What happens when you bring 50+ practical support groups together?
This time of year, as we celebrate Indigenous and Latinx leaders in our movement, we also commemorate the life and senseless death of Rosie Jimenez, a 27-year-old Mexican-American mother from McAllen, TX, who died as a result of an unsafe abortion on Oct 3, 1977. Rosie hadn’t been able to access the legal, in-clinic care she needed because of the Hyde Amendment, which has prevented Medicaid coverage of abortion since 1976.
Now here we are, half a century later, still fighting for abortion access in an eerily similar yet very different landscape: the Supreme Court is back in session this month, likely ruling on the future of abortion pills. The aid that practical support organizations (PSOs) provide is, unfortunately, just as urgently needed today as it was in 1977. The importance of community and collective strategy cannot be overstated.
Despite all the attacks coming our way, I’m feeling more invigorated by our community than ever.
We’ve just returned from our convening of the first ever in-person Practical Support Summit in New Mexico, and let me tell you—PSOs are making abortion possible in every corner of this country, and they’re not backing down.
Our Summit brought together 80 people from more than 70 PSOs and allied organizations across the country (plus 70 virtual attendees!) for community building, expert panels and skill-building workshops, and special “office hours” with attorneys and technology experts.
“In a post-Dobbs landscape where the logistics of traveling to and from abortion appointments continues to get more and more complicated, this conference was a much-needed space for community and shared learning between organizations and people working every day to get people safely to and from their care.”
A special thanks to our friends at Indigenous Women Rising who helped open up our event by grounding us in the space and reminding us the importance of decolonizing our work and listening to the voices of Indigenous leaders. Monday was Indigenous People’s Day and if you’re looking for a way to give back, look no further than IWR! Donate, stay connected, and help spread the word about the only abortion fund by and for Native and Indigenous people.
Thanks also to our 40+ incredible sponsors who truly made all of this possible. You can check out the full summit recap right here.
In solidarity,
Marisa Falcon
Executive Director
Apiary for Practical Support
Pollination Station Signup! 🐝
Apiary is getting ready to lead the THIRD cycle of The Pollination Station, our practical support volunteer training series!
This three-session series covers the fundamentals of practical support grounded in the Reproductive Justice framework. Upon completion of the program, applicants (aka Pollinators) are connected to their local practical support organization to hit the ground running.
Our next round of training will run in October through November. If you cannot attend this fall round, we will be offering this series throughout 2024.
You can apply here, or reach out to learn more.
Partner Spotlight 🔦
In honor of Rosie and in gratitude for their part in making our Summit a success, we want to shout out South Texans for Reproductive Justice, based in Rosie’s hometown of McAllen. South Texans for Reproductive Justice (STRJ) is a BIPOC, queer-led organization which came together in 2013 as Texas abortion clinics faced targeted political attacks and is based in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) on the Texas-Mexico border. They currently serve twelve counties in South Texas.
STRJ founded the clinic escort program at the now-shuttered abortion clinic in McAllen during some of the most aggressive anti-abortion protests in the state. They held large rallies to counter the annual March for Life held in the RGV, do free distribution of Plan B (aka the “morning after pill”), and continue to advocate for reproductive rights, bodily autonomy, and access to reproductive healthcare in the Rio Grande Valley.
STRJ led an incredible training about Plan B at the Summit for our virtual attendees - we HIGHLY SUGGEST you bring them in, too!! You can contact them on their website for more info.