Planned Parenthood Action Fund Kicks Off Largest Volunteer Training in Organization History
For Immediate Release: July 27, 2018 (Updated: July 27, 2018, 3 p.m.)
Joined by Amara La Negra, Aja Naomi King, Alexandra Shipp, Alicia Garza, Cecile Richards
Over 2,000 participants from all 50 states to learn how to organize communities, build strategies in state legislature, and win at the ballot box
Detroit, MI – Today, activists from across the country convene for Power of Pink, the largest volunteer training ever for Planned Parenthood Action Fund and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan. The event will train more than 2,000 Planned Parenthood supporters –– of all ages, races, backgrounds, and identities from all 50 states –– to organize their communities, run data-driven campaigns, and elect reproductive health champions in 2018. The trainings will equip participants with the tools needed to organize locally, build strategies in state and federal legislatures, and win at the ballot box — now and well into the future.
Quote from Dawn Laguens, Executive Vice President & Chief Experience Officer, Planned Parenthood Action Fund:
In this moment, women and young people are the most potent and pivotal force in American politics. Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court, in addition to repeated attempts by the Trump administration to strip our health care and rights, has supercharged an already motivated base. Power of Pink is all about channeling this energy and activism to win –– and our sights are set on the Supreme Court and the midterm elections.
Quote from Lori Carpentier, President and CEO, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan:
Planned Parenthood supporters across the country are powerful – not only in numbers, but in our determination to stand up against the attacks on our health and rights. Planned Parenthood advocacy and political organizations are now harnessing this power to ensure our voices are heard and win in legislatures and at the ballot, where we have the potential to make real change. We’re excited to bring together volunteers from across the country to Detroit, our city – a city that is strong, resilient, and fighting back just like us.
Since day one, the Trump-Pence administration and extreme politicians in Congress have undermined our rights, freedom, and access to health care. Kavanaugh’s nomination, attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and policies that would block patients from accessing birth control all show our rights are on the line.
In response to these attacks, an unprecedented mobilization of people are fighting back –– with women’s rights being the single most important motivation to march and take action. Two million new supporters have joined Planned Parenthood. Power of Pink is a testament to this energy.
To empower this influx of supporters, Planned Parenthood advocacy organizations have built new, sophisticated grassroots organizing programs that channel this energy and activism into sustainable efforts to make real change in the world. Planned Parenthood Action Fund has created a nationwide, online rapid response team called Planned Parenthood Defenders that now has over 90,000 supporters ready to take action at a moment’s notice. This past fall, Planned Parenthood organizations held grassroots organizing bootcamps to create 600 volunteer-led organizing teams across the country.
At Power of Pink, Planned Parenthood advocacy organizations and our progressive partners will lead workshops to train volunteers on relational organizing, digital organizing, phone banking, canvassing, running data driven campaigns, and much more.
Participants will leave with the skills, tools, and resources to help win local advocacy and legislative campaigns, the 2018 midterms, and the Supreme Court fight.
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Planned Parenthood Action Fund is an independent, nonpartisan, not-for-profit membership organization formed as the advocacy and political arm of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. The Action Fund engages in educational and electoral activity, including grassroots organizing, legislative advocacy, and voter education.
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan (PPAM) is the advocacy arm of Planned Parenthood of Michigan. PPAM works in conjunction with Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund at the national level, as well as our health center/education affiliate Planned Parenthood of Michigan, supporters, and patients at the state level to ensure access to reproductive health for all Michiganders.