Hello all!
This semester, I am fortunate enough to be continuing my time at the New Orleans Abortion Fund as the Client Services Data intern. The work has remained mostly the same. I’m continuing to call clients in order to collect data on their experiences via survey, and, as an extension of that, I have been helping in sending out Aftercare Kits and Emergency Contraception to our patients. We also have a newSpanish Language Intern, Lydia, which allows us a really exciting opportunity to extend our reach to our Spanish-speaking clients. NOAF has a dedicated Spanish hotline, but we do not have all of the same resources available for our Spanish-speaking patients, such as the aforementioned survey and packages. In the larger world of reproductive health and justice, the focus has certainly shifted a bit. Over the summer, all eyes were on the June Medical Services, LLC v. Russo case, which ended with a largely favorable result for reproductive health. Now, I think the focus has shifted more to be back on practical support, with the COVID pandemic still raging on and with much of the South currently recovering from two devastating hurricanes. NOAF also recently held its annual Taco or Beer Challenge, during which time various staff and supporters of the Fund talked about abortions while eating tacos or drinking beer, including Denisse, another intern in the program. We raised $3000 for the Fund, which I think serves to demonstrate how crucial reproductive health is. For most people, this is a time of incredible financial strain, but we were still able to raise thousands of dollars despite all of the craziness that’s going on. Overall, I’m very excited to be back for another semester, and I am continuing to learn a lot and make a real impact on the world of reproductive health.
Christina