March 7th, 2013

Hyde hurts...and Helms hurts, too

On March 7, 2013 we joined the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Rights, Forward Together, Ipas, SisterSong, and several abortion funds in an online chat to talk about the impact of abortion funding restrictions on rural women, women in poverty and women of color--both in the United States and, via the Helms Amendment, well beyond our borders. Check out the slide show for some highlights of our discussion!

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Categories: abortion restrictions, Eastern Massachusetts Abortion Fund, economic justice, Funds, Hyde Amendment, immigrants' rights, International Funds, Medicaid, New York Abortion Access Fund, unfair laws

February 19th, 2013

Abortion fund activists push for local and national funding reforms

Local abortion funds help women and girls pay for abortions they would otherwise not be able to afford--and they also work for fair laws that respect the lives and futures of all women. In just the past month, two abortion funds have fought for policy changes--and won! City and state efforts to restore Medicaid funding are taking root across the country, and abortion fund activists are instrumental in this push.

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Categories: economic justice, health care reform, New York Abortion Access Fund, unfair laws, Women's Medical Fund (Pennsylvania)

January 27th, 2013

Melissa Harris-Perry Show features abortion funds activist Steph Herold

"We cannot forget the basic issue of access to abortion." Melissa Harris-Perry features New York Abortion Access Fund board member and funds activist Steph Herold on her Saturday morning show to continue the discussion of the reality of abortion rights in women's lives 40 years after Roe v. Wade. Watch the video here:

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Categories: abortion restrictions, economic justice, Funds, Hyde Amendment, Medicaid, New York Abortion Access Fund, TakeAction, unfair laws

January 22nd, 2013

On the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade: what are the challenges to abortion access?

On the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, activists took part in an online discussion about the reality of abortion access. Click here to read some of the highlights from abortion funds and other reproductive justice activists.

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Categories: Abortion Support Network, Chicago Abortion Fund, DC Abortion Fund, Eastern Massachusetts Abortion Fund, economic justice, Funds, Hyde Amendment, immigrants' rights, Lilith Fund, Medicaid, New York Abortion Access Fund, TakeAction, Texas Equal Access Fund, unfair laws

March 22nd, 2012

Guess who's bowling for abortion access?

None other than renowned author Katha Pollitt, who explains why she's breaking out the rental shoes and lays out six reasons why donors should be giving to their local abortion funds and to the National Network of Abortion Funds in the April 9, 2012 edition of The Nation:

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Categories: Bowl-a-Thon , DC Abortion Fund, Lilith Fund, New York Abortion Access Fund, unfair laws

February 7th, 2012

Falling between the cracks

Falling Between the Cracks: Why Abortion Funds Exist and How You Can Help Them Help Women, by Eesha Pandit and Steph Herold, was originally published in RH Reality Check on February 6, 2012

Melissa is 26 years old. She has a husband serving in the U.S. military overseas and a young daughter with numerous special health care needs. When they learned that she was pregnant, Melissa and her husband considered their limited resources and decided to seek an abortion. The ban on federal funding for abortion meant that this basic medical service was not covered. Melissa managed to raise half of the cost of her procedure by delaying payment of non-essential bills. The New York Abortion Access Fund (NYAAF) pledged the other half.

Erika is a 19-year-old college student with an infant. When she became pregnant, her boyfriend had recently been laid off, leaving their family uninsured. She called NYAAF for help when her family refused to offer assistance. She’d saved $100 dollars from her student loan check. NYAAF pledged the remaining $250 and Erika received the abortion care she needed.

Since 2001, the NYAAF has helped 764 women from 25 states, including Melissa and Erika ¹,  gain access to safe abortion care. In fact, the need for abortion funding is so great that over 100 grassroots abortion funds exist across the country, all members of the National Network of Abortion Funds. NYAAF, a member of the Network, is a volunteer-run, non-profit organization that provides financial assistance to low-income women in New York state who can’t afford to pay for an abortion. This year, we’re celebrating a decade of ensuring accessible, funded abortion care in New York State.

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Categories: abortion restrictions, Funds, New York Abortion Access Fund