Frequently Asked Questions
Who does RRFP fund?
RRFP can fund anyone who is a Virginia resident or anyone who is traveling to Virginia for an abortion care appointment.
I am calling on a Tuesday & the General line is closed. What’s happening?
Our general line opens at 9am on Tuesdays, and is closed when we run out of funding. This is often quite early in the day. If you are hearing our closure message, that means we have already run out of funding for the day.
If English is not your first language, select option 2 for our 24/7 Language Access line. If you were recently incarcerated or are calling for someone who is currently incarcerated, select option 3 for our 24/7 Incarcerated Rights line.
Where does funding come from?
RRFP is made up of a small team of staff and an amazing collective of dedicated volunteers, and we are are grassroots organization. We are a registered 501(c)3 and rely heavily on individual donations from our community to fund abortion procedures and practical support.
Why is it going straight to voicemail when I call? Is the line closed?
RRFP uses a warm-line system that ensures we are sorting our callers’ needs by the earliest appointment date. Please leave a voicemail. An RRFP Intake Counselor will most likely contact you within 24 hours of your voicemail, and will definitely call you back within 48 hours. You only need to leave one voicemail. Everyone who leaves a voicemail while our funding line is open will receive a call back.
Thank you for your patience.
What’s a pledge?
A pledge is a promise that RRFP will cover a portion of your abortion procedure.
We fax a pledge with a dollar amount to your abortion clinic. Instead of the clinic asking you to pay the amount on your pledge, the clinic will bill us directly, and we will take care of it. You will never have to pay us back for our pledge.
I already had my appointment. Will RRFP reimburse me?
No, if you have already successfully paid for your appointment, we cannot support a reimbursement.
If we pledged towards the cost of your abortion and you were charged at your appointment in error, we can contact the clinic to fix that & get you refunded. We cannot coordinate a refund or reimbursement in any other case.
If you did not pay your appointment cost in full and were put on a payment plan, we can pledge towards that cost as long as the clinic will accept our funding.
How much funding can RRFP give me?
RRFP attempts to cover the funding gap after National Abortion Hotline (NAH) and Planned Parenthood funding. Please reach out to NAH first at 1-800-772-9100 or if you have an appointment at Planned Parenthood, call the clinic directly to ask about their financial screening.
If we know how much NAH or Planned Parenthood is covering first, it will be easier to assess how much you need, and we may be able to cover the rest of the cost.
RRFP also has (limited) resources to help you with lodging, transportation, and meals.
We do not send cash transfers or direct cash assistance.
How do I take care of myself after my abortion?
There is no one answer that works for everyone. Every body and every person is different and is affected differently after an abortion.
Please follow all directions your healthcare provider has given you to take care of your body. Call them immediately if you have any questions or concerns. Although complications are rare, go to the emergency room if you are experiencing an emergency.
We refer people to Exhale if you want to talk to someone about your experience. Faith Aloud offers spiritual and religious guidance pre- and post-abortion.
What is the Language Access line?
RRFP centers folks who don’t speak English as a primary language. This line is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call toll free at 1-888-847-1593, option 2. In the future we will have a multilingual online form.
Currently, our voicemail message for the Language Access line is in Spanish. If you don’t speak English and/or Spanish, you can leave a message after the tone stating which language you would like us to use when calling back, OR email us with your preferred language at intake@rrfp.net! Someone from our team who either speaks your preferred language or is utilizing a live interpreter will call you back within 48 Hours. We use a third party live interpretation language line.
For more information about how Language Justice guides our work, click the button below – and scroll to the bottom for more resources/zines about navigating abortion access with language barriers.
What is the Incarcerated Rights line?
RRFP prioritizes budget & resources for people who are (or were recently) incarcerated in jails and prisons and are seeking reproductive healthcare. This line is also open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you or someone you know is (or was recently) incarcerated and needs legal or financial assistance to get an abortion, call us directly at 210-761-3538 or toll free at 1-888-847-1593, option 3.
We can provide appointment funding, transportation support, and a friend to talk to through this process. We do not offer legal representation, but can refer you to legal support if you need it. Click the button below to check out our Incarcerated Rights guide to accessing an abortion in Virginia.