August 18, 2020

Birth Control, Family Planning, Get Involved, Health Care, STIs, Title X, Transgender Health Care

Real talk: It’s not easy keeping rural clinics open, but it’s an essential part of our mission because we believe ALL Mainers need access to excellent, evidence-based sexual and reproductive health care, no matter where they live or what they earn.

Last year, we faced an unexpected funding gap after the unethical, unlawful Domestic Gag Rule forced Maine Family Planning to reject ideologically tainted Title X dollars. We are still fighting the Domestic Gag Rule in federal court. We spent the early part of 2020 working with state lawmakers and allies to fill that gap with state funding in order to ensure not one Mainer loses access to birth control or other basic family planning care due to the Trump-Pence Administration’s backwards policy. But the Covid-19 pandemic derailed that effort for the time being, just as it disrupted so many things about our daily lives.

Including, of course, how people access health care — like the sexual and reproductive health services we offer at 18 community clinics and online, five days a week. We’ve risen to the challenge, innovating around service delivery, expanding our telehealth options, and doing all we can to make people feel good about in-person visits at our clinics, which have remained open throughout the pandemic. We know our rural and low-income patients depend on us for many methods of birth control, STI testing and treatment, transgender health care, abortion care, and other services that are essential for peace of mind (which is in rather short supply right now).

But we can’t do this life-changing work without you.

Now, thanks to the generosity of a few longtime supporters, your support for our 18 clinics can go twice as far. Between August 18 and September 4, every gift up to $18,000 will be 100% matched as part of our 18 Clinics 18 Days Matching Gift Challenge. That means your $50 donation becomes $100; your $250 donation becomes $500!

These dollars stay in Maine, to support Maine people getting the information and health care they need to build the families and futures they envision.

Over the next 18 days, we’ll shout out the 18 local MFP clinics that help keep Maine healthy, secure, and empowered. Follow along on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and do what you can to help us reach our ambitious goal of raising $18,000 in 18 days! Together, we can protect and expand high-quality health care access for folks in the 18 unique communities we serve.

Check out this video our staff made a couple of months ago to remind folks: We’re here for you.