Repairing the Building for Women

Building for Women is organizing this fundraiser to benefit WE Health Clinic, P.A..

Tax deductible

The Building for Women (BFW) is a Partnership of WE Health Clinic (WHC), the Program for Aid to Victims of Sexual Assault (PAVSA) and the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) - Duluth. Its mission is to provide a safe, accessible and affordable space in which organizations and individuals can grow and thrive - including WHC, the region's ONLY abortion provider. The BFW is home to organizations and activities which promote safety, dignity and empowerment in our multi-state area.

HISTORY

In 1993 WE Health Clinic (formerly Women’s Health Center) was the focus of near-constant protests and harassment by anti-abortion organizations including instances of stalking, threats of violence, and a butyric acid attack. The clinic had faced two evictions in 4 years from landlords that had decided they no longer wanted to be associated with the clinic or the protestors.

Tina Welsh, then Executive Director of the clinic, and Rosemary Rocco, then Executive Director of Program to Aid Victims of Sexual Assault (PAVSA) and Karen Diver, then Executive Director of the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) - Duluth came together to raise the funds needed to buy a yellow brick building in the heart of Duluth’s downtown. They named it the “Building for Women.”

TODAY

For 30 years the Building for Women has served a unique and unmet need in the community of Duluth. The plaza outside the building serves as a gathering space for social-justice-focused demonstrations and community events. BFW conference rooms are available to be used by community organizations. It continues to be the home of its three partners and a number of smaller community organizations including:

WE Health Clinic - WHC is an independent, nonprofit sexual, reproductive and abortion healthcare clinic. It is the ONLY abortion provider in the region - serving Northeastern Minnesota, Northern Wisconsin, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and beyond. Following this summer's Supreme Court decision which overturned Roe v Wade WHC saw a 23% increase in the number of abortion services it provided from 2021 to 2022 and is seeing more patients traveling from states which have placed restrictions or bans on abortion care. In addition to its abortion care services, WHC provides much-needed free or low-cost sexual reproductive healthcare including contraceptives, wellness exams, STI testing and treatment, gender-affirming hormone care, and PrEP HIV preventative therapy. It is more important than ever to ensure WHC has a safe and secure home from which to continue providing its vital services.

Program for Aid to Victims of Sexual Assault - PAVSA is a non-profit sexual violence crisis center that provides free and confidential services to victim-survivors, their family, and friends ages 13 and up. Services are available whether the violence happened yesterday or years ago. PAVSA ensures that everyone is given the support to heal from the trauma of sexual violence and is helped to stop the cycle of violence. PAVSA is dedicated to the elimination of sexual violence in southern Saint Louis County through supporting victims, educating the community, and advocating for change.

YWCA Duluth - The mission of YWCA- Duluth is to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. YWCA Duluth is recognized as a collaborative leader and catalyst for community change focused on the empowerment of women and girls and the elimination of racism. Its services include an early childhood education center, a young mother's housing program, and programming which cultivates young leaders providing hands-on educational opportunities and supportive relationships for youth and their families.

The League of Women Voters and Feminist Action Collective are also based out of the BFW.

And now, the building needs your help.

THE NEED

The Building for Women requires major repairs to ensure the safety of the building and all who enter including repair of…

Water damage in the basement wall
Damaged plaza surface
New windows - current windows are over 30 years old and frequently leak
New cabinetry to store medical supplies in WE Health Clinic
Water damage in the lab ceiling of the WE Health Clinic
Needed upgrades to the elevator
Water damage in the fire exit
Walls on the 1st Floor need repair
Updated telephone and security systems for the building

Our starting goal is to raise $100,000. We estimate that this amount will cover at least the most urgently needed repairs. We hope that, with your support, will exceed our goal and be able to afford the additional repairs needed to ensure BFW remains a safe and welcoming space for our community.

Any donation will help make an impact!

Thank you in advance for your contribution to this place that means so much to so many!

A few photos of the visible parts of building's sad state:

Large cracks in the plaza which make entry into the building less safe, these may also be the source of water damage to the buildings lower level walls and ceilings.