Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin Newsletter
SAFE
HEALTHY
SPRING 2019
STRONG
BE
VISIBLE
EVENT
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We Are Unstoppable Dear Friends: Thanks to you, 2019 is shaping up to be a year of bold new moves. This comes following a year of exciting momentum that closed out 2018. And, wow, did we thrive! Despite continued political challenges, PPWI expanded, enhanced, and innovated health care services for our patients — thank you! Take a look at a few of the amazing highlights from 2018: • Expanded health care services to meet the needs within communities through the addition of medication abortion services in Sheboygan, and endometrial biopsies, polyp removals, and early pregnancy complication management in all health centers. • Improved partnerships and increased community outreach to address rising STD rates, as well as improving unintended pregnancy and infant/maternal mortality rates.
Prior to joining the Planned Parenthood family in November 2018, Dr. Wen was the Baltimore City Health Commissioner. In this role, she led the oldest, continuously-operating health department in the U.S., founded in 1793, with 1,000 employees committed to improving well-being and combatting disparities. In 2018, she was named one of the 50 most influential people in health care for 2018 by Time Magazine. With so much talent and support behind our mission, we will continue to be bold and unstoppable in 2019! We will continue to thrive. I am grateful for your continued support and commitment for being here for our patients and keeping them safe, healthy, and strong – no matter what! With my deepest gratitude and appreciation,
• Raised more than $28 million through the Be Visible Capital Campaign effectively engaging people from across Wisconsin fortifying PPWI’s work well into the future! THANK YOU! • Worked to change the conversations around reproductive health by advancing positive public health policies and empowering a record number of people to get involved, raise their voices, share their stories, and get out the vote. We’re moving boldly through 2019 The beginning of 2019 brought new womanfriendly leadership on the state and national levels, and an exciting opportunity to partner with Planned Parenthood Federation’s new President and CEO Dr. Leana Wen to advance a unifying vision to improve health outcomes and combat health disparities. As a doctor and an individual who relied on both Planned Parenthood and public services like Medicaid, Dr. Wen brings a powerful perspective to our work. 2 |
Moving Forward
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PPWI Honors Lau and Bea Christensen with the Margaret Miller Award The Margaret Miller Award is Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin’s highest honor, presented to volunteers who display an extraordinary commitment to PPWI’s mission. Lau and Bea Christensen, recipients of PPWI’s Margaret Miller Award 2018
It was PPWI’s great honor to award the prestigious Margaret Miller Award to Lau and Bea Christanson at a special reception prior to its annual Madison dinner event. Lau served on the PPWI Board of Directors from 2008-2012 and continues to serve as a member of the Finance Committee. In the early days of Lau’s service, his leadership as a Director and Finance Committee member played a significant and important role guiding Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin through a pivotal time during 2008. His business acumen and leadership were essential in the strategic planning that ushered in a strong foundation to best serve women and families. When Lau and Bea initially learned about the opportunity to further expand access, services, and
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programming as part of the Be Visible Capital Campaign, they immediately stepped forward. They understood that when a woman has access to health care and can make her own decisions, there are lasting outcomes that will impact her family and community for years to come. Their willingness to support this effort with a significant leadership gift was key to the early success of the campaign. Thanks to Lau and Bea’s early support, Planned Parenthood opened a state-of-the-art health center in southeastern Wisconsin, and further strengthened educational resources helping to ensure access to reproductive health care for generations to come.
The award is named for PPWI’s first full-time executive director who led the organization from 1964 to 1979.
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Unstoppable Together!
Health services staff were celebrated as winners of the Voices Award
Unstoppable Together — PPWI and You! More than 1,200 PPWI friends and supporters gathered in Milwaukee, Madison, and Appleton for Unstoppable Together events celebrating how — together — we continue to stand strong for the patients and communities we serve. President and CEO Tanya Atkinson fired up the crowd at each venue, highlighting the overwhelming need for PPWI’s educational programming and essential health care services — and her message was clear — whether it’s cancer screenings, STD testing and treatment, birth control, or abortion: health care should not be politicized. “Time and time again we have persevered through the challenges to do what’s right for the health of our communities because we know what is at stake — the fundamental right of people to access essential sexual and reproductive health care and education to make their own health care decisions so they can live their happiest, healthiest, and fullest lives,” stated Atkinson. She also shared how — even in the face of challenges — PPWI has expanded services, including adding abortion care for patients in Northeastern Wisconsin. None of this could have happened without our supporters who have shown up to Be Visible time and time again.
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Unstoppable Together — PPWI and Community Partners PPWI is a significant part of the health care fabric of our communities. Supporters were given an inside look at how PPWI collaborates with community partners to improve health outcomes and advance our advocacy work. • PPWI’s CCmaS (Latinx Outreach) program and Centro Hispano come together for Pampering Day, an energizing event highlighting healthy living. • PPWI, working with the Share the Health program, improves care for low income and un/under-insured patients who have received abnormal pap test results. • PPWI and Kids Forward collaborate on Race to the Polls, an initiative addressing racial disparities and creating equitable public policy. • PPWI Education Staff with Diverse & Resilient share their expertise as a team in support of the Milwaukee Health Department and Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) efforts to tackle STDs in school communities. • PPWI and Children’s Community Health Plan (CCHP) improve pregnancy outcomes by increasing screenings for early and at-risk pregnancies, allowing prenatal care to begin earlier.
