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.