Right now everyone is talking about healthcare reform. Is it a good plan? When will it pass? What version will move forward? Will abortion be covered? That last question “will abortion be covered” is the question that I’m most curious about. Will a legal medical procedure that 35% of American women will likely undergo before the age of 45¹ be omitted from health insurance coverage because of political and “moral” opposition? Will women have to buy special abortion insurance even though other reproductive services like birth control, prenatal care and tubal ligations will likely be covered? Will insurance companies even provide abortion coverage? What happens to teens that rely on their parent’s insurance to cover them?

Once I step back from thinking about the impact on abortion coverage for women on the national healthcare plan, I begin thinking about the reality of poor and working poor women in Illinois who seek comprehensive reproductive healthcare. We live in a state where poor women who qualify for Medicaid funding are unable to get coverage for abortion, unless the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest or if the pregnancy is detrimental to the life or the health of the woman. It’s an unfair system, especially since these women are able to obtain coverage for other reproductive health procedures and care including tubal ligations, prenatal and postnatal care and contraceptives.

I also think about the women who, for whatever reason, don’t have the resources to pay for the cost related to an abortion. It could be the woman who lives in your building who already has a child or children and lives on a tight budget; it could be the student sitting next to you who is barely able to pay for tuition; it could be the woman who lost her job a few months ago and is now scraping the very bottom of her savings.

An abortion isn’t planned, it isn’t something that women save for, and it isn’t something that one buys insurance for. It is a legal medical procedure that should be part of any national and state healthcare plan that includes reproductive health coverage.

While we wait to figure out what the national healthcare plan will mean for abortion coverage and while groups like the Coalition for Reproductive Health and Access (which CAF is a member of) continue to fight for non-discrimination in reproductive health care funding on the state level, it gives me some relief to know that CAF is providing critical holistic support to women, young women and girls seeking second trimester abortions in Illinois while also supporting and building the reproductive rights and justice movement in Illinois by reaching out to and training former clients to be advocates on reproductive health issues.

If you’re as frustrated as I am about the national debate around abortion coverage, the lack of Medicaid funding for abortion and the continued stigmatization of abortion, I urge you to do what I did – make a donation to CAF to thank them for funding abortions - a legal reproductive healthcare service that isn’t covered in the way that other reproductive healthcare services are by state and federal government health plans.

Khadine Bennett
Board Co-Chair



¹Guttmacher Institute, An Overview of Abortion in the United States, available at http://www.guttmacher.org/media/presskits/2005/06/28/abortionoverview.html



On Dr. Tiller


On Sunday May 31st, healthcare provider Dr. George Tiller was murdered in church. Tiller was a champion for women’s reproductive rights, providing abortion services for more than three decades— despite attempts on his well being, his practice and his life.

Chicago Abortion Fund mourns the passing of a friend and a partner in our effort to Make Choice Possible for all women.

With the death of Dr. Tiller comes the end of a decade-long cease-fire on the most violent front of the abortion debate. The New York Times wrote Sunday that this tremendous act of violence is “likely to return the issue of abortion to center stage.”

While this tragic act is sure to reignite debate over the “issue” of abortion, we can’t fail to recognize that this has also been a targeted strike against access.

Anti-choice fanaticism has long employed fear as a tactic to impede women’s access- whether picketing outside of clinics, bombarding women with images meant to inspire horror, or physically blocking or restricting entrance to clinics. But when violence is utilized to stop an abortion provider or destroy a clinic, it does much more than that. It removes the promise of safety that should be inherent to any medical visit, and adds another dimension to the obstacles already faced by women seeking abortion services.

There are already far too many barriers to abortion access. A lack of providers has left entire cities and states without safe access to abortion. Economic barriers leave women with limited financial means unable to utilize abortion services—even if a clinic is geographically within reach. At the end of the day, legal abortion is only fully realized when the women who need it can access it.

Now, more than ever, we must speak up and speak out. Our resolve to take a stand for choice and access must be vigorous. Let the senseless attack of inspire a renewed and highly visible dedication to abortion access and the women who deserve it.

Chicago Abortion Fund is proud to be a national figure in this struggle. The Board is delighted to announce that just this month our Executive Director, Gaylon Alcaraz, received Choice USA’s Steinem-Waters Legacy Award for her role as a leader in the reproductive justice movement—particularly for her dedication to the development of young people in the field.

We can only continue this amazing work with your help. Please join us as we advocate for and provide funding for abortion access for all women. As we build momentum into our 25th anniversary, commit to attending a rally, spreading the news about our television program or making a donation that will directly support the women we serve! Donating your time, energy and resources makes a statement that you care about the women of our community, and that you are committed to Making Choice Possible!

