Dear John,

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If you feel like the ground beneath us is giving way this week, you're not alone.

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In fact, if you are like us, the pain of knowing abortion care is no longer legal in West Virginia still feels raw. This turn of events is a violation to what we know is right, and to the platform we've built together--the one in which we commit to fighting for health care access for every West Virginian, including abortion care.

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Right now we're getting the lay of the land. Alongside patients, doctors, community leaders, we're investigating what individuals and groups and municipalities can and can't still do to help folks access abortions. We're checking in with those of us who are most vulnerable here in West Virginia, and those who are acting creatively in other states. And we're learning the status of different abortion funds are at, and what they most need. What's clear in the meantime is that tens of thousands of us mountaineers want to ensure West Virginians still have a route to access care. ?

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Our hope is that you'll join us in this pacing. We must prepare our hearts for the reality that this is a moment that will be measured in years, not news cycles.?

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Our experience tells us that if we slow down, connect--with ourselves and each other--we can take wiser action. If we don't act with intention, the crisis can creep in, dictating our movements. Instead, we want to encourage us each and all to slow down enough to locate the threads inside of us each that help us navigate from a place of love. We need it.

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Our commitment is to get back in touch with you in the coming weeks to offer actions that will make a real difference in people's lives.?

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As always, we remain open to conversation -- not just about action steps, but also to tend to each other as human beings, wrestling with a whole mess of pain, frustration, hope, and confusion.?

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In solidarity,

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The WV Can't Wait Team

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PS. If you or someone you know requires abortion care urgently, go to abortionfinder.org to locate the nearest available out of state clinic.?

WV Can't Wait is a movement to win a people's government in the Mountain State. For more information, visit wvcantwait.com.