Getting an abortion is expensive, especially for those who must travel and stay in another city or state to access care. 

Through our newly launched Abortion Assistance Lodging (AAL) program, we’re working to bridge the gap between the right to get an abortion and the ability to access one. The AAL program is focused specifically on alleviating the barrier of lodging costs for individuals seeking an abortion in the Twin Cities. Our program is a network of host homes, advocates, and clinics working with Our Justice to connect these individuals with a cost-free host home during their stay.  

Our Justice's Abortion Assistance Lodging Program includes:

• A cost-free overnight stay in a vetted host home for 1-3 days with the option of bringing a support person

• Some local transit expenses such as gas, public transportation or ride sharing services

• Referrals to other local organizations for clinic escorts and other practical support services

• Compassionate, judgment-free throughout their stay

Minneapolis-St. Paul is home to three of the five abortion clinics in Minnesota. Our Justice regularly serves folks who are traveling as much as four hours from greater Minnesota, as well as folks making even longer journeys from our neighboring states. We hear regularly how the additional burden of travel and overnight lodging can be a prohibitive barrier to accessing needed abortion care. 

This lodging program has truly been a labor of love by a powerhouse group of volunteers who have worked tirelessly to see it through. As we continue to face uncertainty around the landscape of abortion care in this country, we are proud to have a new program to help ensure access for our communities. 

HELP US CELEBRATE THE LAUNCH AND CONTINUED SUCCESS OF THE ABORTION ASSISTANCE LODGING PROGRAM BY BECOMING A SUSTAINING DONOR TODAY.

Together we can continue to work towards a world where everyone has the support and resources they need to have children, not have children, or parent the children they do have in healthy and safe environments. 

Thank you for your continued trust and support, 

Our Justice

IN 1977 WE LAUNCHED THE HERSEY FUND FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IN RESPONSE TO THE HYDE AMENDMENT. 

IN 1995 WE JOINED AS A PLAINTIFF IN DOE v. GOMEZ, THE CASE THAT RECOGNIZED THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO ABORTION UNDER THE MINNESOTA CONSTITUTION.

AND TODAY OUR JUSTICE JOINS DOE V. MINNESOTA - THE LAWSUIT CHALLENGING MINNESOTA'S ABORTION RESTRICTIONS. 

“We made the decision to join this lawsuit because it was imperative for us as a Reproductive Justice organization, led primarily by women and femmes of color, to take a proactive stance to ensure that people are able to get the care they need without unnecessary obstacles. This is especially important in a political climate where many states are being forced to defend their right to abortion access.”

- Shayla Walker, Our Justice Board Co-Chair

The Doe v. Minnesota filing challenges a set of abortion restrictions that are unnecessarily burdensome and based on outdated medical principles, including laws that: 

• Require doctors to provide medically irrelevant information to patients;

• Ban physician assistants, nurse practitioners and nurse midwives from prescribing medication abortion and providing early abortion care;

• Require young people to notify both of their parents of their desire to seek abortion care.

As a volunteer-run organization that funds abortions for people seeking care in Minnesota, we see every day how these laws act as barriers to urgently needed care. Through our Abortion Assistance Fund, we serve Minnesotans who are directly affected by these harmful and unnecessary laws—many of whom are already navigating challenges like homelessness, sexual assault or intimate partner violence, undocumented immigration status, or are young people with unsupportive or absent parents.

We cannot stand by while our clients continue to be put in danger by these laws.

You can read all of the laws we are challenging here. In this lawsuit, Our Justice joins plaintiffs First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis and two health care providers. We are represented by the Lawyering Project and Gender Justice. 

Our Justice is making the annual transition into a new fiscal year and are reminded of the organization evolution that has occurred over the last twelve months. This has been a year of organizational evolution, in which we have welcomed four talented new board members, sponsored and participated in impactful community events centered on Reproductive Justice, and re-invigorated the Our Justice Abortion Assistance Fund. With your support, over the past year, Our Justice has provided thousands of dollars more in direct funding for abortion care than we have over the last several years. 

From October 2018-May 2019, the Our Justice Abortion Assistance Fund:

• Received requests for funding from more than 140 people seeking care and provided direct financial help for 94 people accessing abortions.

• Pledged more than $40,000 and paid more than $32,600 in direct funding.

• Pledged an average of $350 per client seeking care. Our higher pledges were typically for people with more costly procedures and/or experiencing other difficult personal circumstances including homelessness, undocumented immigration status, or sexual assault and/or intimate partner violence

As our organization moves into the next fiscal year, we are grounded by the importance and urgency of our work. Like many of you, we were outraged this spring by the abortion bans passing through the Southern and Midwestern states. After years of pushing abortion care out of reach for people on the margins - especially for poor women, young folks, transgender people, and Black and Indigenous people of color - anti-abortion politicians are now inflicting a wave of outright bans.

