Invest in Choice

What is a CPC?

April's Choice Champion: Virginia Spurrier

Virginia Spurrier is a monthly sustaining member of NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota. She has been a part of many different activist communities in Minnesota. Virginia strongly cares about women's reproductive rights.  We are so grateful to have members like Virginia who believe in the collective power of grassroots organizing. 

"I am pro-choice because it is the only humane course that insures women have full rights to what happens to their bodies.  One of the most important organizations ensuring women’s reproductive rights is NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota and their efforts.”

March's Choice Champion: Holly Hilgenberg

Holly Hilgenberg is our March Choice Champion and we couldn't be happier! Holly joined the organization in 2006; currently, she gives monthly as a sustaining member and we were delighted when she joined us at Pro-Choice Lobby Day in February. We are amazed by our thoughtful, actively pro-choice members like Holly.

Growing up in a conservative, Catholic family, I for a long time did not think that much about reproductive rights. In fact, I operated under the ill-informed belief that if you got pregnant, you should just deal with the consequences by having the baby. All it took was one conversation with some friends about inequalities and lack of access to proper sex education (something that I, despite having attended Catholic school as a child, was fortunate to have) for me to wake up and realize that not everyone was coming from the same experience I was. From there, I became aware of other issues at hand when considering the importance of choice—the circumstances (sometimes awful)under which a woman can become pregnant; how difficult it is to raise a child in our society, particularly as a single mother; valuing the life of the woman and her ability to have control over her life; issues of protection from abuse;the history of reproductive rights and challenges in our society and so on. The more I learned, the more I realized how important it is for a woman to have a right to choose what is right for her life. It is my firm belief that every child should be wanted, and every woman should be in control of her destiny—and that this, as a society, is something we should value and uphold. 

February's Choice Champion: Judith Johnson

We are proud to present Judith Johnson as February's Choice Champion. Judith has been generously supporting NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota for the past six years. Every year, Judith receives a call from our Phone Canvass team and, year after year, Judith has shared with us her deep commitment to the pro-choice movement. We are grateful to have such dedicated, passionate members - and physicians - like Judith.

I am a physician and a proud supporter of NARAL Minnesota.  Every day in my work I see the importance of contraception and all reproductive services.  Every day anti-choice politicians are finding ways to restrict access to these services. Our state anti-choice legislators waste precious time attempting to take away the right to choose abortion when our health care system is in crises. Nationally, anti-choice members of Congress exploit the Health Care Reform Act to institutionalize the restriction of reproductive rights.  In this time of opportunity to transform our nation’s and state’s health care systems it is of utmost importance to give our advocates adequate funding to counteract this pressure. I am grateful to NARAL for keeping choice safe.

January 2012: Emily Springer

We are proud to present Emily Springer as our first Choice Champion of 2012! Emily has been a long-time supporter of NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota, and became a sustaining member in 2009. When a member of our Phone Canvass team calls Emily, they know they can count on her support - and will have a great conversation on the state of choice in Minnesota! Emily is a true champion of choice.

I am a mother, daughter, sister, partner and I am a woman.   I am a regular person that believes in protecting women’s health, safety and the personal right of choice.

Ever since I was 15 years old, I have been a strong supporter of the pro-choice movement.  If it was not for the women that walked before me, I would not have been able to even make a choice or been given access to a safe place to go. 

I invest in the movement today not only for the right to a safe abortion, but for the education of our youth, access to birth control and keeping all rights protected.  I have a strong belief that the government, religious organizations or any individual needs to keep their laws off my body.

I will continue to invest in the movement so the women of our generation, and those that come after us, keep their right to their choice.

December 2011: Cindy Aegerter

Like many others, I became involved with NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota for a number of reasons, some personal,some more altruistic.  At the time, (oh,so many years ago) I was trying to transition in my career, and was looking to add some nonprofit service to my resume – not exactly an unselfish reason to nominate myself to the board.  However, I could have looked into serving with a number of organizations, but chose NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota because I believe so strongly in the mission. The advocacy work this organization does is amazing. We’re able to standup where others can’t or won’t and say, we believe abortion is a valid option for any woman with an unwanted pregnancy. We fight for women’s lives, every time some politician or group of citizens tries to take away or diminish that choice.

I stayed involved, because I know how hard the NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota staff works and the sacrifices they make to keep this organization functioning properly. They’re out there everyday, educating the public about the issue, informing legislators about the impact of proposed legislation, building our membership so we can affect policy. They deserve my support in whatever way I can give it, both through gifts and volunteerism.  My support, and every other member’s, is vital to the work of the organization, not only the economic support we can provide, but the force we represent as members when it comes to lobbying and elections. 

November 2011: Cathy Kelly

Cathy joined the NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota board of directors in January 2009.  Even though Cathy spends a majority of her time at her profession in New Jersey, her family and friends bring her back to Minnesota monthly, where she is committed to protecting a woman’s right to choose.

I have never served on a non-profit board; I typically do not volunteer my time to causes.  I am the person who cares and writes a check.

I have never had a doubt about the movement or the need to support a woman’s reproductive rights.In2009, I decided I wanted to take a more active role, I made the decision to do something, to support our organization and today I am a Board Member of NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota.  Our reproductive rights are challenged in our laws, courts and health care system on a daily basis; while disheartening, this environment was the motivation for me to apply to join the NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota Board.

NARAL is a nationwide organization but the opportunity to serve on the board in Minnesota was a natural one for me.  While I live and work in New Jersey, most of my family is in Minnesota.  My family and friends, some of the dearest in the world to me, benefit as a direct consequence of our activity and the success of our lobbying efforts and canvassing work in Minnesota.  I love being able to bring them to our events and make sure they know what NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota is doing on their behalf.

Serving on the board, I have been impressed with the intelligence and energy that I see in our new board members and the canvassers.  They give me optimism for the future of our organization.  Of course I wish that these rights were not in jeopardy and tied to the politics of legislative action but I am encouraged by their spirit and enthusiasm.  I could not hope for more for the next generation.  The actions we take today will continue to protect our reproductive rights.