I don’t know why it surprised me — this gathering breaking out in a spiritual revival of compassion and prayer. All of the people in that room have journeyed long and hard over the last four years of the pandemic, and many for much, much longer than that. Reproductive justice practitioners and abortion justice advocates who were in that space have known every manner of weariness and fear: threats of imprisonment and criminalization, continued under-resourcing of our communities and our work, seemingly endless misunderstanding of our commitments as faith-rooted advocates for total reproductive liberation.

R-Soul was one of the first projects that I started here at Faith Choice Ohio in June 2020, and it is truly one of the favorite things that I do in this work. R-Soul is where we talk about things going on in the world, connect with partners about the work we collectively need to do, and where we can talk openly about the struggles we have as advocates committed to reproductive justice for the long haul. 

So as a celebration of our 100th episode, I want to share a few of the podcast episodes that I particularly enjoy or feel drawn to as the R-Soul podcast editor and co-host. 

The waiting period, which has no basis in medical need or scientific best practices, is a tool of stigma imposed by legislators on abortion procedures solely to slow down access to care that certain lawmakers simply don’t like. The law requires an abortion patient to see their abortion provider once, and then come back a second time after 24 hours in order to receive care.

For patients, this waiting period often means overnight stays far from home, an additional day of lost wages, and increased associated costs for things like travel, childcare, and food.

On March 26th, the Supreme Court heard arguments in FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine — a case that could decide whether mifepristone should have been approved by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). This case not only has the potential to block access to abortions via mifepristone in the future, but it could also cast doubt on any other medication regulated by the FDA.

Mifepristone (mife) is one of two drugs, along with misoprostol (miso), that are commonly used in medication abortions throughout the world. These medicines are so essential that last year 63% of all abortions were self-managed or conducted with abortion pills in the U.S.

From Youngstown and Cincinnati to New Orleans, our team is always on the move advocating for reproductive freedom and practicing radical inclusion! Learn more about our faith-rooted work in this newsletter.

Fighting the “Bigger Lie” takes courage and community — two things that the gerrymanderers simply can’t summon.

As advocates for abortion justice and reproductive freedom, the faith communities that make up Faith Choice Ohio know a thing or two about courage and community. Our constant support of abortion seekers and their right to access the care they choose rests at the heart of what community care is all about.

I hope 2024 is off to a great start for you & yours!

As one of two faith organizers on the team, I’m committed to equipping & empowering others to advocate for religious & reproductive freedom in every season. To help kick off the year, I’ve highlighted several of our programmatic offerings in this newsletter. I invite you to get involved in our work for the very first time and/or in new ways.

We remain deeply grateful for all the time, effort, and energy you and many others put in to make sure Issue 1 passed to boldly protect abortion rights and reproductive health care in Ohio. THANK YOU for being part of the movement that made this historic victory possible.

As we move into 2024 and begin to welcome more abortion seekers from surrounding states and even patients from farther away, your support makes a huge difference. Here are just five ways to invest in this faith-rooted work for the long run.

In this season of gratitude and in celebration of the recent win for abortion access & reproductive rights in Ohio, I’m thrilled to announce the launch of our newest program to support abortion seekers across the state!

We are proud to offer our new Abortion Care Package program to expand our work via The Jubilee Fund as we continue to engage the power of groups and faith communities like yours to help support abortion seekers. And it’s a great way for your community to keep the momentum going for abortion access and reproductive freedom after our HUGE collective victory!