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(continued from Epilogue page 1)
Fundraising and Training – what it takes to establish Epilogue
[Jane] Politically, we're in a time
period where keeping abortion legal is taking so much focus and energy
and financial and other resources. We keep saying,: y'know, people
are still having abortions during this fight, so people still need
these services. But, there is an overwhelming need to focus on the
issue of keeping abortion legal. And we understand that.
It's a shame that after all of these years, fighting for choice still
such a prime issue. I think if we had started Epilogue seven years
ago, we wouldn't have had as much difficulty getting funding.
[Keeley] We've been applying for
grants, but a lot of money's going
more to organizations that are trying to keep abortion legal.
[Jane] One of our board members helped us get startup funding.
[Keeley] We've also gotten some private
donations. We're about to send out a mailing that's informational,
educational and donation-al. And, we're planning a fundraiser
for October. We already have a space donated, as well as food and beverages.
A lot of people have offered to donate things to raffle off during
the fundraiser. We're going to have, hopefully, you, and other artists,
and voter registration tables so that people register – since it's
in October, so close to the election.
[Jane] We need a certain amount of money
for Exhale to
come here and train us—for Keeley and I to be trained as trainers
and, at the same time, train 15 or so people to staff the talkline.
[vv] How much money are you guys looking
to raise to get started?
[Jane] $10,000 would be great! But we'd
be happy with 7000.
[vv] Would get you up to which point?
[Jane] The training and educational
and promotional materials and the actual talkline.
[vv] Do you have a space where this is going to be?
[Jane] No, we're kind of virtual.
[Keeley] We plan to use a call-forwarding
service.
[Jane] It's a 1-800-number, and during
the day there's an answering service.
[Keeley] We'll be open
from 5-10 pm when we figure most
people would call—in the evenings, rather than during the day
when they're working, at school, etc.
Wit this service, you call in, or go online, and you forward the 1-800
number to your phone number 15 minutes before you want it to be forwarded,
so the 800-calls will come to whatever phone you need it to for that
night.
[Jane] While you're on for the talkline,
you just have to stay home, or some place where you can answer a call
in a confidential space. And we'll have the option during the day that
if you call in, you can leave a message for a call-back—and ask
the person to tell us who should we say is calling (in order to maintain
confidentiality).
We've done a lot of the groundwork to figure out how the system
should work.
Another goal, besides providing the talkline, is to gather
information from people who call about what their needs are.
[Keeley] We want to find out what kinds
of things would have made the experience of the abortion better—what
would they have liked to have heard; what would have been helpful—what
would have been an easier experience for them, or would have made it
a more supportive experience—so that we can get that information
out there to the providers and to other after-abortion support services.
[Jane] We hope to be abe to inform others
about what we're finding; what people are saying about their experiences,
and what they need. We need to get that information into the literature.
O, and we have a web site, so
that is one way to present information. Part of the money we get will
go towards upkeep of the web site. |
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contraception
and pregnancy options counseling and service providers
Planned Parenthood
the access
project
Exhale
nyabortion.com
East
Side Gynecology
The
National Abortion Federation (NAF) is the professional association of
abortion providers in the United States and Canada. NAF members provide
the broadest spectrum of abortion expertise in North America.
Members include some 400 nonprofit and private clinics, women's health centers,
Planned Parenthood facilities, and private physicians, as well as nationally
and internationally recognized researchers, clinicians, and educators at major
universities and teaching hospitals, who together care for more than half of
the women who choose abortion each year in the United States.
Abortion.com was
created by long-time women's health care professionals who have been providing
abortion care for more than 30 years.
They understand the importance of the legal and political issues surrounding
abortion and work with state and national organizations to protect access to
this critical service.
More importantly, they know that you will not make a pregnancy decision based
on politics - that your concerns are for your family, your future, and yourself.
The providers on this site are ready to stand with you - be your partner - should
you choose abortion. Remember, you deserve to be cared for during this process...
so don't settle for less. |
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