50 for 50 Day 26: Planned Parenthood

Extra points to anyone who has memorized the intro I’ve been using for almost a month now…Thanks for stopping by my 50th Birthday Celebration, Day 26.

Here’s the background story: because I feel so blessed and have pretty much everything I could ever need, I am asking people to get involved with charities, if they are so inspired, in lieu of any fabulous birthday presents you were planning on sending me (or not).

I am featuring a different charity every day for 50 days leading up to my 50th birthday to give you plenty of chances to get involved. I started on May 18. I wanted to give a voice to different good works around the globe. If you ARE inspired to take action, please leave me a comment and let me know that you did. This is all I want for my birthday – to spread some love and kindness. Thank you, my dear friends.

Planned Parenthood has taken a beating lately. People who have an agenda that includes controlling women’s reproductive health have made false claims, like the one Senator John Kyl made, and which was ripped apart by Stephen Colbert:

On my soapbox: I believe that a society where women have equality is better for everyone. Better for women, better for men, better for babies and children, better for the environment, and justice, and peace. Look around the world. Where women are treated best are the best places on earth to live, period.

An important part of women’s equality is women having control over their own bodies. The right to be safe in your own body, to be healthy, and to have control over if, when and how you reproduce is crucial. Planned Parenthood has been at the forefront of this effort for over 90 years and they deserve our respect and support.

Three percent of their budget goes to providing abortion services, and I’m fine with that. Women will always need abortions. 30% of US women will have one by age 45. THAT’s a fact you don’t hear very often. If women are going to get abortions, they should be done in a safe manner in a medically supervised setting.

The other 97 percent of PP’s budget is stuff like basic reproductive health services and birth control. And if we want to reduce the number of abortions, providing birth control every woman can afford is an excellent place to start.

You can donate here. And they have a cool political action page, too.

Previously featured organizations:
Doctors Without Borders
Heifer International
Team Rubicon
Kiva
The Carter Center
Bikes Not Bombs
Friends of Maddie
ProPublica
Surfrider Foundation
Livestrong
United Through Reading
Operation Shower
The Liz Logelin Foundation
KidSave
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Kids Vs Global Warming
Help a Mother Out
Direct Relief International
WriteGirl
Accelerated Cure for Multiple Sclerosis
Women for Women
Epic Change
Amnesty International