One month after the November 2016 election, several RHAP staff, volunteers, and board members came together to brainstorm ideas on how to manage the growing number of people interested in getting involved in our organization. One of the volunteers who joined us was Angela Petriello, a former co-worker of RHAP’s Development Officer, Rosanna Montilla-Payano.

“Hearing Rosanna discuss RHAP’s work convinced me to become a volunteer. Their name says it all – Reproductive, Health, Access – it’s easy to forget, especially as someone living in NYC, how few people in the world have access to quality reproductive health services.”

Angela had a very important role in developing RHAP’s volunteer program. At her former job with the nonprofit Care for the Homeless, Angela managed and expanded their volunteer program. She brought her expertise to RHAP and helped us develop our own volunteer initiatives. She offered her time and guidance on how to move forward with cultivating our volunteers to committing to RHAP long-term.

“I’m the Operations Manager at a health-tech start up in NYC. I volunteer for a couple of different causes, but RHAP is the first organization I’ve volunteered with that specifically focuses on reproductive health. After the 2016 election, I wanted to get even more involved in issues that the current administration has attacked, and, of course, abortion and women’s health fall into that category.”

We are thankful for volunteers like Angela who selflessly and willingly share their expertise. “The team at RHAP is small, so one of the best parts of volunteering with them is that I can really see the impact of my support. The first time I volunteered with RHAP, a little over a year ago, we handwrote notes and letters of encouragement to abortion providers throughout the country. In a single evening, we were able to send letters to over 200 abortion providers. Knowing we were able to reach that many people, freeing up the RHAP team to do other important work, is an example of why volunteering with them is such a rewarding experience. I’ve learned a good deal more about reproductive health and access to quality care during my time with RHAP, and I look forward to continuing to support their work.”

As we dive into 2018, and celebrate a year of our volunteer program, we want to thank Angela and all of our volunteers for their dedication to our mission, their continuous support, and their enthusiasm that makes the work we do worthwhile.