Letter to the Editor: Alabama Callous to Women's Health Care

Originally published in the Albany Times Union on June 4, 2019

The majority of Americans are outraged at the hatred sweeping across Republican-controlled states. Alabama is the most recent extreme example of denying women health care. The callousness of the legislators is stunning. Women's lives will be in jeopardy, but they don't care.

If these legislators truly cared about saving lives, they should be working to fix a worsening health care problem in their state, not dismantling what little access to health care Alabamians have left. Watching the 25 white, male state senators who voted, it is clear they just want to control women and not allow them to have control over their own bodies and lives. Their hypocrisy is incredible since there are no laws restricting men's access to any form of health care. Medical decisions for a patient should be made by the patient and her doctor, not politicians.

This is a concerted effort to ban abortions. It is an attack on all women and everyone who loves them. Nearly a dozen states have passed restrictions or bans on abortion so far this year. With President Donald Trump in the White House and Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court, state politicians are emboldened to try to fully ban safe, legal abortion. It is a scary time to be a woman.

People across the country want more health care, not less. They want representatives who will fight the unethical Title X gag rule and increase support for crucial public health programs like sexually transmitted infections testing/treatment, cancer screenings and other essential care furnished by quality providers such as Planned Parenthood.

Cathie Love

Join Planned Parenthood in HUDSON for #StopTheBans: National Day of Action on Tuesday, May 21st!

As you may have heard the BANS on abortion keep coming so we KEEP RALLYING! In an effort to include our Columbia and Greene County advocates and highlight our new center, our rally for the National Day of Action will be in Hudson.

Here are the details:

On May 21, activists in all 50 states will take to the streets with rallies and mobilizations happening at state capitols, town squares, courthouses and health centers to say #StoptheBans. If you are outraged by recent restrictions and limitations on abortion access join Planned Parenthood outside our new Hudson Health Center for a Honk and Wave event to show you STAND STRONG FOR ABORTION ACCESS. We will provide the PINK swag!

This is a terrifying time for women in America. Anti-women’s health politicians are pushing dangerous policies that will endanger women’s lives and the public’s health. Planned Parenthood will not sit by and watch as politicians take our rights and freedoms to women's health care away. We will fight in Missouri, Georgia, Alabama, and everywhere else politicians interfere with medical care, because women’s health care is health care and health care is a human right.

JOIN US! 

Location: 804 Columbia Street in Hudson (Planned Parenthood in Hudson)
Date: TUESDAY, May 21
Time: 5:30 to 6:30 pm

We will provide the PINK! PLEASE RSVP AND SHARE our Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/917041565307584/

Letter: We Will Not Go Back!

I am a retired female OB/GYN.

Doctors and nurses in my field are fortunate to live in the great state of NY where women are respected and valued. Here a woman enjoys privacy and trust in her relationship with her medical care provider in the most intimate part of her life, deciding when she is capable of becoming a good mother.

I graduated from medical school the year NYS legalized abortion and then began my OB/GYN training. The difference legalization made was profound.

Before that wealthy women had access to legal abortions by traveling out of the country, and the rest of the women had to seek out illegal providers (including mafia) or try to do it by themselves. As gynecology residents, we took care of the results in the Emergency Room; bleeding, febrile victims often in extremis.

It is alarming that presently politicians (usually well-off white males) in many states are targeting the health care safety net of women and their families by criminalizing abortion as well as threatening Medicaid and Title X with the gag rule. The cruel result of this will of course be to disrupt families that have a tenuous grip on middle class life and to take away the hope of the poor. Medical care for all women will be degraded, and sisters, mothers and daughters will suffer and die unnecessarily.

I am grateful to live in NYS where medical professionals do not have to worry about going to jail for doing our job properly. Access to the life saving benefits of modern health care should not depend on one’s wealth and gender.

Margaret M. Craven, M.D.

Letter: Reproductive Health Act empowers women

Originally published in the Albany Times Union -- March 4, 2019

It is a power shift, empowering women. It is justice and aligning with the law of the land. It is one's right to self-determination. It is New York state's Reproductive Health Act, made law on Jan. 22.

It took nearly five decades of tenacity, advocacy and leadership, but finally the women of New York have been given the power that previously was denied them. Now, women coming from many backgrounds and holding different beliefs have this in common: the power of self-determination with respect to their own reproductive health. Each woman is now guaranteed the right to make her own personal health care decisions with her health care provider throughout the course of her pregnancy. Should complications arise later in pregnancy, medical professionals may now provide needed care.

