Florida...And Us (04/03/24)

you have, undoubtedly (hopefully?) heard the news about Florida's incoming 6-week ban. It will go into effect May 2nd. Florida law also requires two clinic visits to complete care--meaning that, in all  practicality--abortion will be virtually inaccessible for people within the state of Florida. You may have also heard that abortion access will be on the ballot in November in Florida. This is true! There will be a referendum to enshrine abortion access in their state constitution. The sobering reality is: 1) we don't know if that will pass 2) between now and then, hundreds of thousands of abortion seekers in Florida will suffer.

Our sibling network funds in Florida have been working tirelessly to get accurate information out into the world, as well as support their own helplines and case loads. This will only get more difficult. They are exceptional people, doing impossible work. We are grateful to be in this work with them. 

We are a network of care, and at CAF we have already been navigating straddling and serving two restricted states; South Carolina's 6-week ban caused an exponential jump in interstate travel for our callers. We have long supported callers from Florida traveling to North Carolina back when our limit was 20 weeks; we anticipate another flood, given that NC's current 12-week limit makes it the "most accessible" state in the South. 

You won't be surprised to hear that our capacity is low and our resources are being majorly strained. This, too, will only get worse, especially once Florida's newest ban is in full effect. This is why our Fund-a-Thon goal is 150k; it feels like an impossible moonshot, but...that's care for 230 callers. For anyone trying to access care in NC. Add in travel, and, well--it just doesn't go as far as we'd like it to. On the first day of this month, we pledged $11,000 in one day. Really. 

So: if you can, please donate. Asking for money sucks; we're also a fund, and until healthcare is free and abortion is available on demand, money makes care happen. Every dollar we raise from individual donations funds our helpline. And every dollar helps. Make a team; tell your friends, spread the word to your community. 

we're very, very grateful.