The women in the above photograph were women of action. In the 1960s, when access to reproductive health was even more precarious and difficult to obtain than today, these women ran a group informally known as the “Jane Collective”. They helped women in need of abortions contact abortion providers, and even learned how to conduct abortions themselves.

As a country, we’re not quite at this point yet. In some states? Thanks to the 2022 Supreme court decision, Dobbs. v Jackson, which overturned Roe v. Wade, abortion is illegal, and this kind of direct action may be necessary again.

After June 24, 2022, I was at a loss. I participated in a couple of well-attended protests, and was even arrested at one, but then? I didn’t know what to do next. I created this website for others who might feel the same way. I had to deal with the aftermath of the arrest, and I had become so disconnected from my community during Covid that I didn’t know who to contact to “get involved”. So many amazing organizations run by incredible volunteers and activists were swamped with people contacting them, and they couldn’t always reply to every single person. A lot of people had been doing a ton of hard work prior to the overturning of Roe, and training green volunteers is a full-time job in and of itself. I finally decided that perhaps I could contribute to the cause by creating one website that could help other people who want to help but don’t know how. I hope to highlight what other organizations are doing, and guide concerned people around the country to various activist, education, and funding groups in their areas.

If Martha Scott, Jeanne Galatzer-Levy, Abby Pariser, Sheila Smith, Madeline Schwenk, and the other Janes of Chicago could step up at an even scarier and more oppressive time, so can we.