By Cathy Haft

I met Marcie Schwartz in September 1969 during my first week of college in a women’s consciousness raising session. She had long blonde hair, a dimpled smile, big blue eyes, and a magnetic personality.  If you were lucky enough to fall into her orbit you remained her friend forever. Her capacity for wholehearted love was genuine.  She had the ability to see people for who they were and love them unconditionally. She was a terrific listener and the most loyal of friends. This was never more evident than at her daughter’s wedding when a dozen of her good friends all claimed Marcie was their best friend.

Marcie found a way to succeed in everything she set her mind to. She became a technical manager in the IT world at a time there were no women in those positions. She formed a strong loving bond with her husband, Jim Calciano and raised two remarkable children, Ana and Michael. Committed to her physical health, she became an exercise freak who never stopped moving.  If she did not achieve her target step count on a given day she would pace until optimal step count was achieved.

She had such an enormous enthusiasm for life, always ready to try something new. She loved to travel. She loved to swim. She successfully ran for local government after she retired from the tech world, and of course won.

She loved her family, and they and everyone else loved her.

She would have been horrified to know that Roe v. Wade was overturned by this religious right-wing supreme court.

This fund is being set up in Marcie’s name to help the women in those repressive states travel to get reproductive care. As a fierce feminist and righteous human, she felt strongly that no woman should ever be forced to give birth against her will.

Donations raised from this fund will go to the National Abortion Hotline’s Dr. Tiller Patient Assistance Fund, which provides logistical and travel assistance to people who now must travel to seek abortion care. 100% of gifts made to this fund go directly to paying for flights, hotel rooms, gas cards, and other miscellaneous expenses incurred when traveling to obtain vital abortion care.

No one should be without access to abortion care. With your help, the cost of travel won’t have to be a consideration for people when making essential healthcare decisions. Thank you for honoring Marcie and her commitment to reproductive freedom.

If you have any questions about this fund or would like to talk to a staff member about this work, please feel free to contact Liz Clark, Major Gifts Manager at lclark@prochoice.org or 202.918.7895.