Moving Forward
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Posters from the design lab, Amplifier Art
• PPWI Public Affairs and Black Leaders Organizing Communities (BLOC) MKE expand their organizing networks by leveraging their strengths together. Art and Activism on Display Art has power and artists have long been instigators of change. Amplifier Art, a design lab that invests in artists as social change agents, was the source for a powerful display of how art and activism intersect to raise awareness about the issues we face today. Check out more work by Amplifier Art at amplifier.org.
Chris Abele presenting a check to Be Visible Capital Campaign Chair Edie Brengel Radtke and Honorary Chair Marianne Lubar to kick-off bold new moves
Voices Award Each year PPWI recognizes an individual, group, or organization for using their voice to advocate for Planned Parenthood — even when it’s not easy or comfortable. PPWI decided to break with tradition by selecting a winner from within the PPWI family – the entire health services staff. PPWI health center staff shared their poignant and unique stories live on-stage and via video. Each one spoke from the heart about their unique experience of providing care and compassion to our patients. We have seen health care and women’s issues being highly politicized, often in a way that disparages care at Planned Parenthood. It’s more important than ever to acknowledge and honor our health services staff, who embrace PPWI’s mission on the front lines every single day to help improve the lives and health of our patients and communities. We can only go so far alone; but we are UNSTOPPABLE TOGETHER.
Wisconsin Lieutenant Goveror Mandela Barnes with panel discussion moderator and noted Milwaukee psychotherapist Ami Bedi Spring 2019
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Love is Always the Goal PPWI Presents Humanitarian Award Winners: Diverse & Resilient, with Lex Allen
As part of our partnership with 88nine Radio Milwaukee, PPWI was proud to present the station’s Humanitarian of the Year Award, recognizing an artist or community organization that makes an impact through art. PPWI was thrilled that the winners were recording artist Lex Allen along with Diverse & Resilient (D&R), an organization serving the LGBTQ community. The award recognized their collaborative work on the “Beautiful, Loved, Worthy” statewide outreach campaign, developed to encourage self-love and acceptance, and to address the issue of intimate partner violence. The campaign was initially conceived by Kathy Flores, a PPWI Board member and D&R’s LGBTQ Anti-Violence Statewide Program Manager following the tragic death of Drew Nesbitt on his 46th birthday. “Drew lost his life at the hands of someone who held so much hatred for LGBTQ individuals, including a self-hatred,” remarked Flores. “We know that love and acceptance of yourself will help end violence.” 6 |
The initiative grew to feature Lex Allen and was aimed at LGBTQ teens and young adults — reminding them they are beautiful, loved, and worthy just as they are. The first billboard from the campaign was installed in rural Columbus, Wis., near a school stigmatizing LGBTQ people by promoting “pray the gay away” weekends.
A sample ad from the “Beautiful, Loved, Worthy” outreach campaign
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“We tried to imagine a world where we would be able to reach young LGBTQ individuals early in life as they were already starting to hear damaging messages about their sexual orientations and gender identities,” — Kathy Flores In addition to the ads and billboard images, Lex Allen along with Taj Raiden and Seane Bowe, produced a song and music video, “Colors in Bloom” which debuted at the 2018 LGBTQ Summit, hosted by D&R and Fair Wisconsin Education Fund. The song is dedicated to the memory of Drew Nesbitt.
“It was just like, my younger self, 12- or 13-year-old Lex, what would I need to hear to make me ok” he said, describing his inspiration when writing the song. You can view the video for Colors in Bloom at https://theofficiallex.bandcamp.com/track/colors-in-bloom
PPWI is dedicated to serving our patients – no matter what On April 1, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin received news that the organization was not awarded the Federal
Title X funding for patient health care and education. This decision comes after PPWI’s proven 40-year record of administering essential health care services under the Title X program to more than 30,000 patients each year.
Patients who rely on Title X for health care often have nowhere else to turn. Title X funding is meant to ensure that every person — regardless of where they live, how much money they make, their background, or whether they have health insurance — has access to basic, preventive reproductive health care, such as birth control, cancer
screenings, STD testing and treatment, and well-woman exams. No Title X funding can go toward abortion care services.
Even with this important funding loss, PPWI – collectively with you – is dedicated to serving our patients. Today our health center doors remain open across the state. While the loss of Title X funds is difficult, we had anticipated this was a possibility. We are and have been working to do all we can to protect patients’ continued access to needed care. Alongside you, we will never stop working to make sure every patient has access to the care they need. Planned Parenthood is so appreciative of your engagement and support. Your continued visible support of Planned Parenthood truly makes a difference. Together we are unstoppable.
For the latest news and information on how to stay involved go to www.ppwi.org.
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Goddess Prints and Flags Raise Funds for PPWI BlackPaint Studios is offering signed and numbered art prints and flags depicting the Goddess of Fierce Protection for purchase online. The woman-owned design studio will donate 50% of the proceeds to PPWI. BlackPaint developed the Goddess of Fierce Protection in honor of PPWI’s 80th and PPFA’s 100th anniversaries. Inspired by ancient deities and modern- day history-makers, the Goddess represents strength in the face of negative forces, and is a symbol of courage and resilience.
You can place an order for a Goddess art print or flag from BlackPaint Studios by visiting https://blackpaintstudios.bigcartel.com.
Save the date for the 2019 Be Visible Events! September 25 - Appleton Dinner October 18 - Milwaukee Luncheon October 30 - Madison Dinner
© 2019 Planned Parenthood® of Wisconsin, Inc. 302 North Jackson Street Milwaukee, WI 53202 ppwi.org
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