The Women's Foundation of Minnesota awarded a $5,000 matching grant to WeARE Advocates for Reproductive Education toward their efforts for reproductive rights and opening a clinic this fall.
After offering monthly education and advocacy in the Brainerd lakes area for two years, WeARE will be offering clinic services including education, birth control and testing and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. The clinic will open the first part of October on James Street in Brainerd and will initially have clinic hours two afternoons a week.
WeARE believes that all people have a right to evidence-based, non-judgmental, confidential reproductive healthcare services and finds such services unavailable for many teens and young adults in the community, a news release stated.
"Neither public health nor public education offer medically accurate, fully comprehensive sexual health education to our community at large, but particularly the underserved population of young adults," stated Becky Twamley, executive director of WeARE, in the release. "We believe this is part of the reason that the teen pregnancy rate for 18- and 19-year-olds in Crow Wing County is more than double the state average and also why the statistics for STIs (sexually transmitted infections), and specifically chlamydia, have become epidemic."
The Women's Foundation of Minnesota is a statewide community foundation investing in innovation to drive gender equity. The foundation envisions a world of equal opportunity where women and girls-and all people-hold the power to create and lead safe, prosperous lives, the release stated. Founded in 1983, it is the first and largest statewide women's foundation in the country.
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"We truly appreciate this grant money from the Women's Foundation of Minnesota," Twamley stated in the release. "It will help us open our clinic doors this fall. We also thank all the individual donors who have been so generous and supportive of our efforts to improve the overall health and wellness of our community."
WeARE is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Visit www.wearebrainerd.org or email wearebrainerd@gmail.com for more information.
