In the Winona State university KEAP center there are often events going on throughout the semester. However, for the next few weeks Winona State’s Students for Reproductive Justice Club is accepting donations to put into care kits for abortion patients all around Minnesota. From snacks to a game to get their mind off the situation at hand, Students for Reproductive Justice is reaching out to the community beyond Winona State’s campus.
This whole event revolves around the idea of reproductive justice, but this broad term may require some breakdown for people who are interested in this care kit drive or in the Students for Reproductive Justice Club. Karina Kpahn, the Planned Parenthood Generation Action intern on campus and club president of Students for Reproductive Justice, defines it as “a belief that everyone has a right to bodily autonomy, people have the right to choose if and when they want to start a family, and if they choose to start a family, they should be able to do so in a safe environment.”
For some it may be hard to see the connection between reproductive justice, care kits and abortion, and it all comes down to creating an impact on the local — and beyond — Kpahn shares that the choice to have people donate supplies and assemble care kits was to create “a direct action item,” something that can have a direct impact on people who are dealing with the process or aftermath of an abortion. Especially because Winona State is in Minnesota, a state where there’s been a lot of education and information on the subject, Kpahn wanted to “do something tangible with [their] hands and give students the opportunity to do the same.” These supplies being donated can bring a sense of comfort to these patients and can help them to feel more comfortable.
Services like this are important to provide because many people don’t have access to in-person procedures and benefit from acts like this. One of the important things Kpahn mentioned is that the closest clinic to get an in-person procedure is in Minneapolis, and not everyone has the resources to go that far. Many people in the area would have to go through it at home, so “being able to provide them with tea and a snack and, like, an activity to get their mind off of it,” helps make that direct impact.
Impact is also made by destigmatizing abortion and the conversation surrounding it, even though simple things like having posters around campus and simply speaking about it are helpful to this process. This destigmatization is a big reason this event is being put on, as Sophia Furth, a member of the Students for Reproductive Justice Club puts it “this impacts everybody,” even if you don’t think it does. Legal decisions regarding this topic affect healthcare as a whole, which affects all people. Which is why this event is such a good way to build community not just among students and everyone on campus, but to have “students realize that there’s a bigger Winona outside of campus and being able to have an impact on the community,” Kpahn states.
This event is a great way for students to get involved in their community and make a positive impact. Winona State University’s Students for Reproductive Justice club is accepting donations at the KEAP center to put into care kits for abortion patients all around Minnesota, and this event is going until February 28 of 2025. There is also a secondary drop off location near Orno Gift and Home on East Third Street.
The Winona State Students for Reproductive justice Club has an Instagram (wsu_reprojustice,) where they share more information about these events.