In short, the women of New York are no longer subject to political ideologies that jeopardize their health, and they are now allowed to make their own compassionate decision with a health care professional that they trust.

The passage of the Reproductive Health Act is cause for celebration indeed. However, misinformation and fearmongering are the watchwords of many, and it is imperative that we who believe in access to safe, legal abortion and oppose restrictions on that access raise our voices in continued support of reproductive health for all women.

Dawn Jablonski

The Trump-Pence Gag Rule: The Facts

After months of waiting, the Trump Pence Administration finally released the text for the Title X changes that include the Gag Rule. The new rule does three things:

1. The rule prohibits Title X projects from referring patients for abortion—the so-called “gag rule”—and also removes the current requirement that patients must be given access to non-directive counseling on all of their options, including abortion unless the patient’s life it at risk.
2. The rule imposes cost-prohibitive and unnecessary “physical and financial” separation requirements on Title X recipients, which are aimed at excluding abortion providers like Planned Parenthood from Title X.
3. The rule contains a host of other provisions that are designed to reduce access to quality family planning care in communities across the country

It’s infuriating that the Trump-Pence administration is once again trying to control women’s bodies and take away our rights. The Trump Gag Rule bans doctors from providing their patients with full information about their health care options, including abortion. It would also effectively dismantle the Title X program, which provides birth control, cancer screenings, and other essential reproductive health care to folks with low incomes.

Know this — Planned Parenthood will always be here for our patients and will continue to fight for everyone’s ability to get affordable, quality health care. We are still working toward a world in which everyone has the freedom and opportunity to control our lives at the most basic level: our bodies, our families, and our life’s path. Health care is a human right and we will not let this stand. The Trump-Pence administration may not think our patients deserve care, but we do.

This rule is opposed by the general public, the medical community, lawmakers, and public health experts. When the rule was announced, nearly 500,000 Americans submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services voicing their opposition.

Remember, this rule is so much bigger than Planned Parenthood. It prohibits ANY health care providers in Title X across the country — doctors, nurses, hospitals, and community health centers — from referring their patients for safe, legal abortion, and it removes the guarantee that patients are getting full and accurate information about their health care.

The ruling was just released Friday and already the Attorney General of Washington State has announced they have filed a lawsuit against it. UHPP is working with our statewide partners, the national office, our legislators and the Governor’s office to protect Title X funding in New York State. In addition, we will continue to raise funds for our Patient Access Fund in order to protect us from anything the federal government throws at us. This is going to be another long fight but we are confident we will prevail and we know that the work we do for our patients must continue. No matter what.

Katherine Bruno, CXO

Roe v Wade Anniversary Event and RHA!

Hey all, sorry it's been a while since we've had an update. Things, as you can imagine, have been a little nuts around here.

This Tuesday, Jan 22, is the anniversary of the passage of Roe v Wade, making access to safe, legal
abortion the law of the land. With the confirmation of Justice Kavanaugh to the US Supreme Court, we have been worried about the future of Roe v Wade. Therefore, we decided to have our annual Roe v Wade event on the actual anniversary this year.

The event begins at 5:30PM on 1/22/19 at the Renaissance Hotel in Albany. Tickets include beer, wine and soda, and hot and cold hors d'oeuvres. We will be honoring Eleanor's Legacy and the NYS Bipartisan Pro-Choice Legislative Caucus, and our Keynote speaker for the evening will be NYS Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins.  We would love for you to join us, and you can purchase your ticket here.

The other amazing thing going on that day, is the long-awaited passage (we hope) of the Reproductive Health Act (RHA).  If you're not sure what that is, here are some cliff's notes.

• NYS legalized abortion three years before Roe v Wade, and is out of date. RHA will make it consistent with federal law.
• One of the ways it is inconsistent with federal law, is that it is listed in the NYS penal code, not the health code. We hope to remedy that with RHA.
• Our antiquated state law lacks a health exception, forcing individuals to leave our state for care later in pregnancy, in the rare and tragic cases when their health is at risk or a fetus is not viable.

This has been ten years in the making, so we will be gathering at the Capitol to rally and hopefully witness the passage of the bill on the Assembly and Senate floors. Please join us for this exciting and important moment. We will be gathering at three. The details are in the facebook event I linked to above, but it is important that you register if you plan to join us. This is a free event, but we need to have a tally of who will be joining us for security purposes.

