Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio (PPGOH) is working to help Ohioans have access to safe abortion services.

PPGOH has announced a new Patient Support Fund that will give patients financial, emotional, and practical support as they travel out of state to get an abortion.

Following the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June, Ohio enacted a 6-week abortion ban. Earlier this week, a Cincinnatti area judge temporarily blocked the ban for a 14 day period. In the month after the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade ruling PPGOH helped more than 200 patients cross state lines for abortion access.

The Patient Support Fund aims to support pregnancy evaluation services, transportation, lodging, food, and other necessary services for people traveling to get safe access to abortion. The organization says these services cost about $953 per patient.

"So many Ohioans are struggling to access care, regardless of whether or not they are needing to leave the state," said Iris Harvey, President and CEO of PPGOH. "The reality is our patients are in dire need of financial assistance. We need to make sure they are able to receive the care they need."

In order to reach its goal of helping 2,200 a year, PPGOH is working to raise $2,096,600.

"The systems that we have in place now, like the travel assistance and hotel vouchers allows our patients to be in control of what their own process looks like," said Leah Mallinos, PPGOH Patient Navigator. "The reason all of this is happening is rooted in the stripping of bodily autonomy. We want to restore that at every phase of this, so it's crucial our patients are getting to make their own decisions."

Those who would like to dontate or are in need of assistance can contact Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio at 800-230-7526 or by clicking here.