Events
Film Screening & Discussion Panel
Satursday, November 14, 2020 @ 4:00 PM EST
Save the date! Join the New River Abortion Access Fund for a virtual screening of “Abortion Helpline, This is Lisa.” The film will be followed by a panel discussion & abortion storytelling. RSVP to receive the Zoom link for this event. Registration is free, but required. Suggested donation: $5-10. Prizes will be awarded to the person who donates the most, and the person who gets the most friends to register!
ABORTION HELPLINE, THIS IS LISA | Women Make Movies | Trailer from Women Make Movies on Vimeo.
At the abortion helpline in Philadelphia, phone counselors—all called Lisa—arrive each morning to the nonstop ring of calls from people who are seeking to end a pregnancy . . . and can’t afford to. What do women do when faced with this dilemma? Some may call an abortion fund where counselors struggle to stretch funds raised from private donations to last all week so that Friday’s “Lisa” won’t be empty-handed when the phone rings. “Abortion Helpline, This is Lisa” shares the stories of the callers for whom getting through to the helpline in time can literally be life-changing—for them and their families.
It is important to share the work of the abortion helpline both because it is successful and because—in today’s political climate—it can never be successful. Some callers, when told the cost of an abortion, give up. Some take too long gathering funds, resulting in costs that rise prohibitively or a pregnancy too late to terminate. Some call when the helpline is running out of cash and not enough help is available. All too often there is just one too many barriers to getting an abortion. “Abortion Helpline, This is Lisa” will serve as a harsh reminder that we need to increase our support to those who are being left behind by unjust policies like the Hyde Amendment.