Cultivating Young Women Leaders in Northern CA

    Women's Health Specialists' young women in leadership spent the month of May fundraising access to abortion care. Young  leaders recognized the need for abortion access resources in their low-income, rural communities. This problem has only been exacerbated by COVID-19 and the recent attack on the reproductive rights of women across the country. These young leaders realized they could not stand idly by while women suffer. They decided to take a stand and fight for abortion access on the local level. 

     Together the team strated brainstorming the best way to build community, fundraise and celebrate while remaining COVID-19 safe. They decided to host a vitural abortion access trivia night! An online trivia night was a perfect way to stay safe while celebrating our accomplishments to keep abortion accessible. This trivia game was a great way to inform eachother about abortion, reduce stigma and build power! 

     The idea was then made into a reality, outreach staff created materials to promote the event and shared them across social media and Women's Health Specialists clinics. Along with creating fun and engaging materials featuring powerful women, Young women also made the game from scratch; they worked with Public Relations Director to form exciting questions surrounding abortion access, policy, reproductive justice, and much more! The questions highlighted the current circumstances surrounding abortion and shined a light on problems communities of color, and poor people are facing daily. 

     Along with the trivia, outreach decided to create fun swag bags that including fun treats and party supplies to help set the mood! Although fundraisers couldn't be together, we wanted them to feel connected and invited. Young women created a fun playlist and giveaway prizes to get the party started! The trivia night was a huge success with all participants. 

    The trivia night was an outlet for celebration; trivia night helped us highlight young women in leadership's work and have a conversation around the work that still needs to be done. Celebrating during such a confusing and tumultuous time can be hard, but it was necessary to help young women realign with their vision and appreciate the work they already do! 

Please enjoy these photos of our Abortion Access Trivia along with youth Peer Outreach Workers and fundraisers. Thank you for supporting our work and the leadership of young people in our communities. 

WHS Staff 

Links:

• Visit Our Website

Mask Up! Young Women Leading the Charge Against Covid-19. 

COVID-19 has been on the rise in our rural communities and many of those we serve are directly being impacted. Folks are experiencing the loss of loved ones, financial hardships, isolation and other difficult challenges. The young women of Women's Health Specialists' outreach team saw this struggle and recognized the need for COVID-19 awareness and resources in our underserved communities. 

The Outreach team had been working on some projects during the warmer weather talking about the need to socially distance, quarantine, sanitize, and wear masks. This campaign was called "Mask Up" which gave short and straightforward tips on how to reduce the spread of Covid-19. Outreach staff helped design posters and flyers to share with the community. The Mask Up campaign exhibited members of the community and strived to develop materials that resonated with those most impacted. The outreach team recognizes the importance of staying personal and intimate to better connect with the communities we serve. 

Outreach started to create materials to share on social media and within our clinics. These materials expanded beyond simple tips, they shared resources such as where to get tested, the status of the counties we serve, and how to stay up to date with all things COVID-19 related. Holding these conversations are especially vital in our communities. Of course, a rural community like the ones we serve are often disconnected from resources. Outreach strived to bridge this gap and become a liaison between the communities we serve and public health institutions. Being a part of the community we serve is a vital part of creating the "resource bridge". Outreach staff understands how our communities behave and absorb information thus making our resources all the more helpful.

This human approach to tackling COVID-19 is what has worked best in the community and our clinics. The main goal of the project was to keep our community safe, provide resources and remind them that we can get through this together. Although we may be apart, community is always at our core. Young women are leading the charge against COVID-19 in our communities, whether that be leading by example, raising awareness, or being a bridge. The love for our people helps us accomplish our work efficiently and with compassion. 

Please enjoy these photos of our campaign. Thank you for supporting our work and the leadership of young people in our communities.

Links:

• Women's Health Specialists