Insider News September 2024
In this issue:
- President & CEO Message
- Health Care: World Contraception Day
- Education: Teachers in Training
- Advocacy & Government Relations: Less Than 2 Months Until We Vote on Prop 1
-
PPHP Honors Hedberg Family for Bequest Gift in Riverhead Health Center
- You can continue to make Care. No Matter What. possible!
- In Case You Missed It
Dear Friends,
Thank you to those of you who joined us for our annual Wine Tasting event earlier this month. It was a great day to come together for sexual and reproductive health and rights. Together we raised $156,000 to ensure Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic can continue to serve our communities.
We were thrilled to honor Annette Grollman at the event with the Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic Impact Award, for her commitment to access to reproductive care and empowering individuals to determine their own sexual health and reproductive futures. Planned Parenthood was the first charity Annette ever donated to, and she has been a proud supporter for over 30 years.
Whether you have supported us for decades like Annette or have joined our community more recently, I want all our supporters to know that they are not alone in their support for our organization. New nationwide polling shows overwhelming support for Planned Parenthood. Eight in ten adults say that Planned Parenthood makes a positive impact on the communities they serve, and three-fourths of adults would be concerned if Planned Parenthood didn’t exist anymore. Our opponents can seem loud, but they are a vocal minority. We know that most Americans are in favor of the high-quality and affordable reproductive health care we provide, and we will never stop fighting to keep offering those services to all who need them.
We are grateful for your support of PPHP, which allows us to provide the best care possible to our patients every day. Read on for ways to get involved, join us for an event, or make a donation to support our work. Our movement is stronger with you in it.
In this together,
Vincent Russell
President & CEO
Health Care: World Contraception Day
World Contraception Day is September 26. Contraception, or birth control, is essential for people to control their lives and make informed choices about their reproductive health. We’re working for a world where contraception is widely available, free from stigma and discrimination, and meets the needs of ALL people.
All people who need birth control want to find the method that is best for them, and each of us has different needs when choosing a method. Some patients may want a method that is low maintenance, like the birth control implant or IUD. However these methods require a provider to insert them, so some may prefer something they can manage at home like birth control pills, ring (NuvaRing), or the patch. Barrier methods like condoms and diaphragms are also effective when used correctly, and only need to be used when having sex. PPHP also offers vasectomy services for people who are certain they no longer want to have children.
No matter your lifestyle, PPHP is here for you to help determine which method is best for you. We also offer free birth control through New York State’s Family Planning Benefit Program (FPBP) for patients who qualify. You can learn more here.
To learn more about contraception or to book an appointment, visit pphp.org or call 1-800-230-PLAN.
Education: Teachers in Training
Our Education and Training team closed out the summer with professional development training: for us! We’re continuously developing our skills as a team to ensure we’re providing the best comprehensive sexual education programming.
In August, two of our team members attended the Let’s Talk About Sex conference hosted by SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective. SisterSong aims to amplify and strengthen the collective voices of Indigenous women and women of color to ensure reproductive justice through securing human rights. The Collective was formed in 1997 to fulfill a need for a national movement by women of color to organize and represent themselves and communities. Our team members enjoyed three days of learning, networking, and empowerment. PPHP’s commitment to providing sexual health education is reproductive justice and our dedication to working with diverse communities demands that we learn from their voices.
Additionally, our entire team attended a professional development training hosted by our neighboring affiliate, Planned Parenthood Greater New York (PPGNY) on navigating challenging behaviors while in the classroom. Working with PPGNY allowed our team to train with their Community Health Educators and collaborate in a way that we could only experience with another Planned Parenthood affiliate. Beyond the skills our team acquired, the comradery and team building we experienced while training with our fellow Planned Parenthood colleagues made for a special day.
As we gear up for the Fall and our burst of programming that greets us with the start of the school year, we are refreshed, empowered, and prepared.
To get in touch and learn more about our education and training programs visit Education & Training | Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic, Inc.
Advocacy & Government Relations: Less Than Two Months Until We Vote on Prop 1
We are less than two months from when we go to the polls to vote on Proposal 1 in New York State. That’s an incredibly short amount of time to let our friends, family, and community know that this ballot proposal is essential to protecting reproductive freedom.
