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