The Buzz: Apiary's Monthly Newsletter
Welcome back to our newsletter! This month we're excited to tell you a little more about what we're working on in this rapidly changing world of practical support and abortion access.
You might have seen the recent New York Times article about how travel costs impact abortion access (shoutout to our practical support partners who provided their insights and data!). The majority of Americans can't afford any $1000 emergency cost - and many people are now looking at double that for just the ability to get to and from the clinic, not including the price of the procedure itself. Practical support organizations have been showing up to help people with these costs and logistics for many years and are stepping up now in ways we've never seen. We're so proud and impressed by all of them - but also know this work is hard and exhausting. That's why we are spending our time and energy working to build tools that make their work easier. You can read more about what that means below.
Speaking of people we love - yesterday was Indigenous People's Day so we're highlighting the work of another longtime partner, Indigenous Women Rising. IWR works with Indigenous communities across the country to ensure they can safely access their abortion care and are leaders in this movement. Be sure to take a look and support them in any ways you can!
In solidarity,
Marisa Falcon
Executive Director
PS: the National Network of Abortion Fund's new Executive Director, Oriaku Njoku, was recently named one of Time100 Next, a list of rising star leaders from Time Magazine. Congratulations, Oriaku!!
What We Do
Apiary for Practical Support is a hub for practical support groups to pool resources, knowledge, and create community. We are the organization that practical support groups can lean on to stabilize, scale, and grow to reach more people that need this critical care.
Our Programs:
PS Blueprint: Advising existing and new organizations that want to provide practical support on how to get started and how to shift to the changing landscape using resources, instructional manuals, how-to guides, and more, that we are creating in collaboration with active practical support orgs;
Directory: Managing a directory housed in ineedana.com and created in collaboration with them and the National Network of Abortion Funds of procedural funds, practical support organizations and clinics across the country;
The Hivemind: Holding and creating community spaces for collaboration and communication among PSOs to enable better awareness of the organizations that exist, how they work, and what service gaps need to be filled;
PS 101: Providing trainings about what practical support is and how it impacts the abortion access landscape;
TA Coalition: Hosting monthly calls across all the technical assistance groups in the movement to align strategies and efforts.
Your support helps make sure we can keep growing and building
PS Organization Spotlight: Indigenous Women Rising
Indigenous Women Rising was founded by Rachael Lorenzo (Mescalero Apache, Laguna Pueblo, Xicana) in 2014 as a campaign to bring attention to the fact that Indigenous women and people who rely on Indian Health Services for healthcare were being denied access to Plan B, a form of emergency contraception. In time, Rachael was joined by co-founders Nicole Martin (Diné, Laguna Pueblo, Zuni Pueblo, Chiricahua Apache) and Malia Luarkie (Black, Laguna Pueblo, Zuni Pueblo) to build the advocacy and support organization that exists today.
Indigenous Women Rising is now a full-spectrum reproductive justice and advocacy organization that helps Native people across the country pay for and access abortion care; midwifery care; menstrual hygiene; and culturally sensitive, medically accurate sex education. IWR recognizes that until all bodies get the care they need, they cannot fully realize their obligation to steward the natural resources they are responsible for.
Indigenous communities have been systematically disenfranchised by the United States government, state governments, and municipalities, whether it’s voting or access to basic healthcare. Beyond the years of forced sterilization and coercive tactics utilized on Indigenous families, federal regulation of abortion access has significantly limited care on reservations. In recent years, some hospitals have also reduced or eliminated obstetric services, forcing pregnant people to drive hours to give birth or seek other kinds of specialty care.
Indigenous women are 2-3 times more likely to die as a result of their pregnancy than white women. Indigenous Women Rising helps bridge that gap by ensuring people are able to access care despite the hurdles put in place.
Indigenous Women Rising’s mission is to honor Native & Indigenous People’s inherent right to equitable and culturally safe health options through accessible health education, resources, and advocacy.
L-R: Rachael Lorenzo, Nicole Martin, Malia Luarkie. New Mexico Roundhouse, March 2019
Indigenous Women Rising is the only practical support organization by and for Indigenous populations. Their role cannot be understated. Support their work to ensure they can continue this necessary care.