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2022/23 elections, the history of abortion access, and what it means for our future
with planned parenthood advocates
a summary of legislative wins in 2023 and goals for 2024
with pro-choice maryland
abortion funding and practical support in maryland
with baltimore abortion fund
intermission
the work and progress for repro justice in western maryland
with women’s health center & mmarf
panel discussion
all speakers
Planned Parenthood Advocates for DC, Maryland & NoVa
rahula strohl, he/him
Public Engagement Manager
Rahula has been advocating for reproductive freedom professionally since 2017, through official volunteer channels since 2016, and typing angrily about it on social media for about a decade before that. Rahula’s work has been focused on connecting patients to the processes that create or restrict access to the care they seek.
Through Planned Parenthood’s Patient Advocacy Program, patients have testified before the Maryland General Assembly and the White House Office of Management and Budget, spoken at rallies, lobbied U.S. Congress and sued the Trump Administration.
Rahula lives in Baltimore City with his partner and their retired racing greyhound.
pro-choice maryland
Priya Hay-Chatterjee, she/they
vice Chair
Priya got their start in reproductive justice with Pro-Choice Maryland when testifying on a bill in 2018, and she’s worked in the movement ever since. Before receiving her B.A. in English and Certificate in Women’s and Queer Studies in 2020, Priya received the University of Maryland’s Mildred & Richard Loving Award for service to the university community. (Go Terps!) Their nonprofit communications career has crossed paths with REPRO Rising Virginia, ACLU Delaware, and the Baltimore Abortion Fund — where she's currently Communications Manager.
Priya was born and raised by first-generation parents in Montgomery County and now lives in Baltimore. When she’s not advocating for reproductive and economic justice, you can find her crocheting blankets for friends and family.
Pro-Choice Maryland is the policy leader for reproductive health, rights, and justice in Maryland. Their mission is to support and protect, as a fundamental right and value, everybody’s freedom to make personal decisions regarding the full range of reproductive choices through education, training, organizing, legal action, and public policy.
baltimore abortion fund
erin case, she/her
practical support manager
Erin has volunteered and worked in reproductive justice for over 6 years, serving as a clinic escort, abortion fund case manager, sex educator, and organizer.
Baltimore Abortion Fund (BAF) is a mutual aid, grassroots, nonprofit organization that provides financial assistance and practical support to people who live in or travel to Maryland for abortion care. BAF operates a confidential helpline (443-853-8445) where case managers make financial commitments to help callers pay for their procedures, provide information on how to access abortion care, and coordinate practical support (travel, hotel, food, rides, etc.) for abortion seekers.
women’s health center of maryland
Lyz Moore-Frey, they/them
office administrator
Lyz Moore-Frey (they/them) is the office administrator for Women’s Health Center of Maryland. Lyz has nearly two decades of experience as a trauma nurse and clinical herbalist, and reproductive justice, abortion access, and equitable access to healthcare is a long held passion for them. Lyz brings intersectional leadership, community building, and a drive to create a clinic that provides the care we dream of.
Our center was founded in early 2023 in response to the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization Supreme Court decision that revoked nearly 50 years of legal abortion rights in this country. The central Appalachian region swiftly became an abortion care desert. We saw patients forced to travel hundreds of miles to access this common reproductive health care, taking on both unnecessary financial and emotional burden. Women’s Health Center of Maryland aims to fill the void for not only Mountain Maryland, but the central Appalachian region with high-quality, comprehensive reproductive health care including both medical and procedural abortion. Our mission is to provide high-quality reproductive health care that honors, respects, and affirms the autonomy and dignity of our patients. WHC is committed to advocating for our patients and their reproductive freedom. We are dedicated to the provision of accessible, personalized reproductive health care that respects and affirms the dignity, confidentiality, and personal values of our patients.
mountain maryland alliance for reproductive freedom
Cresta Kowalski, She/Her
President
Cresta is a community organizer focusing on women's issues, specifically reproductive healthcare and reproductive justice. Over the past year, the Mountain Maryland Alliance for Reproductive Freedom has worked tirelessly in Garrett and Allegany counties as a pro-choice organization which educates and advocates for people and families in the region. Additionally, Cresta is an active member of other organizations in the Allegany County community focusing on women's rights and families, working to advocate for their needs in the Western Maryland area.
potomac family planning center
Allison Claytor, she/her
clinic coordinator
Allison started in reproductive rights advocacy interning at NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland, and has been working in abortion clinics for seven years.
Hagerstown Reproductive Health Services (HRHS) is located on 160 W. Washington Street #100 in Hagerstown, and opened in 1979, with all of the original dedicated staff still working there. HRHS offers the surgical procedure with local anesthesia up to 14 weeks and 3 days, and the abortion pill up to 10 weeks. Our other two offices in Rockville, Potomac Family Planning Center, and Catonsville, Hillcrest Clinic, also offer the surgical procedure with general anesthesia. The clinics accept Maryland Medicaid, private insurance, and abortion funding assistance. To make an appointment in Hagerstown, please call (301) 733-2400.
The mission of this forum is to connect organizations in Western Maryland with volunteers and advocates, to educate voters and candidates, and to foster conversations about abortion without stigma. Thank for your willingness to join these efforts in connecting a community that values reproductive justice.
In the year since Roe v. Wade was overturned, the one thing greater than our frustration was the outpouring of enthusiasm by people compelled to act. The Hagerstown team of clinic escorts grew both in size and scope from this surge of activism. When the Washington County Democratic Central Committee moved in next door, we gained a supportive neighbor and valued ally. The passion of WACDTF clinic escorts and our partnership with WCDCC made this forum and our future work possible.
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