Hello All-Options community,
Whew. May has been an emotional month, with so much fear and anger to process—starting off as we saw the leaked draft Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, and ending in the wake of two deeply tragic and heartbreaking acts of mass gun violence in Buffalo, NY and Uvalde, TX.
Ending white supremacist violence and building safe communities for our children are reproductive justice issues. Supporting people in all their experiences with pregnancy, parenting, abortion, and adoption requires that we recognize and fight to eradicate the violence of white supremacy in all its forms and work to build a world where Black and Brown communities can raise their families in safety and dignity every day.
While we face this uncertainty and deep sorrow, we can’t help but feel buoyed by the outpouring of support from our long-time community members and new supporters who are freshly energized to stand up for abortion access and reproductive freedom and justice. More than 1,200 of you made your first-ever donation to All-Options since May 2, and we’ve received over $100,000 in donations in less than one month. Thank you.
We have a long and difficult road ahead of us, but together we will build a future of care and compassion that we all deserve. We’re so grateful to have you with us! Please read on to learn how you can continue on in this movement with us.
Last Call: Fund-a-Thon 2022
It’s been nearly two months of fundraising for the Hoosier Abortion Fund, and these next few days are your last chance to help us reach our stretch goal of $50,000!
Over the last month, the Hoosier Abortion Fund has gotten about 60-75 callers each week from folks seeking abortion funding, information about the process, and help finding clinics.
So many of these callers have multiple young children at home and must not only figure out the cost of paying for their abortion, but also coordinating child care, transportation, and time off work.
One recent caller thought they were going to a clinic for an abortion but instead found themselves subjected to a 2-hour session of shaming at one of Indiana’s many deceptive crisis pregnancy centers.
Your donation to our #HoosierAF Fund-a-Thon will go directly to supporting callers like them who are counting on this community to have their backs in a moment of crisis. Click here to make your donation by May 31 and help us reach $50,000 for our neighbors across Indiana!
Period Poverty Awareness Week
Did you know that in addition to providing diapers, we also offer period products at our All-Options Pregnancy Resource Center in Bloomington? That’s right!
This week is Period Poverty Awareness week, so we are joining our friends at the Alliance for Period Supplies to bring attention to the fact that one in four people struggle to afford period supplies.
Just as no family should struggle to diaper their little ones, no student should have to miss school and no adult should have to miss work because they lack basic necessities like pads or tampons.
If you or someone you know needs help getting period supplies in Bloomington, check out our order form here to set up a pickup or delivery. And learn more about the Alliance for Period Supplies and how you can help!
Indiana Judicial Bypass Project Volunteer Training
While we don’t know if or when abortion will be completely banned in the state, we do know that young people need support today to get the abortion care they need. That’s why the Indiana Judicial Bypass Project is here to help! The judicial bypass option is crucial for teens who cannot tell a parent or guardian about their decision to have an abortion, but navigating the legal hurdles imposed by the state is time-consuming, confusing, and stressful.
On June 9, we are hosting a training for volunteer lawyers in Indiana who want to help young Hoosiers obtain the abortion care they need through the judicial bypass process! We especially need new volunteer lawyers in Marion, Tippecanoe, St Joseph, Monroe, and Lake counties. If you’re interested in volunteering, click here to fill out the application by June 6th in order to be invited to the training on June 9th.
Now Open: Self-paced Pregnancy Options Workshop
All-Options’ signature Pregnancy Options Workshop is now available as a self-paced online course! We are facing unprecedented threats to reproductive freedom and self-determination, and it’s more important than ever for pregnant people to have access to unbiased, open-hearted support when making decisions about their pregnancy. That’s why we’re so proud to be able to offer this training in a new, more accessible format.
This self-guided adaptation of our facilitated training is for healthcare and social service providers, advocates, educators, counselors, doulas, and anyone who’s curious about supporting pregnant people with respect and without bias or judgment. This format allows you to take the course on your own time, while getting much of the same content as in our live training! The course includes a combination of presentations, readings, videos, and exercises, and includes an accompanying PDF workbook with additional resources and space for notes and reflections.
Are you ready to level-up your non-judgmental pregnancy options counseling skills? Click here to register and get started on our Thinkific page!
All-Options Talkline En Español
Our All-Options Talkine receives calls from people of all ages, genders, races, sexualities, backgrounds, religious affiliations, and political leanings. Most of our callers are pregnant or have been pregnant and want to talk about their own experiences. We also hear from partners, parents, friends, and loved ones who want to talk about their own feelings and/or how they can support someone in their lives. And we now have even more capacity to support Spanish-speaking callers though any experiences with pregnancy, parenting, abortion, and adoption! We’re so happy to offer the unparalleled emotional support our callers need to even more folks in their native language.
Callers can get support in English or Spanish by calling 1-888-493-0092 from anywhere in the United States. And if you work with people who may need someone to talk to, download our referral materials in English and Spanish on our website!
What we’re reading and sharing on social media
If you’re not following All-Options on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, you may have missed the posts that are keeping us informed and engaged. Here are some important reads.
Adaku Utah Believes Abortion Care Goes Beyond Legality, May 6, 2022
Dr. Yashica Robinson is fighting for reproductive choice in Alabama on two fronts, May 11, 2022
If Roe is overturned, experts fear for incarcerated people and reproductive care, May 17, 2022
Abortion resistance braces for demands of a post-Roe future, May 17, 2022