Hi everyone! In my first few weeks interning with the New Orleans Abortion Fund, I feel like I’ve already been a part of so much: from fundraising nights and clinic escort trainings to big-picture discussions about the future of the organization with the NOAF community and getting the chance to meet Southern abortion providers and advocates.
Left: Alex and I tabling at Sex Ed Bingo, a fundraising event for NOAF
Right: A crowded room of supporters coming to hear Dr. Willie Parker, one of the few abortion providers in the state of Mississippi, come to New Orleans to speak about his book: Life’s Work: a Moral Argument for Choice
One of the most interesting events I’ve been a part of so far has been a NOAF Values Alignment Discussion and Training workshop. This event brought together different members of the NOAF community, from clinic escorts (those who escort clients in and out of the women’s health clinic in New Orleans) to client intake volunteers (those who answer the NOAF hotline and speak with clients directly) to board members and interns. Getting a chance to meet and speak with all of these different people was a great experience and a good way to understand the breadth of services the organization provides. [I also participated in a clinic escort training and hope to take my first shift in two weeks (so expect another post on that)!] It was also a great way to see how organizations, especially small community-based organizations and nonprofits, structure their organization, both in terms of services and values. I was able to contribute to the conversation about the next steps NOAF would like to take forward in terms of collaboration with other organizations, recognizing how race & class plays into the relationship between NOAF’s volunteers/board members and its clients, and fundraising. This upcoming Tuesday, Alex and I will be meeting with several other NOAF members to brainstorm a list of action items and corresponding goals regarding diversity through community engagement. I look forward to working on these goals with NOAF!