Volunteer
Are you passionate about reproductive rights and abortion access? Learn more about volunteering with us and support our work!
We are seeking Spanish-speaking collective members!
Over the last two years, we have seen an uptick in people traveling to Oregon for their abortions. This includes an increase in callers who primarily speak Spanish. We know language, racism and xenophobia are huge barriers in accessing care, and we want to engage with callers in their primary/preferred language as much as possible. If you’re bilingual/multilingual, we would love your help with supporting our callers!
What does it mean to be a collective member?
Collective members are volunteers who organize non-hierarchically to keep CASC running — in collaboration with CASC’s practical support volunteers! Collective members serve as case managers, communicating directly with abortion seekers to provide emotional and logistical support. This role also includes a variety of organizational operations, from website upkeep and budget/finance tracking to planning volunteer trainings and maintaining relationships with clinics and other partner organizations. Experience with abortion support is not necessary to join. Trans/non-binary folks, people of color, disabled folks, parents, people who have had abortions, youth and elders are encouraged to apply.
Time commitment: 3-10 hours per week (with bi-weekly meetings every other Thursday from 6:30-8pm)
Timeline: We will contact you about next steps and potentially scheduling a conversation with collective member(s) by the beginning of July. We plan to start onboarding new collective members in August.
Join Our Practical Support Network *Applications Temporarily Closed as of June 20, 2023*
Fill out the interest form below if you live in the Oregon or SW Washington area (Vancouver) and want to volunteer to provide rides, meals, aftercare kits, and other types of practical support to people seeking abortions. Commitment is on a per-need basis and requires the use of a car. We are not currently training volunteers to host abortion-seekers due to the covid-19 pandemic.
Trainings are usually held once per year, depending on the need. Our last training was February 2022, we do not currently have another training scheduled. The interest form is on-going and we will reach out when there is an upcoming training scheduled. Please note, we are a grassroots 100% volunteer-run organization and may not be able to get back to you quickly about your volunteer application, as we have received an overwhelming outpouring of volunteer interest over the last year (which we appreciate so much)! You will be added to a list to be notified of opportunities by filling out the form.
CASC has an in-depth onboarding process for our Practical Support Network volunteers – a live training that covers abortion basics, emotional support, racial justice, and more, as well as a “ride-a-along” to with a collective member. We prioritize our values and keeping the people that seek our services safe through this intentional process. Please read Apiary’s tips on volunteering for a Practical Support organization like CASC for more information on why we do it this way.
Other Ways to Get Involved
Donate to and/or fundraise for an abortion fund. Consider searching a little longer to find a fund that may be under-resourced, in an area with strict abortion bans, and maybe not as active on social media. Some that we know of are Mountain Access Brigade , Black Phoenix Organizing Collective, and Missouri Abortion Fund. Check out National Network of Abortion Funds or Apiary Collective for organizations/collectives like CASC who provide practical support in the United States. Also be sure to check out our partners, Northwest Abortion Access Fund, who fund procedures for folks traveling to Oregon and the Pacific Northwest.
Share information on abortion resources broadly. Abortion Finder features a comprehensive directory of abortion providers. Ineedana.org is another site that provides a simple, up-to-date, source of information for people seeking abortions. Plancpills includes options for medication abortion through telemedicine, and also self-managed abortion. They also offer free stickers to spread the word.
Share information on cyber security in a time of restrictive laws. Read about The Growing Criminalization of Pregnancy, and check out orgs like Digital Defense Fund for cyber security tips and If/When/How for legal resources, including a hotline and a bail/legal fund.
Familiarize yourself with local clinics and providers. If you have a primary care provider or OBGYN, ask them if they are able to prescribe medication abortion. More information is here on physicians’ role in expanding access. Abortion may be legally protected in Oregon, but there is still a shortage of providers! Including this type of care in different settings also helps in reducing the stigma. If your friend needed an abortion today, would you know where they could get one in your area?
Read about Reproductive Justice! Remember that Reproductive Justice is not just about reproductive health care, or abortion access, it is an expansive movement rooted in intersectionality. With this lens, we can see the connections between abortion access and racial justice, gender justice, and more. Check out this reading list from Black Women Radicals for more information.
Don’t have time to volunteer? Your money goes a long way.
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