This is a very exciting time to be a New Yorker, which is refreshing when juxtaposed with all the terrible nonsense happening in Washington. We hope you will join us!

Letter to the Editor: President endangers women's health care

Originally posted in the Albany Times Union

On May 22, the Trump administration announced its proposed regulations that would prohibit Title X providers from referring their patients for safe, legal abortion. This proposed rule would also make it impossible for millions of patients, including myself, to receive birth control and other preventive care. In 14 states, Planned Parenthood serves more than 50 percent of the Title X patients in their states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Washington, Wisconsin, Utah and Vermont.

This is a domestic gag rule and it is not only an undisguised attempt to restrict women's basic rights but also a threat to this country's health, including my own. According to an esteemed health policy professor at George Washington University, Sara Rosenbaum, "Community health centers provide important services but aren't as equipped to provide the reproductive services that Planned Parenthood is known for."

Our country has come too far to have an option as dangerous and vile as this proposed gag rule to even be remotely considered in 2018. This rule is not just about abortion. This is about the prevention of millions of people from accessing STD/STI tests and treatment, birth control, health exams and cancer screenings. This is about risking the lives of American people in the name of being "pro-life."

As a community, we must take a stance. We should not let our country fall behind and allow this administration to blatantly attack women's rights.

Carissa Streckfuss
Albany

Letter to the Editor: Gag Rule is Unethical

Originally posted in the Hudson Register Star

To the editor:

I am writing to express my concern regarding the gag rule recently proposed by the Trump-Pence administration. This gag rule is medically unethical and a blatant attempt to infringe on women's basic rights.

Title X is a federal program which has for decades provided funding for reproductive healthcare, like preventative cancer screening and birth control, for women who could not otherwise afford this care.

Not only would this proposed gag rule make it illegal for health care providers in the Title X program to inform their patients on how to access safe, legal abortion; it would also implement other regulations designed to keep millions of women from accessing birth control and other preventative care, from providers like Planned Parenthood.

It is 2018. The fact that something like this is on the table is frightening and absurd.

Recent polling has shown an overwhelming opposition to Trump's gag rule as 73 percent of Americans - myself included - disapprove of these efforts to restrict women's rights and access to health care. More than 200 members of Congress, over 110 public health organizations, major medical associations such as the American Medical Association, and PlannedParenthood's 11 million supporters are coming out against this dangerous rule because it is just that: dangerous.

I urge your readers to stand against this proposed rule and see it for what it is: an assault on our basic rights.

Deborah Shakotko
Claverack

Letter to the Editor: Gag Rule is a Full Frontal Attack

Originally posted in the Catskill Daily News

To the editor:

I am a Registered Nurse writing to express my concern regarding President Trump's recently proposed gag rule. Frankly, it is a full frontal attack on women's basic rights. Not only would this rule prohibit health care providers under the Title X program from informing their patients on how to access safe, legal abortions; it would also implement other rules designed to keep millions from accessing birth control and preventative care, including cancer screenings from providers like PlannedParenthood. Fundamentally, it removes the guarantee that patients will receive complete and accurate information about their health care from their providers. I finds this absolutely frightening. No one should ever be denied basic information about their health care.

This proposed gag rule has already been met with opposition, especially from the medical community. The American Nurses Association has stated that this rule "violates basic ethics of the nursing profession." In addition, new polling shows 73 percent of Americans oppose administration actions like the domestic gag rule.

Planned Parenthood plays an enormous role in providing care and consistently outperforms other publicly funded providers. In New York, in 2015, Planned Parenthood served 144,640 or 52 percent of women in the Title X program. If Planned Parenthood were to be excluded from Title X, other Title X-funded sites would have to increase their caseloads by 111%. That is not only infeasible but morally wrong as this will result in a major blow to health care access for low-income people.

I urge your readers see this as what it is: an attack on our basic rights.

Christine Primomo, R.N.
Ravena

Letter to the Editor: Title X gag rule only hurts those in need

Reposted from the Times Union

I am a 72-year-old retired obstetrician/gynecologist. Before my retirement, I had my own private practice and also had various roles at our local Planned Parenthoods.

I am writing to express my dismay at the institution of what is a domestic gag rule on Title X providers (doctors, nurses, community health centers, etc.) as of May 22. Title X is the federal program that provides funding to subsidize people needing reproductive health care and contraception. None of the Title X money funds abortions.