Mariah Cunnick
Board Member


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Previous Word From The Board:

We are the Voices We’ve Been Waiting For

Yes, its election time once again and there is a cry among anti-choice groups to reclaim choice and voice from women worldwide. This comes in the form of backing laws that restrict funding for low-income women such as the Hyde Amendment or by blocking the construction and entrances of clinics. In whatever form, oppression rears its ugly head and we must become staunch and steadfast in salvaging the remnants of our voices. I believe that from the pieces of these voices we can build as one, resolved in assisting our sisters to gain their Voice for Choice.

During this time of monumental national transition, now is the time to rock the vote! Do your homework and research each candidate on the ballot, from President to Judges. Every leader matters! These leaders, from their individual post, can make or break laws for women and restrict our voice.

Chicago Abortion fund has been at the forefront of restoring marginalized voices from the cracks of society and allowing these women to be heard. The My Voice My Choice leadership group has taken to the airwaves and gone world wide via the web and You Tube. The resounding impact of this will be heard everywhere putting everyone notice that “Abortion” is not something that will be quelled in a closet. The young women of My Voice My Choice made it their mission to give power to voice and we, The Board, are proud to back them. Si Se Puede!

However, this effort takes constant vigilance in the face of adversity. CAF implores those of you who love our organization, and the support we’ve provided for women since 1985, to stand in solidarity with us by providing the necessary financial backing the women we serve desperately need. We also appeal to you to be physically present at hearings and protest plans to suppress choice for women. Let anti-choice movements know that we will not go silently into the night, our vote and our voices matter. No matter who wins this election, we have a long and arduous fight ahead of us as we work to repeal the Hyde Amendment and pass HB5615. We will fight for what is due us and will pass that courageous voice onto the next generation of choice leaders. We are the voices we’ve been waiting for.

Sincerely,
Lakeesha J. Harris
Board of Directors



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Previous Word From The Board:

"This is why speaking out is so important. The more women we know who have abortions, the more the stigma decreases. We need to hear their stories, we need to see that they are our friends. This is why I am so proud to be a part of the Chicago Abortion Fund."

The fall 2006 Ms. Magazine issue included hundreds of signers proudly declaring that "I had an abortion." 30+ years after Roe and we still need to proudly claim our abortions instead of them being merely fact. Can you imagine an ad that claimed "I had an appendectomy!" with thousands of signers? Why the need for our collective shouting? Is it because abortion is rare? No, it is one of the most common medical procedures for women. Is it because only single women do it? No, according to the Guttmacher Institute 60% of women obtaining abortions already have children [1]. Thus no need to "educate" these women. They know what pregnancy and childbirth is all about. Go ahead and force them to see an ultrasound South Carolina, Utah, Florida & others. They know what an 8-week-old fetus looks like. Their daughter's ultrasound photo is still on the refrigerator. Statistics show year after year that women of all types and of all religious backgrounds have abortions [2]. 27% of women obtaining abortions say they are Catholics.

This is why speaking out is so important. The more women we know who have abortions, the more the stigma decreases. We need to hear their stories, we need to see that they are our friends. This is why I am so proud to be a part of the Chicago Abortion Fund.

In early 2007, Gaylon Alcaraz, CAF Executive Director, announced CAF's innovative leadership group, My Voice, My Choice, made of past grantees aka women whom CAF helped with funding for their second trimester abortion.

In January 2008, Gaylon and the My Voice, My Choice leadership group launched CAF's CAN-TV show. Once a month this year, these women will talk about abortion. Perhaps about their own. Maybe a caller's abortion. They might even offer their opinion on current policies that create the conditions that make women "choose" to have an abortion.

CAF has also launched a You Tube channel for those of us who don't get CAN-TV. We will also dive head first into blogging. Imagine for a second what this means. A small group of young women, mostly African-American young women, who have had abortions are speaking out on television, on-line videos, and blogs. Never again will reproductive rights advocates wonder where the women who've had abortions are. They are right here, in Chicago, at CAF. Don't bother sending them an invitation for a seat at the proverbial table - They are already there.

Veronica I. Arreola
CAF Board Co-Chair


1] http://jfi.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/29/1/79
2] http://www.prochoice.org/about_abortion/facts/women_who.html



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Previous Word From The Board:

choice: def. 1 : the act of choosing 2 : power of choosing

pro-choice: def. favoring the legalization of abortion


I began to call myself pro-choice somewhere around the age of 12. It wasn't until college that I understood the economics that goes into the word "choice" not to mention the racial implications. It wasn't until my late 20s and being pregnant that I embraced the phrase "reproductive justice."

