Winter 2007 IMAF is the second oldest fund in the nation, and assists women in financial need throughout Iowa. From January to May of this year, loan requests received by IMAF have increased 32% over ‘those in 2006 imaf iowa medical aid fund P.O. Box 721 Cedar Rapids IA 52406-0721 www.imafund.org We couldn’t do it without you! The IMAF Board had a busy summer hosting a variety of fundraising events, and we are grateful to our contributors and friends for their continued support. Many of you shared in the activities: in July, a garage sale, a “Let Them Eat Cake!” Bastille Day celebration featuring tempting confections, and an elegant summer dinner gathering. Our fundraising efforts culminated in the entertaining Annual Auction and Dinner at the end of September at Temple Judah in Cedar Rapids. The great news? You responded generously! The new July events brought in an additional $4,500, while the auction netted over $18,000. The bad news: the increasing demand and rising procedural costs still outpace our resources. The cost of a basic procedure is nearly $400. We have to stop taking calls for weeks at a time throughout the year and reduce the average loan amount to stretch funds. That means you’ll be hearing from us again! You can help in another way, too. We are expanding our support base to meet the increasing demand for loans. When you send in your next contribution, please recommend people who will join you in support of IMAF. We hope you will continue to help us by responding to our mailings as generously as you have in the past and by joining us at our events for fun and fundraising – and when you attend, please bring a friend! Auction excitement On October 6, friends and supporters of IMAF gathered at Temple Judah for the Annual Dinner & Auction. Humor and fun were the tone of the evening despite the serious business of raising money. Libby Slappey was again the auctioneer extraordinaire. At the end of the evening, over 100 people had contributed over $18,000 – a record in the history of the auction! Thank you to all who participated and contributed. See you next year! Inthisissue: A Tribute to Ortha • Looking Back • The Cedar Rapids Clinic for Women • President’s letter • Our IMAF Community • IMAF/Emma Goldman Choice Celebration in ‘08 Over 90% of the contributions made to IMAF go to our m ission: providing loans Nationally, nearly half of all pregnancies are unintended, thereby missing by a substantial margin the national goal to reduce unintended pregnancies to 30% or less of all pregnancies. (National Women’s Law Center, 2007) IMAF’s Bright Stars Shining a light on those who have led the way Ortha Harstad On November 10, past and present IMAF Board members met to honor Ortha Harstad for her contributions to the fund. Ortha was on the first Iowa Medical Aid Fund board, created in 1978 (then known as the Cedar Rapids Medical Aid Fund), and has continued on the board since then. Kathy Kilbourn, who joined the board soon after Ortha, remembers meeting at Ortha's to do mailings – never before 10:30 a.m. – and always with good coffee and a treat like coffee cake, and pfefferneuse at Christmas time. Polly Ely remembers going to Ortha's house on Blake Boulevard: “Her house was like an illustration from a fairy tale and you expected the door to be answered by Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty. In the spring the lawn was covered with violets.” Polly also remembers that Ortha has always been a generous contributor to the fund. Tom Moss recalls that Ortha kept track of the IMAF mailing list, writing the names and addresses of supporters on 3x5 cards and storing them in a shoebox. When Tom introduced computers to the IMAF in 1987, Ortha was able to throw away her 3x5 cards. To quote Tom, "For the record: In my twelve years on the board (87-99), no member was more faithful, not just in attendance but also in total contribution to the cause. She was and is a classic activist..." ( A profile of Tom Moss appears in the summer edition of this newsletter.) Ortha’s dedication and generosity continue to motivate and inspire us. Thank you, Ortha, for all you have done for the IMAF Board and for the women of Iowa. And happy 82nd birthday on November 1! Submitted by Kathy Kilbourn and Wendee Deal Our IMAF Community 3 Abortion needs seem to keep growing while avail- ability keeps shrinking. The fund helps so many women who otherwise could not afford it — and helps prevent abortion from becoming “a rich woman’s option.” – Polly Ely, IMAF co-founder 11 percent of sexually active women don’t use contraception, and from this 11 percent comes 50 percent of the nation’s abortions. (National Women’s Law Center, 2007) Bastille Day “Let Them Eat Cake!” Midsummer Night’s Eve Party Auction 2007 Our IMAF Community 3 Abortion needs seem to keep growing while avail- ability keeps shrinking. The fund helps so many women who otherwise could not afford it — and helps prevent abortion from becoming “a rich woman’s option.” – Polly Ely, IMAF co-founder 11 percent of sexually active women don’t use contraception, and from this 11 percent comes 50 percent of the nation’s abortions. (National Women’s Law Center, 2007) Bastille Day “Let Them Eat Cake!” Midsummer Night’s Eve Party Auction 2007 4 Almost 34% of women — including those who need abortions to address medical emergencies –reside in a county with no provider available. (National Women’s Law Center, 2007) Favorite web sites relating to reproductive issues: National Women’s Law Center www.nwlc.org Ms. Magazine www.msmagazine.com Truthout.com www.truthout.org/ The Guttmacher Institute www.guttmacher.org/ The Huffington Post www.huffingtonpost.com The Center for New Words (publisher of Our Bodies, Ourselves, etc) www.centerfornewwords.org / IMAF Co-sponsors Emma Goldman Choice Celebration in ‘08 The Choice Dinner 2008 is a celebration of Roe v. Wade, the January 22, 1973 US Supreme Court ruling that re-legalized abortion in the United States. The dinner is an opportunity for reproductive justice supporters to gather and celebrate the ability for women in our country to make their own pregnancy decisions without legal ramifications. Proceeds from the din- ner go to the deProsse Access Fund, which supports the Emma Goldman Clinic's sliding fee scale, providing financial access to abortion services for our clients. The keynote speaker this year is Judy Norsigian, the Executive Director of the Boston Women's Health Book Collective, the originators and edi- tors of Our Bodies, Ourselves. Judy was one ofthe original Collective members. Two current Emma Goldman Clinic staff members con- tributed to the