The CAIR Project’s work is straightforward: They run a hotline. People who need help getting an abortion call the number to get help paying for an abortion or find someone to give them a ride to the doctor or host them if they have to travel out of town for the procedure.
Calls to the CAIR Project’s hotline have steadily increased from 1,200 in 2014 to 1,800 last year. But the project only has so much money on hand, which they divide up into a weekly budget. At a certain point each week, women call but they can’t get funding because the project has run out of money. That means they have to wait longer, which can make the procedure more costly. “That’s just awful for the person who’s pregnant,” says CAIR Project President Trina Stout. “No one should have to be pregnant longer than they want to be.”
And the need for this work is about to become more important than ever. Long before Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominations may someday have the chance to repeal Roe v Wade, state governments led by people like Mike Pence and emboldened by Republicans’ new control will restrict abortion access. Cuts to insurance coverage will make it harder to access birth control, potentially increasing the need for abortions. And while Washington lawmakers are largely pro-choice, our region is not exempt. In Idaho and Alaska, all bets are off. Some women in those red states already have to travel for hours to get an abortion, increasing their financial burden.
The CAIR Project already needs your help—and they’re only going to need more of it in the years to come.
Donate Here: cairproject.org/donate