Our parent organization, the National Network of Abortion Funds, posted a great list detailing the financial counseling questions that abortion funds like DCAF have to ask callers to help them find funding for their procedures.  It is not pretty, but it is necessary.  The Chicago Abortion Fund has a similar list here.  Here’s a short list of questions excerpted from the NNAF list:

• What would happen if I went without a landline?  Can I shut off my cellphone for a month?
• Can I call my children’s school about subsidizing their lunch for the next few weeks?
• Do I have anything valuable I can pawn for a few weeks?
• Can I sell some of my furniture, my television, my bike?
• Can I sell the unused portion of my monthly bus/train pass?
• Have I considered collecting bottles or cans on recycling day?

After financial counseling with a volunteer DCAF case manager, DCAF callers call our hotline back with the amount of money they have raised toward their procedures.  Based on that amount and the caller’s circumstances, their case manager will make a pledge toward the amount of funding assistance we can provide to supplement what they have raised.  The average grant we disbursed last year was only $149.

Such a small amount makes a tremendous difference for women and girls in our community.  So please include DCAF in your holiday giving this year by making an online donation today.