In case you missed my Instagram post, I am deeply disappointed in SCOTUS' ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade, and extremely pro-choice and pro-access to abortion, a basic healthcare necessity and fundamental right for anyone with a uterus. I can't believe I currently live in a country where the right to own a gun is held in higher esteem than reproductive rights. So this summer, we're funding abortion access. 20% of florapothecarie sales in July & August will be donated to The Brigid Alliance and National Network of Abortion Funds.
The Brigid Alliance - gets people to abortion care, wherever they are. They book, coordinate and pay for travel, travel expenses, and child care, serving as a single, trusted point of contact for every step of the journey. Wherever someone needs abortion care in the U.S., they get them there, through direct support and in collaboration with a network of partners.
National Network of Abortion Funds - a network of 80+ organizations that work together to remove financial and logistical barriers to abortion access across the nation. Some work with clinics to help pay for abortions, while others offer support such as transportation, childcare, translation, doula services, and somewhere to stay if you have to travel to get an abortion.
This is a cause I feel very strongly about as a woman and a survivor of sexual assault. If you feel differently, and think it's worth never purchasing my products again, that's fine by me, and it will not change my mind on this topic.
I founded florapothecarie after ending a 7-year relationship with a controlling, sexual abuser who told me I wasn’t beautiful unless I wore certain clothes, toxic perfumes and makeup, and did my hair a certain way. He told me he wouldn’t love me unless I did exactly what I was supposed to do to please him sexually, even if it hurt me. (And it often did.) After 7 years, I stopped believing him and started believing in myself.
I founded florapothecarie because WOMEN NEED TO COME FIRST. In beauty, in self-care, in healthcare, in politics, in business, in bed. And while this company is still just me (and sometimes my loving feminist husband aka #1 fan), it doesn’t mean that I don’t dream bigger or impact the lives of others. I founded florapothecarie because I’m a healer who also needed healing. I founded florapothecarie to help us all heal, and because we deserve better. I founded florapothecarie because I want to give every dime that I can to non-profit organizations that are fighting the good fight to protect the lives and freedoms of the oppressed because becoming a lawyer or lobbyist just wasn’t in the cards for me.
So if you need to stop buying my products because you don't support abortion access, go for it. But it's time for businesses of all sizes to be transparent about what their values are, and where your money goes after you purchase from them. When you buy from florapothecarie, your money goes to supporting a rad feminist herbalist healer and maker (that's me!) and her family, and to causes that support the rights of women, POC, LGBTQIA folx, and animals.
For those who love my mission and keep supporting florapothecarie, you rock!
And if, like me, you're trying not to spiral from how F'd this country feels right now, here's my advice: take care of yourself, take care of the people you love, and do whatever you can to support the causes that matter to you. If it's abortion access, donate to one of the organizations I'm supporting or your local abortion fund. Become an abortion activist - Abortion Access Front is offering a free virtual abortion activist training on July 17. If donating money isn't something you can do right now, donate your time or skills by volunteering locally or through Catch A Fire. Gather with likeminded people and just hold space to grieve, to feel and express your feelings. We will prevail. I do believe, in the long run, good and love always triumph over evil. And if not, I'll see you in Canada! 😅
Be well, take care ~
xo Sami
