It’s finally here! Tonight is the Eastern Massachusetts Abortion (EMA) Fund Triathlon! It’s a night full of Wii Bowling, feminist badasses (including Jessica Valenti and Miriam Perez) and karaoke. Yep, we feminists know how to party.

So why do I raise money for abortion funds?

Because women should be able to control their lives. Because I believe abortion should be accessible, affordable and on demand, without question and without apology. Because no one who doesn’t want to be pregnant should be forced to remain pregnant. Because I trust people to choose what’s right for their bodies and their lives. Because money should never mandate healthcare. Because I hope someday, reproductive freedom will truly be free.

Having vacillated my whole life between living low-income and fiscal comfort, I know what it’s like to have to choose between paying for groceries or paying for medical expenses.

When I was 23, I lived in my own apartment working a shitty retail job that barely paid the bills. I lived paycheck to paycheck. I know what it’s like to go hungry because you’ve already spent your entire paycheck on bills. There were times money was so tight, I didn’t have enough food to eat. I’d have one box of pasta and a can of peas to last me the week until my next paycheck.

Desperately worrying about where you’re going to get the money to pay your expenses is a frenetic nightmare. No one should ever have to decide between rent or their reproductive healthcare.

The average abortion costs approximately $500. I don’t know about you but I don’t have an extra $500 lying around to pay for an emergency. And the longer you wait to get an abortion — understandable considering you may have to wait for a few paychecks or ask people to borrow money — the higher the cost increases.

Supporting reproductive justice is about supporting bodily autonomy, supporting the full spectrum of choices people make.

Here in Boston, we dealt with a hellish and nightmarish week last week. The Boston Marathon bombings, shooting at MIT, shootout in Watertown and citywide lock-downs gripped the city with tension and fear. But the Boston bombings and lock-downs didn’t stop EMA from taking calls. People still needed to find funding for their abortion appointments.

Boston came together in a collective spirit of unity and solidarity. People selflessly helped those in need. It’s in this same spirit of charity that I hope you’ll consider donating to my EMA Fund Team to help people get the healthcare they need.

Want to help people in an immediate and impactful way? Give to an abortion fund. Vote with your dollars about what matters to you. Never think you can’t make a difference in the world. Because you can. Every dollar helps someone in need.

 Please donate to my EMA Fund Team. Can you give $10? $5? $1?? No donation is too small. Whatever amount you can give will make a tremendous difference in helping someone get the healthcare they need.

It’s not a choice if you can’t choose. So let’s strike down barriers to abortion access together. Thank you!!!