The gag rule makes it illegal for health care providers to mention the word abortion. We cannot say that it is legal, that it is safe or how to obtain one.

What will the effect of this gag rule be? The underserved women who rely on Planned Parenthood clinics for their birth control and reproductive health care will not be able to go there anymore because Planned Parenthood will steadfastly continue to provide counseling and access to safe, legal abortion. Women who have the resources to see a private OB/GYN will not suffer from the gag rule.
Planned Parenthood serves 40 percent of Title X patients. A third of women who rely on Title X funding live in counties where Planned Parenthood is the only provider of contraceptive and reproductive services.

The obvious end result of this is that women with limited resources will not get contraception. No contraception will mean increased rates of unintended pregnancies and abortions for this marginalized group. They also will not get screening for sexually transmitted infections and cancer.

My question is: Why does our government want to make life even harder for women who are struggling with adversity already?

Margaret Craven, M.D.
Voorheesville

Political Courage and the Reproductive Health Act of 1970

By Dwight Smith
Ally for Reproductive Justice

Assemblymember
George Michaels

April 9, 1970 is a special day in New York State legislative history; Assemblyman George Michaels changed his vote from "No" to "Yes", thereby enabling the 1970 Reproductive Health Act to pass the Assembly (the state Senate had passed it previously; Governor Rockefeller signed it into law the following day).  The story of that day, and the history of illegal abortions in New York over the 150 years preceding it, are documented in "From Danger to Dignity: The Fight for Safe Abortion", produced by Concentric Media in association with KTEH-TV, San Jose, CA.  It is available on YouTube and is well worth watching.  Indeed, in today's political climate in which reproductive rights are under fierce attack its message may be more important than when it was released in 1995.

Yet even though significant in content and praiseworthy for its production values, the documentary glosses over two contributing elements of the 1970 story.  They concern Michaels himself, and the atmosphere in which that final vote took place.

First, a word about Michaels.  A native of Queens and a graduate of Cornell and Brooklyn Law School, he established a law practice in Auburn, New York, an upstate, largely conservative and Roman Catholic city.  A Democrat, he represented Auburn and Cayuga County in the legislature from 1961-1966, when through reapportionment his district was merged with its neighbor that encompassed Cortland County.  He declined to run in the new district until 1969, when he rejoined the Assembly.  At the time, he was noted primarily for his support of expanded state aid for rural school districts and (in 1970) for promoting the bluebird as the state's official bird.

He also favored a woman's right to choose to have an abortion on a personal basis, but how widely his position was then known is not clear.  He had twice complied with requests from his District's Democratic Committee to vote against reproductive rights, including legalized abortion.  April 9, however, was a different story.  As it is described in "From Danger to Dignity" Michaels' decision is clearly a significant event. But by incorporating only the final two sentences of his remarks that day it misses a tense, emotional drama.

That absence may reflect the fact that the documentary was prepared 25 years after the event by a team that had not been there to witness it.  My family and I were there, and we still recall it as an occasion that merits a more complete description.

That we were in the Assembly Gallery at all that afternoon was entirely happenstance.  We had gone to Albany City Hall that afternoon to apply for passports for a forthcoming trip abroad (in those days the process began by having your signature notarized by the town or city clerk).  The process took less time than we anticipated and as we walked back to our car parked by the State Capitol I sensed a teaching moment for our three young sons.  With no knowledge of what was up, I suggested: "let's go see what is going on in the legislature".  Since we were on the Assembly side of the building, we went up to its gallery just as Michaels was beginning to talk.

To set the stage: when a roll call vote is being taken in the Assembly, an electronic wall display shows each member's vote as well as a running total of all Yes and No votes.  Ultimately, the Speaker instructs the clerk to close the voting process and a final tally is announced and recorded.  Seventy-six Yes votes are required for passage of the matter at hand, and the Speaker votes only when his vote will make a difference.  On this occasion, the electronic display showed a tie vote, 74-74, so even if the Speaker had voted the measure would not pass.

While a roll call is in process members may address the Assembly to explain their votes, but this is not common.  When Michaels rose to speak no one knew what he was going to say, and given the voting deadlock, the atmosphere in the packed galleries was palpably tense.

