Welcome to the January Volunteer Newsletter from the Community Engagement team at Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region! We sincerely hope you had a wonderful holiday season. To kick off 2020, we're highlighting the many ways you can use your voice this year and giving you a look at future opportunities to get involved.
Share Your Story
How has Planned Parenthood made a difference in your life? What would your life be like without Planned Parenthood?
Your voice matters. We need more than facts and figures to create change - we need to lift up the real experiences of people in our community. We want to hear your health care story, as told by you. By sharing your experience with the public, you help ensure that we will continue to be there for all who rely on Planned Parenthood for birth control, abortion, cancer screenings, STD testing, comprehensive sex education, advocacy, and more.
Your words personalize issues which often get reduced to labels and talking points. Your experience helps show the positive impact of health care access, and the real life consequences of restricting that access. Sharing your story is one of the most powerful ways to support Planned Parenthood.
Volunteer of the Month
Each month, we showcase one outstanding Planned Parenthood volunteer. January’s Volunteer of the Month is Kennedie Deutschmann! See our Q & A below to learn more about Kennedie and her experience with volunteering!
Q: Why is it important for you to volunteer at Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region?
I truly believe that Planned Parenthood is a vital part of my community. Similar to many volunteers that I have met, I want to give back to a place that has helped me so much. Offering affordable reproductive health care to those who truly need it is something that needs to be protected in our city. I try to offer any support that I can to help keep Planned Parenthood here, at home.
Q: Do you have a favorite volunteer experience with Planned Parenthood?
I really enjoyed volunteering with Planned Parenthood at the Women’s Marches the past several years. In 2019 the weather was brutal, but there were still a lot of people out for the march. I think the temperature was somewhere in the single digits. To my surprise, I was able to get a couple dozen signatures that day. Your voice is powerful.
Q. What else would you like to share about volunteering with Planned Parenthood?
I really appreciate the work that Planned Parenthood does, and it is so wonderful to be a part of something like this. It’s important to understand the reservation people in our area have about Planned Parenthood. When we are out in the community, it is important to not disrespect people and their values, but to engage with them positively and share with them the good work that Planned Parenthood does. At times it can be difficult to empathize with people when their opinions may not be based on the truth. It is our responsibility as volunteers to show them that the resources are here to learn more about Planned Parenthood as an organization.
Get Involved
We hope you can join us for some of our upcoming events in January! Check them out below! If you have any questions about our volunteer programs or this newsletter, please contact Brenda Cross at [email protected] or 314-531-7526 ext. 358.
Women’s March Poster Making Party
Thursday, January 16, 5-6:30 PM, Planned Parenthood Central West End
Join us in making posters to bring with you to the St. Louis Women’s March! Limited supplies will be available, or you may bring your own. There will also be a training opportunity to become a circulator for the Medicaid Expansion ballot initiative. Please RSVP to attend the event here.
St. Louis Women’s March
Saturday, January 18, 10 AM, Poelker Park
Get energized for 2020 by kicking off your year with Planned Parenthood at the annual St. Louis Women’s March! You can find more information about the St. Louis Women’s March on their website. Sign up online if you want to march alongside fellow Planned Parenthood supporters, volunteers, and staff.
Planned Parenthood is also looking for volunteers to help gather signatures for the Medicaid Expansion ballot initiative during the march. There will also be a training opportunity during our Women’s March Poster Making Party on January 16 (please see above). If you are interested in gathering signatures but are unable to attend this training, please contact Brenda Cross at [email protected].
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