The eight other women and I who serve on the board of the Chicago Abortion Fund are working for reproductive justice. By raising money through grants and donations we are adjusting the scales of justice towards one woman. She is young, old, black, Latina, married, divorced, a survivor of rape, and most of all in need of help. During the fiscal year 2007 CAF approved 218 women for funding assistance. 159 of those women took advantage of the grant that averages just over $300. 159 women each with their own story. Six of these women have joined CAF's My Voice My Choice (MVMC) leadership group. Through MVMC, CAF will work with women to not only train them to be the best advocates for themselves and their community, but also be a positive change agent.

Roe. v. Wade allows for women to obtain abortions, but in reality Roe has been overturned for years for poor women, young women, and women located who live in one of the Illinois counties that have no provider (according to NARAL Pro-Choice America, 90% of Illinois counties have no abortion provider). Access is key to choice and CAF assists in making choice a reality.

CAF also understands that many issues interconnect to affect what choice means to each woman we serve. Can she afford to have another child? Is there quality child care available? Does she have access to paid maternity leave? Is she healthy enough to survive a full-term pregnancy? That is why CAF is proud to work with allied organizations that don't work on reproductive rights, but do Make Choice Possible.

Please join us on September 26, 2007 as we gather to update supporters and celebrate our victories at our annual Fall event. Come and meet our new board members and learn how you can join us in Making Choice Possible.

Veronica I. Arreola
CAF Co-Chair


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Previous Word From The Board:

As CAF board co-Chairs, we could not be more excited about our re-launch, in all it's aspects: the website you're now reading, the new look of all our materials, and significantly, our current Executive Director, Gaylon Alcaraz, who has been leading CAF for a full year now.


The Chicago Abortion Fund has sustained through many threats to reproductive freedom from the cessation of public funding for abortions and gag orders of the 1980s to the current, more subtle threats that come in the form of waiting periods, parental consent laws and restrictions on how physicians may practice medicine.

It has been 21 years since a group of activists, long involved in the women’s movement, recognized that the right to access an abortion was a right in theory only to the many women who could not pay for this medical service. Today, CAF continues to provide critically needed support to low-income women in the Chicago Metropolitan Area and across Illinois. CAF remains one of the few freestanding abortion funds in the country and is the only fund led by a woman of color. Over the years CAF has served over 16,000 women. Today, the average grant is approximately $308. Today, more women need our support than ever before.

CAF has faced some challenges over the past couple of years: staff turn-over, board attrition, even an office break-in. But over the past year Gaylon has done yeoman’s work toward bring CAF back to its current vibrancy.

Among Gaylon’s many accomplishments:

• Re-kindling numerous relationships with funders resulting in $70,000 brought in to the agency within the last 12 months;
• Writing the grant that garnered CAF the pro-bono services of Firebelly Design, the design studio that has designed our logo, materials and website;
• Archiving historic documents and updating the filing system;
• Rebuilding all financial records and donor database;
• Seeking and training 10 volunteers to assist with the client service line and agency mailings;
• Seeking and contracting a Strategic Planning Consultant who led the board through an in-depth organizational assessment;
• Placing CAF on several listservs to connect with volunteers, donors and potential board members;
• Attending innumerable meetings, caucuses, workshops and trainings to network with old and new contacts and keep CAF in the public eye.

If you're reading this, you've obviously discovered CAF's new website. We couldn't be happier with CAF’s new look and having this tool at our disposal to be in communication with clients, funders, donors, volunteers and the community at-large. As you surf our site, you'll find links describing our mission, vision and values; the words of some of our clients and other activists; a regular report from Gaylon; links to other allied organizations; and a place to make donations directly from the website.

We'd like to take this opportunity to introduce you to CAF's entire board:

• Carolyn Gordon, co-chair
• Sara L. Manewith, co-chair
• Jeanne Peterman
• Veronica Arreola
• Susan Ashman

We are a small but mighty group that is committed to keeping CAF's doors and phones open to keep abortion available to local women. However, we cannot continue to do this work alone. As optimistic as we are about CAF's future, we are not fully out of the woods. WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT in a variety of ways!

• Join our board!
• Donate!
• Volunteer!

The Chicago Abortion Fund remains utterly committed to making choice possible for ALL women in the Chicago metropolitan area. With your support, CAF will continue to educate; with your support CAF will continue to advocate; with your support women will be able to exercise their choice to control their lives.

Sara L. Manewith

Co-Chair