I don't know how long he spoke; it seemed like ten minutes or more.  He rambled as he took us through his inner thoughts.  His intent became clearer when he told the Assembly of pressures from his family.  "One of my sons just called me a whore for the vote I (previously) cast against this"; a second son insisted: "Dad, for God's sake, don't let your vote be the vote that defeats the bill".  "I had hoped that this would never happen," Michaels said; "(my constituents will) condemn me for what I am about to do.  But what's the use of getting elected, or reelected, if you don't stand for something. … I realize, Mr. Speaker, that I am terminating my political career, but I cannot in good conscience sit here and allow my vote to be the one that defeats this bill."

He asked the Speaker, Perry Duryea, Jr., a Republican from Montauk, to change his vote to Yes.  The now- 75-73 vote required Duryea to vote: he voted Yes, declared the bill passed, and immediately adjourned the session.  A highly-charged incident ended in a collective sigh of relief and joy.

From my perspective, Michaels’ story deserves repeating in an era where #MeToo seems to be controlling the headlines. Despite current notorious examples of misogyny, there are men who have stood and continue to stand with women in the fight for equality. These are men who actively reject the premise that women are a subordinate class when it comes to managing their own lives. They don't do it for recognition and thanks but simply because they believe it is the right thing to do.  And some, like Michaels, have even been willing to accept the accompanying personal cost of standing up to established ways.

Watch the historic moment in this video:

Cecile Richards' Troy Book Signing, and More!

This week with Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood

Make Trouble by Cecile Richards Former Planned Parenthood Federation of America President Cecile Richards will be in Troy for a book signing! Cecile Richards is a national leader for women’s rights and social and economic justice. As President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund for more than a decade, Richards worked to increase affordable access to reproductive health care and to build a healthier and safer world for women and young people. After starting her career as a labor organizer, working with women earning the minimum wage, she went on to start her own grassroots organizations, and later served as Deputy Chief of Staff to House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. In 2011 and 2012, she was named one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. Richards is a frequent speaker and commentator on politics and progressive issues. Event date: Saturday, May 12, 2018 Event time: 3:30pm Event address:  Market Block Books located at 290 River Street, Troy, NY 12180 For more information click here.

#Intergenerational Story Share There is so much we can learn from the founders of the reproductive health and rights movement. The world before Roe v. Wade is one very few of us can even fathom but for these long time Planned Parenthood supporters, it is a world they know all too well. Our intergenerational story share potluck aims to bring the voices of our current advocates and the elders of the Beverwyck Community Action Council together to share stories and life experiences. The Beverwyck Community Action Council wants to hear from YOU! It's an unbelievable gift to be heard, and to hear someone else in exchange. The Beverwyck group has reserved a room and planned months in advance to make this happen - by attending this event you are committing to being a part of a broader community of activists invested in the work of Planned Parenthood. Join us at this potluck event sponsored by Friends with Benefits and the Beverwyck Community Action Council for a shared meal and invaluable conversation. **It’s important we show up for this event. Please RSVP here!  Thursday, May 17th 6:00 - 8:00 pm The Terrace at Beverwyck Retirement Community 41 Beverwyck Ln #1, Slingerlands, NY 12159 #NYS DOL One Fair Wage Hearing Join UHPP and coalition partners at the NYS DOL One Fair Wage Hearing at the Legislative Office Building at the Capital in Albany! We are joining with our coalition partners to help raise the pay of tipped workers to the full minimum wage. No worker should be at risk of wage theft, sexual harassment or discrimination. If you are interested in joining us for a rally and to attend the hearing, please RSVP HERE! We need to SHOW up for our partners in PINK! Friday May 18th 9:00 am Meet in the Well of the LOB (press conference and rally) 10:00 am hearing begins Legislative Office Building (LOB) 198 State Street Albany, NY 12210

The Federal Government Can't Halt Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program

Justice Rice

The Federal government has been trying since the inauguration to strip away access to preventative care and topple Planned Parenthood health centers across the country.

This latest attempt by the administration to strip federal grant money from the TPPP is just another one in a long list of attacks. This one, in particular, specifically targeted Planned Parenthood, and the judge who blocked the attempt, U.S. District Judge Thomas Rice, called the attack arbitrary and capricious, which could allege that he found the defunding attempt to be spiteful, undemocratic, and perhaps even a little childish.

“The courts confirmed that the Trump-Pence administration’s attempt to impose its ideological agenda on young people is unlawful,” Dawn Laguens, executive vice president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement.1

The TPPP was created by President Obama in 2010, and helps provide preventative care to 1.5 million young people nationwide.  Instead of acting in the best interests of the young people who often have nowhere else to turn for birth control and education, our current administration would rather deliver a blow to Planned Parenthood for the sake of bragging rights and party agenda.

