Last week…
Last week I called Planned Parenthood and volunteered to escort. So, Monday morning I road my bike up to Planned Parenthood, and met with one of the clinics medical professionals.
As I rode up to the clinic I noticed that there were no protesters, which I did not mind at all. I parked my bike outside the door and left my backpack on the handlebars; there is a sign on the clinic door that is a notice not to bring backpacks are bags into the clinic (for obvious security reasons). As I came in through the double doors the clinic did not seem out of the ordinary, it looked like just about any other medical facility I have ever been in. After checking in at the front desk one of the clinics medical professionals came out of the “Staff Only” door and greeted me.
The staff member showed me into a room where volunteers sign in on a check-in sheet and where the volunteer vests are kept. After sitting down she asked me a few questions, and then she had several forms that I had to fill out and sign. Some of the forms I filled out where information about myself, and others where forms that protected the privacy of staff and clients. Then the staff member told me what to expect when I escorted, and things to do and things not to do and how to interact with the clients and how not to interact with the protesters.
It did not take long to fill out the paperwork, and in about fifteen minutes I was done. My information would be reviewed and after approval I would receive an email regarding what times I could be available for escorting.
A week later…
I road my bike the nearly three miles to Planned Parenthood, and was greeted by another volunteer but a locked door. Apparently the hours had been changed, so we where both about thirty minutes early. The other volunteer was an older man who is a retired union organizer, since he is retired he usually volunteers to escort during the week. Once the clinics professionals arrived they let us into the building and we signed in on the check-in sheet. Afterwards we put on the bright orange and yellow vest that read “Planned Parenthood Volunteer/Escort.” Then the receptionist gave us key cards so that we could let clients into the building and access the break room.
We set up a couple chair outside the entrance and a fan to cool us off, and that fan really works well. For the first thirty minutes we sat and drank coffee and talked, we talked about politics and about his retirement home in another state that he and his wife had built over the last several years. Then around 9:30a.m. clients started to arrive at the clinic.
We would wave to them as they pulled into the parking lot and I always flashed a smile, and as they parked their car one of us would walk around to the front of their vehicle. I would wait for them to get out of the car and say hello and good morning, and then I would walk them to the front door. Usually one of us already had the door open for them, or we would open the door and let them in. The retired union organizer told me that sometimes while trying to be friendly he would catch himself asking them how they are doing, but really he tries not to since if they are there for abortion services they are there for something serious and something that is not an easy thing to go through. So, I tried to just be a smiling face, and not ask any questions. I think a smile and a hello go a long way.
Sometimes the clients would roll their window down and ask questions, such as if it was alright for them to just come in for birth control (and that is perfectly alright). Some of them asked what I was there for, or if I was there because of the protesters. I would told them I was just there to act as a buffer, but today I was really more of just a smiling face: there was one lone protester. The protester spent the morning usually just standing in front of the fence with a rosary, and on occasion she paced down the sidewalk.
I had brought a book with me in case there was any time to read; the retired union organizer told me that some days you could read a few chapters in a book and other days you probably could not read more than a few pages. Today was not a day for reading. However, the retired union organizer managed to carry on a good conversation throughout the morning, pausing to escort people to the doors and then resuming our conversation.
It was a relatively uneventful start to my volunteer escorting activities, but I am sure in the future I will have to face much more aggressive protesters than those that stand respectfully by the fence and pray. However, in a way maybe it actually was eventful; if I helped one woman feel a little bit more comfortable coming to the clinic than that is something.
Left of College Station Note:
If you are interested in volunteering to escort at Planned Parenthood send me an email and I will be glad to pass along information so that you can wear one of those brightly colored vest.
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