friends about us, find us on Twitter and Facebook.
Most of all, we ask that you keep in mind why you give to abortion funds – and why it’s so important. With your help, we can make choice a reality in 2013.
With warm regards,
The NYAAF Board of Directors
P.S. We want to extend a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has donated so far. If you can’t offer a financial gift, please consider forwarding this link on to friends and family, or spreading the word on social media like Facebook or Twitter. Your help is so appreciated.
We’re thankful for people like you.
Without you, over 350 women would not have been able to access the abortion services they needed this year. For them, your donations helped bridge the critical gap between choice and access – because without access, what choice did they have?
From 2011 to 2012, we were able to increase the amount we pledged by nearly a third. We are hoping that 2013 will be an even more successful year, but we need your help. Without our generous supporters, we wouldn’t be able to fund anyone at all. We are supported entirely by individuals like you.
At NYAAF, we are run entirely by a team of passionate volunteers who work every day to ensure that people are able to access the abortion services they need. This means that 100% of your tax-deductible donation goes directly to women in need.
With your contribution, you are saying, “I believe in choice. I believe in access. And I believe that everyone, regardless of their ability to pay, should be able to exercise their right to health care.”
With warm regards,
The NYAAF Board of Directors
P.S. We want to extend a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has donated so far. If you can’t offer a financial gift, please consider forwarding this email on to friends and family, or spreading the word on social media like Facebook or Twitter. Your help is so appreciated.
P.P.S. We received the card above from a group in Minnesota. Included in the envelope was $80 in cash. We may not know who you are, but we are so thankful for your contribution. This holiday season, let’s celebrate access!
Dear NYAAF friends, allies, and supporters,
The New York Abortion Access Fund has had a whirlwind of a year. We celebrated our 10th anniversary, held a hugely successful bowl-a-thon fundraiser, and increased both the amount of financial assistance and number of women we served by 31%. This past year, with your help, NYAAF provided $90,305 to 355 women who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford an abortion.
We’ve also witnessed a seemingly endless attack on reproductive rights. While the government plays politics with women’s health, funds like NYAAF are critical to ensuring abortion access for every woman, regardless of her socio-economic status. We’re writing because we need your help to continue to make abortion safe, legal, accessible, and funded.
As you know, although abortion is legal and safe in the United States, access to services is not always guaranteed. Cara* is 18-years-old and a single mother. After escaping an abusive relationship, she obtained an order of protection and was able to get a part-time job–but only after she became pregnant. Cara was unable to afford the cost of the abortion procedure she needed. After we made a pledge towards Cara’s abortion, her guardian was so grateful that he sent us a donation in her honor.
Sometimes, it’s not just money that hinders access to abortion services. In New York City, Hurricane Sandy caused flooding and power outages, leading to a host of complications for thousands of people. In spite of our phone system being down, we were able to make a pledge to 16-year-old Alexis*. Stuck in the outer edges of Brooklyn, she was facing a later abortion procedure with a price tag of $6,000. With our pledge, she was able to obtain an abortion.
These are merely two of the hundreds of cases that NYAAF helped fund in the past year. This holiday season, we thank you for your past support and invite you to make a difference in the lives of the women we help. Because NYAAF is run entirely by volunteers, 100% of your tax-deductible donation goes directly to women in need.
With your donation, you can help us ensure that abortion is safe, legal, accessible, and funded.
With gratitude,
The NYAAF Board of Directors
P.S. Unemployed and behind on rent, Jen* told our hotline volunteer, “thank you for allowing me to have the ability to sleep tonight knowing that my destiny is entirely in my hands again.” With your donation, we can make sure that no woman experiences sleepless nights because she is unable to pay for an abortion.
* Indicates name change to preserve confidentiality.
**UPDATE** As of 6pm on 11/2, our hotline seems to be back up. If you’re having problems getting through, please let us know via email.
As a result of Hurricane Sandy, our hotline is down. If you need help paying for your abortion, please email us nyaaf@nnaf.org.
If you have an appointment at a clinic for an abortion this week, please call ahead to make sure the clinic is open.
If you live in New York State or are coming to New York State for an abortion and you need help paying for it, you might be eligible for our funds. Call our hotline at 212-252-4757 and leave a message with:
- Your name
- Your telephone number
- The best time of day for us to call
- And whether it’s safe for us to say where we’re calling from if we have to leave a message
If you don’t have an appointment, go to Book of Choices to find an abortion clinic near you. We will return your call within 24 hours.
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Si usted vive en estado de Nueva York o están llegando al estado de Nueva York por un aborto y necesita ayuda para pagar por él aborto, usted puede ser elegible para nuestros fondos. Llame a nuestra línea telefónica: 212-252-4757 y dejar un mensaje con:
- Su nombre
- Su número de teléfono
- El mejor momento del día para ser contactado
- Y si es seguro para nosotros decir que estamos llamando si tenemos que dejar un mensaje
Si usted no tiene una cita, ir a Libro de Opciones para encontrar una clínica de aborto cerca de usted. Nosotros le devolveremos la llamada en 24 horas.
Are you bursting with creative event ideas? Are you an energetic, organized, and resourceful planner? We want YOU to join the NYAAF board as our Events Coordinator! Responsibilities include:
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. All donations to NYAAF go directly to people who need assistance paying for an abortion, and as such, administrative costs are covered by the board.
Interested? Email nyaaf@nnaf.org for a board application! Applications are due October 12.
Are you a strategic planning guru? We want you for the NYAAF board! We’re looking for a Resource Coordinator who will:
NYAAF seeks candidates with a minimum of two years of experience in organizational management, as well as familiarity with the grantmaking process and individual donor cultivation.
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. All donations to NYAAF go directly to people who need assistance paying for an abortion, and as such, administrative costs are covered by the board.
Interested? Email nyaaf@nnaf.org for a board application! We’re accepting applications on a rolling basis until August 31.