Planned Parenthood CEOs and other staff members were in DC for the National Conference when this news was announced, and the outcome was understandably well received by everyone.  Since the attacks are bound to keep coming, we can only hope that federal judges continue to do what’s right for the youth of our country. 

BOWLATHON!

#Abortion Access Bowl-A-Thon 2018 Say NO to back alleys, and YES to bowling alleys! Join Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood at Del Lanes in Delmar on April 29th at 2pm to #FundAbortionBuildPower. We're lacing up our bowling shoes and getting to work! Want to show up for abortion access? Support us by making a donation to our team or join the squad! The process is fast, easy, and secure! Bowl with the UHPP staff, invest in abortion funds and raise money with us. *FREE SWAG FOR ALL TEAM MEMBERS* Pre-registration is required - Get more info on the UHPP team here! Send a message that you believe we all should be able to access abortion, no matter how much money we make or where we live. Care, no matter what!  Sunday, April 29th at 2:00pm Del Lanes in Delmar 4 Bethlehem Ct, Delmar, NY 12054

This Week with UHPP

This week with Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood Women's Agenda In The NYS Budget   New York has a long and proud legacy of leading the way to advance women’s rights. From the birth of the women’s rights movement at Seneca Falls to the recent passage of the most comprehensive Paid Family Leave policy in the nation, New York continues to champion women’s rights and break down barriers to equality. In 2018, we have an opportunity to build on this progress and continue to advance equality across all areas of life. While the federal government seeks to roll back women’s rights, New York State looks toward the future. With these bold set of proposals, the 2018 Agenda will create opportunity for women to succeed in every area: work, health, safety, education and family life and you can learn more about each of them here. Call your elected officials in the NYS Senate and Assembly TODAY and urge them to include the Women's Agenda, including the Comprehensive Contraceptive Coverage Act, $750,000 legislative add for the Family Planning Grant, decriminalization of abortion, and the creation of a maternal mortality review board in the NYS Budget!   Find your NYS Assembly Member        Find your NYS Senate Member #TheFWord - April Book Club Meeting As you all know we try to focus on national themes with our book club selections and this month is no different. March is Women’s History Month, and to celebrate all the amazing women who have gone down in history as feminist icons, we have decided to read about a young woman who embodies just this. This month The F Word will be reading, I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai. We will be meeting at 3Fish Coffee on Sunday, April 8th at 11am to review this incredible novel and discuss ways we can support and uplift the women in our communities who make us all stronger. When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education. On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive. Instead, Malala's miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she has become a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate.     Sunday, April 8th at 11:00am 3Fish Coffee 466 Madison Ave, Albany, NY 12208 Volunteer Training Night Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood is looking for volunteers to get involved and to help us engage our community through outreach efforts and get out the vote opportunities this Spring! Are you interested in working side by side at community events across the capital region spreading Upper Hudson Planned Parenthoods mission? Are you ready to continue to fight for reproductive freedom and help educate our community on the importance of safer sex? Together, we can demostrate our power, engage our people and move our work of expanding access to sexual and reproductive healthcare and rights forward! As we head into the warmer months, we are looking for passionate, committed advocates who want to volunteer for community outreach initiatives including tabling at summer fairs, Healthy Neighborhood Canvassing and with our non-partisan our voter registration campaign! Join us at our next volunteer training night to learn more about available volunteer opportunities and start the training you will need to join us in the streets. Dinner will be served! Reserve your spot today!  Monday, April 16th 6-8pm Albany Conference Room 855 Central Avenue #Abortion Access Bowl-A-Thon 2018 Say NO to back alleys, and YES to bowling alleys! Join Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood at Del Lanes in Delmar on April 29th at 2pm to #FundAbortionBuildPower. We're lacing up our bowling shoes and getting to work! Want to show up for abortion access? Support us by making a donation to our team or join the squad! The process is fast, easy, and secure! Bowl with the UHPP staff, invest in abortion funds and raise money with us. Get more info on the UHPP team here! Send a message that you believe we all should be able to access abortion, no matter how much money we make or where we live. Care, no matter what!    Sunday, April 29th at 2:00pm Del Lanes in Delmar 4 Bethlehem Ct, Delmar, NY 12054 Copyright © 2018 Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood, All rights reserved.  Thank you for joining our list Our mailing address is: 855 Central Avenue Albany, NY 12206