We have several events coming up to get the word out about Prop 1, which would ensure reproductive rights, including abortion rights, are permanently protected in the New York State Constitution. Now is the time to take action with us. Prop 1 is a rare opportunity to protect abortion rights in a profound structural way; don’t miss your chance to be a part of this historic moment.
We also want to remind everyone about a few key upcoming voting deadlines:
- The deadline to register to vote is Saturday, October 26. You can check your voter registration here.
- Early Voting begins on Saturday, October 26 – Sunday, November 3
- Election Day is Tuesday, November 5
Check out all our upcoming events here. Want to stay in touch about our advocacy work for NY ERA/Prop 1? Fill out our volunteer interest form!
Come Join the Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic Team!
PPHP has employment opportunities in our health centers and administrative offices.
If you’re interested in working for a leading provider of sexual and reproductive health care and a trusted source for education and advocacy, apply to work at PPHP today. You can learn more about open positions and working at PPHP here.
Be sure to mark your calendars and share these events with your friends and family.
Prop 1 Events
- Weekly Phone Banks | Virtual | Every Wednesday at 6:00 p.m.
- Postcard Writing | Riverhead | Wednesday, September 18 from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
- Postcard Writing | Ossining | Sunday, September 22 from 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
- Phone Bank | Virtual | Tuesday - Monday, September 24-30
- Crowd Canvassing | Multiple dates and locations
Empower Gala
Thursday, October 17
Glen Island Harbour Club, New Rochelle
More information here
For more information, visit our Calendar of Events. We look forward to seeing you!
PPHP Honors Hedberg Family for Bequest Gift in Riverhead Health Center
We were honored to receive a bequest gift from Charles “Chic” Hedberg on behalf of him and his wife, Margareta “Greta” Hedberg. Mr. and Mrs. Hedberg are remembered for their decades of dedication to improving the Westhampton community, which included supporting PPHP.
On September 5, 2024, their children, Victoria and Viking Hedberg, and Viking’s wife, Katie, visited our Riverhead health center. They had the opportunity to tour the health center and view the plaque that will honor their parents’ contributions for years to come.
During their visit, Victoria and Viking recalled their parents’ many efforts for social justice causes, including running the first Earth Day fair in Westhampton, recycling drives, participating in the March on Washington, and their years of service on our Board of Directors in the 1990s.
Victoria and Viking admire how their parents were always true to their convictions. However, it was not always easy; they recall being ostracized at school for their family’s belief in abortion access and even having their house egged a few times.
“It was not without hazard in a small town,” said Viking. “I must admire their bravery.”
Victoria and Viking said that improving their local community was important to their parents. Their roots in Westhampton are enduring; Mrs. Hedberg's family lived in the area when it was still called Ketchaponack. Mr. Hedberg’s family lived in Brooklyn and summered in Westhampton, where he met Mrs. Hedberg as a teenager at the beach club. They raised their family in Mrs. Hedberg’s childhood home, which her father built in 1926.
Victoria still lives nearby and said it means a great deal to have a Planned Parenthood health center in the community. “A lot of people are not comfortable going to their family doctor for reproductive health care. It’s good to have a place to go where you’re a little more anonymous.”
Leaving a legacy gift in their parents’ honor was a joyful way for the family to remember their parents.
“It means the work will continue,” said Victoria. “This was something so important to them, to have [health care] available to everybody.”
Viking said that leaving a bequest gift to PPHP fits very much with the ethos of the family. “The idea that ‘To whom much has been given, much is expected,” was a mantra that ran through our family,” said Viking, recalling a teaching from the Methodist church where the Hedbergs were active members. “To be able to deliver on that promise is very special.”
You can continue to make Care. No Matter What. possible!
A monthly gift to PPHP ensures security for patients in your local communities. Consider joining our Monthly Giving Program today at www.pphp.org/donatetoday.
Double your impact! Does your employer have a matching gift program? Check with your Human Resources Department to find out. For questions, contact the Development Department at [email protected].
Committed to safeguarding the future of reproductive health care? Consider leaving a legacy gift to PPHP in your will. Please contact the Development Department at [email protected].
Do you have a little bit of time to get more involved? Visit www.pphp.org for ways you can help.
PPHP in the Media:
Tinder Partners with Area to Create "Bans Off Our Bodies" Shirts at NYFW | Teen Vogue
Additional News:
How does the birth control pill work? Breaking down COCs and POPs (usatoday.com)