Local politicians, teenage volunteers, community supporters and even former volunteers
gathered Friday evening at the I Hotel to commemorate Planned Parenthood’s 70 years of reproductive health services in Champaign.
“Fortunately, as we look around this room, we can tell many people in this community are supporters of these issues,” said State Rep. Naomi Jakobsson, D-103. “I want to make sure the women of Illinois have access to reproductive choice.”
Jakobsson and State Sen. Michael Frerichs, D-52, were awarded the Illinois Voice For Choice Award at the event.
“We always try to highlight the people who are advocating for our issues,” said Joanne Howard, chair of the board of Planned Parenthood of Illinois, the group that governs the Champaign clinic, 302 E. Stoughton St., Champaign.
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Frerichs said his support of a woman’s right to have an abortion if she chooses has not been tested much in state legislation, but it may be if State Sen. Bill Brady, R-44, is elected governor.
“It’s definitely possible, especially with health care reform at the national level,” Frerichs said. “A lot of states are being reactionary and trying to roll back access to reproductive health care.”
Volunteers with Planned Parenthood of Illinois’ Teen Awareness Group were also honored at the benefit dinner and gave a presentation about their work educating their peers about issues of healthy and safe sexuality.
“A lot of people that I talk to don’t know a lot about (the) sexuality of how to be safe,” said Ben Walter, a Teen Awareness Group Volunteer and student at Normal Community High School in Normal, Ill. “We have people ask us questions every day that baffles me.”
Cecile Steinberg, former executive director of Champaign County Planned Parenthood Association from 1970-84, attended Friday’s event and said she still volunteers with the organization. She said Planned Parenthood has long been controversial in this area, but its aim is to help people.
“We were controversial from the very beginning,” Steinberg said. “We were controversial when we offered family planning to unmarried women … Things people take for granted now used to be controversial.”