Our Justice knows what it’s like to face impossible odds. We are resilient, and we’ve been fighting for ourselves and each other, for generations. We will not back down! 

In May, Our Justice joined with local partners and advocates, lead by NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota, at the Minnesota State Capitol in solidarity to ensure our neighbors in the South have access to abortion care, as we continue to fight for Minnesotans who struggle to access care right here! New board member, Angelica Perez, spoke to a crowd of hundreds about the need for compassion and care in our communities. That following week, we joined a community coalition of providers, advocacy organizations, and faith groups, to announce a new educational campaign, UnRestrict Minnesota, that brings to light Minnesota’s unconstitutional anti-abortion laws.

Angelica Perez, Board Vice Chair, Speaking at the Minnesota State Capitol at the Stop the Bans Rally

Many Minnesotans would be surprised to know that for decades anti-abortion lawmakers in our state have been quietly passing laws that restrict abortion access, intimidate providers and patients, and increase costs. We see the impact of these laws every day when we hear from people who need help accessing care. No one should have to go through unnecessary, demeaning, and stigmatizing hoops in order to obtain an abortion. 

It’s our mission to ensure that all people and communities have the power and resources to make sexual and reproductive health decisions with self-determination. Abortion restrictions, whether in Alabama or Minnesota, strip us of our dignity and autonomy and can push access to abortion out of reach for the most marginalized.

You can advance Reproductive Freedom in the next fiscal year with a financial gift to Our Justice. With your help, we can continue to provide help to everyone who needs it and advocate for Reproductive Justice in the community.

Our Justice, and the our Abortion Assistance Fund, relies upon modest donations from many, as well as substantial donations from those who can give more. Your donations support our direct service work and our ability to advocate for Reproductive Freedom in the community. We also welcome donations of stock, and interest in including us as a beneficiary in estate planning, for those with interest and means. If this is something of interest to you, please email contact@ourjustice.net.

We appreciate your solidarity and support as we continue working to advance Reproductive Freedom for all.

The Our Justice Board of Directors

Shayla Walker, Co-Chair • Corenia Smith, Co-Chair • Angelica Perez, Vice Chair • Stephanie Shea, Secretary • Katie Barrett Wiik, Treasurer  

"We are thrilled to welcome these four talented new board members to Our Justice! Angelica, Shayla, Corenia, and Stephanie bring new energy, skills, and perspectives to the helm of Our Justice. Each has a demonstrated commitment to the reproductive justice movement and to ensuring access to abortion care in the Midwest. This new generation of diverse leaders will help Our Justice thrive as we move into our second half-century of resisting reproductive oppression."

- Katie Barrett Wiik, Board Chair

Like many nonprofits, Our Justice has been challenged by a persistent gap between our funding and the pressing need for the services we provide. As a result, Our Justice must change. 

As of this summer, Our Justice has made the transition to a Board and volunteer-led organization. We are confident we can remain strong under this new model, because we began more than fifty years ago as an abortion assistance fund run by passionate volunteers. We will conduct our critical work both out in the communities we serve as well as through virtual spaces. 

Our Justice is committed to remaining strong and vibrant. We are making these significant and difficult changes so our Abortion Assistance Fund can continue and thrive. These changes will ensure that more of the dollars you donate to Our Justice can go directly to the abortion assistance fund. 

As we make this transition, we thank our driven volunteers, committed reproductive justice advocates, and passionate staff. We particularly thank Karen Law, Arie Kroeger, and Niki Rohlfsen for all they have done for and given to Our Justice. We are also buoyed by our hundreds of dedicated donors, whose numbers and depth of commitment have grown exponentially over the last few years. 

Our Justice is not going away. Our Abortion Assistance Fund is open and funding people seeking abortion care. We will be at the 2018 Minnesota State Fair, so watch your email for volunteer opportunities. We will hold our annual breakfast celebration in September 2018, and our 2019 Bowl-a-Thon will rock!

Please recommit to Our Justice at this important transition by making a fiscal year-end donation before June 30, 2018. With your ongoing support, we can continue increasing access to abortion care and reducing abortion stigma. Consider making a donation today. 

Thank you for your generosity and solidarity. 

Katie Barrett Wiik, Our Justice Board Chair

Our Justice Board Members Elisabeth Pletcher, Kathryn Glessing, Jane M. Skogstrom, Amy Johnson