Week 1: January 19–26

Honoring Legacy

We begin our Thirty Days of Love with a commitment to sustained action and service, anchored in our commemoration of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. This is a time to lift up those who paved the trail ahead of us—the change-makers whose leadership and inspiration inform our own worldviews and transformed our society into a more loving place. Join us in redoubling our commitment to honor these heroic legacies through our own justice-making.

The Month Ahead

Tuesday, January 22

“Love says it all. It never goes out of fashion, requires a warranty, or expects a refund. Love is the moral energy that keeps on giving.”
– Dr. Mary E. Hunt, Co-Director, Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual

In honor of the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we will explore how the Roe decision is just the beginning of the conversation about access to reproductive health services. Increasing numbers of women in marginalized communities still lack access to abortion and other health services despite Roe. Read Shanelle’s story here.

Daily Action:

Find out the costs (including time off, childcare, transportation, and medical fees) of an abortion in your community. Where do these barriers come from and what other laws are on the books about the accessibility of abortion? What impact could they have on a woman’s decisions about becoming a parent?

Here are some key questions to get you started:
- Does Medicaid cover abortion and contraception? How much would these services cost without insurance?
- Where is the closest abortion clinic? Is it accessible by public transportation?
- What laws are there that regulate abortions?
- What range of other options are available for a pregnant woman? How much does childbirth cost? How accessible is adoption? Is there public childcare available?

Stumped on where to find this info? The Guttmacher Institute and the National Partnership for Women and Families both have some great state-by-state data.

Action for Families:

Brainstorm reasons people need doctors. Learn about someone who worked to make medical care more accessible to everyone.

Featured Organizations:
- Strong Families: http://strongfamiliesmovement.org
- Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice: http://rcrc.org/

Resources:
- Roe v. Wade anniversary resources from the Unitarian Universalist Association
- Roe v. Wade Preaching Resource
- “Comparing Frameworks: What is Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice?”
- Reproductive Justice: Expanding Our Social Justice Calling curriculum for Unitarian Univeralist congregations
- “Roe at 40″ Infographics
- Quick Stats on Abortion in the United States