Mission
Tides started in 2018 when individuals from and living in Massachusetts came together to dream about what an abortion fund founded by people who have had abortions, are Black, Indigenous, and Queer could look like. Today, we are a collective of staff members, board members, and supporters who bring a unique approach to abortion funding and reproductive justice.
Tides for Reproductive Freedom is dedicated to providing financial and practical support for people across race, gender, sexuality, spirituality, ethnicity, ability and history seeking access to abortion services. Our goal is to fill the funding and practical support gaps across the state by working directly with frontline communities. As members of these communities, we find ourselves equipt to do the necessary work of centering and working with people from our communities, and building collective power by investing in their leadership.
We are committed to working strategically with our fellow Massachusetts abortion funds to meet our people where they are through sustainable system building that ensures equitable access to reproductive health, services, and justice.
Who We Prioritize
Tides is firmly rooted in the truth that we are whole people. Our communities share common, even direct, ancestors and oppressors. We each have complex identities that necessitate dismantling all forms of oppression so that diverse, intersecting identities are visible, supported, and protected.
Given this understanding, we want to bridge the gap in access to abortion care for:
- Marginalized peoples, centering disabled, BIPOC, and queer communities;
-
Those uninsured or underinsured;
-
People who are unable to afford the cost of abortion.
What are the Barriers to Abortion Services?
Our communities often face unique barriers to access, including:
- Being unable to qualify for MassHealth
-
Being unable to take multiple days off of work
-
Lack of transportation
-
Medical discrimination (racism, transphobia, ableism, fatphobia)
-
Language barriers/lack of access to translation services
-
Predatory fake clinics (Crisis Pregnancy Centers)
How Do We Prioritize Our Communities?
We’re dedicated to making our intentions reality, and hope to fill access gaps in numerous ways. As a new organization, we know that our current services do not and cannot address every barrier to abortion services. Over time, we’d like to expand our offerings in strategic and lasting ways. Currently, the gaps we’re addressing are:
-
Providing necessary resources and practices to reach our communities, such as:
-
Translation services (We use Boost Lingo, a HIPAA compliant service that translates 300 spoken and written languages)
-
The option to communicate via text, as well as phone calls
-
Direct outreach to community spaces and services run by and for marginalized folx
-
-
Abortions are time sensitive. We prioritize responding quickly to those seeking funding by responding within 48 hours
-
Approaching funding through a lens of wealth redistribution and solidarity, not charity.
-
Being competent and caring with cultural humility.
-
Building collective power with paid staff and board members that places power back in the hands of those often deprived of it. We believe lived experience is a valuable credential.