most recent edition of Our Bodies, Ourselves: Karen Kubby, Executive Director contributed to the chapter on gender identity and sexual orientation, and Francine Thompson, Health Services Director, contributed to the chapter on unexpected pregnancy. The dinner will be held on Saturday, January 26, 2008 from 6 - 9 p.m. at the Iowa Memorial Union. Tickets in advance are $50 or $25 for students/seniors/low income. Tickets on the night of the event are $60 or $30 for students/seniors/low income. Sponsorship are also available: Emma-nence $500 gives you a table of 8 and program recognition Emma-sary $300 gives you 4 dinner tickets and program recognition Emma-licious $150 gives you 2 dinner tickets and program recognition For tickets and information, please call Finn at 319-337-2111 Judy Norsigian President’s Message Fall is here and many are thinking ahead to Thanksgiving and a day with friends and family. It’s an important day, a time to express and share our gratitude for the abundance in our lives. It is one time during which we can set aside political, religious and ideological differences, and come together to be thankful. IMAF has shared in the abundance around us. Articles in this newsletter describe the generous support we have received from each of you. Other articles describe the work of the Board and the contributions of one of our founding board members. IMAF is fortunate to have committed people to serve on our board. Thanksgiving leads us into the Christmas season. We will be busy planning our own ways to celebrate. We also know that the holiday season can be a difficult time for those who cannot provide for family members. However, most people can and will find assistance within their communities. Many open their purses at this time of year to assist others. People in eastern Iowa generously give to shelters, churches, food pantries and other organizations that collect food and gifts. Women who have decided to have an abortion do not have such open support. You will not find their names on any list or tree requesting assistance for an abortion. While we are busy with our own lives, it is important to give voice to those women by supporting their decisions. Making the decision to terminate a pregnancy is difficult at any time but can be especially wrenching during this holiday period. Please remember IMAF as you plan your own gift giving. A contribution enables a woman to maintain control over her life. Pat Nielsen, President, IMAF Board of Trustees Recognizing the Cedar Rapids Clinic for Women For 31 years the Cedar Rapids Clinic for Women has provided low cost, preventative health care for women. The clinic has maintained a consistent staff with a combined total of over 60 years of experience in women’s health. The clinic ambience is warm, caring and compassionate. Our clients are from the local area, surrounding Eastern Iowa counties and nearby states. Our clients range in age from young adolescents to women in menopause. The majority of our clients come to the clinic for birth control and pap smears. Many of our clients return year after year due to our competent staff and friendly mien. There are many clients who are like family to us. Over the years we have built a trusting relationship with our clients and a solid reputation in our community. Each client is treated respectfully and we take the time necessary to listen to our clients. The clinic continually maintains a high level of confidentiality, which is so important to our clients. The Cedar Rapids Clinic for Women is the only abortion provider in Linn County and many women have traveled hours to reach us. One client came from Nebraska because her religion mandated that she be seen by a woman physician, and the clinic was the only facility who could accommodate her. We are appreciative of the many physicians we have had over the years. In 1976 the clinic was first housed in an apartment in Czech Village, a space we rented for 17 years. In 1993 the clinic was able to purchase its current locale on the West side of Cedar Rapids. The past 31 years have brought many challenges and changes to the clinic and for the staff. Through uncertain times and fluctuations the clinic always has maintained a sense of dignity and, above all else, offered quality health care for women, along with honoring women’s choices regarding pregnancy. Barb Buchanan Director, Cedar Rapids Clinic for Women l o o k i n g b a c k Sometime in the 1970s, when abortion was legal in only a few states, Polly Ely and past Peoples Church minister Walter Kellison were part of a clergy consultation group that referred women "in trouble" to clinics in other states and helped them make the necessary connections in some way. In the later ‘70s when abortion was a legal option in Iowa, they formed the basis of the Cedar Rapids Medical Aid Fund. The people who originally handled most of the phone calls were Polly Ely, Toni McGraw and Frank Young. The original incorporators were former Peoples Church minister Judith Urqhardt and Martha Ely. Four more people had to be listed as officers to qualify for nonprofit tax status, so the four names on the original papers were Polly Ely, Frank Young, Doris Hamilton and Joyce Nielsen. We owe these men and women many thanks for their vision and determination. – Submitted by Kathy Kilbourn IMAF is the second-oldest fund in the nation, and assists women in financial need throughout Iowa. GIVE WITH EVERY SEARCH: Click the Goodsearch icon on the “How You Can Help” page on www.imafund. org to make Goodsearch.com. Or find Goodsearch on Google, and enter IMAF. Goodsearch will become your default search engine and IMAF will automatically receive a small donation from every search you do! Visit our website at w w w. g e o c i t i e s . c o m / i m a f u n d / l i n k s . h t m l to donate, subscribe, or to download our b rochure and past newsletters imaf iowa medical aid fund P.O. Box 721 Cedar Rapids IA 52406-0721 NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID CEDAR RAPIDS, IA PERMIT NO. 251 Visit our website at www.geocities.com/imafundlinks. html to donate, subscribe, or to download our brochure and newsletters. Let us hear from you! To help IMAF operate effectively and to make the most of the resources and ideas our supporters have to offer, please take the time to complete this form. We hope you share this newsletter with others. You can visit our website (see sidebar) for more contribution options. Donations over $50 will receive a receipt for tax purposes. • I would like to receive information and requests via e-mail. 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