Why I Volunteer

By Judy S.

If memory serves, I have been a volunteer at Planned Parenthood for about 45 years.

Things were SO different when I began: I was an escort before there were any protections for us. Protestors blocked the driveway when patients tried to drive into the health center parking lot. On one fateful December morning, they arrived before any staff or escorts and literally took over the entire parking lot and barricaded the doors so that no one could enter the building!

I always looked forward to the Days of Action held in January in Albany, when people from all over New York State came together to advocate for our movement. It was so energizing being with supporters from all over the state. I have a beautiful collection of the gorgeous pink pashminas we were given. Some folks even wore pink ties.

My days of escorting and advocacy in Albany are over, but there is still a need to volunteer. With the increasing restrictions on abortion around the country, many more people are coming to Planned Parenthoods in New York for services. Planned Parenthood spearheaded the Abortion Care Packages project, which assembles and distributes care packages for abortion patients. I volunteered to be on the trial assembly team and immediately asked if my temple, Sinai, could become involved in this wonderful project. We’ve made hundreds of these kits each in both of our sessions, and have planned another day to make more in the fall. It is so well organized that we can assemble almost 200 in fifteen minutes! Many women handmake the bags, which creates that feeling of comfort.

At Sinai, we have also written postcards for the passage of the New York State ERA/Prop One. In addition, I chair the Rochester Voter Alliance, a group of volunteers who help marginalized communities register to vote. Voting may not even be on their minds -- we go to health centers, soup kitchens, the Public Market, etc. We’ve even been at Planned Parenthood health centers in the past.

Although I loved going to rallies and advocacy days and escorting, those types of volunteering have been replaced by more accessible activities. You can always sign a petition or call your elected official. So, I’ll keep doing my bit forever, because every person should have complete control over all of their health care, no matter what!