Our mission
Arkansas Abortion Support Network’s mission is to empower Arkansans in their right to bodily autonomy and reduce barriers to abortion access by providing funding and necessary resources.
In 2013, a group of dedicated volunteers began escorting patients into Little Rock Family Planning Services(LRFPS) — Arkansas's last independently owned abortion clinic.
What started as an effort to help people safely access appointments grew into something bigger: in 2016, that same group founded Arkansas Abortion Support Network as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, becoming Arkansas's first official abortion fund. For the next six years, AASN operated entirely on volunteer power, providing escort services, funding, outreach, and advocacy for Arkansans seeking abortion care.
In June 2022, everything changed. Dobbs v. Jackson overturned Roe v. Wade, triggering Arkansas's abortion ban and cutting off in-state abortion access as we'd known it.
Rather than step back, AASN's volunteers spent months strategizing a new path forward. That fall, they opened The Y.O.U. Center, Arkansas's first abortion and pregnancy resource center, inside the same LRFP building where it all began.
Today, The Y.O.U. Center offers secular, judgment-free pregnancy options including abortion, adoption, and parenting. Through our Pathways to Prevention Initiative, we distribute free emergency contraception and Opill by mail and have served all 75 Arkansas counties. Our Period, Pregnancy, and Parenting Supply Closet provides period products, prenatal vitamins, parenting supplies, and food pantry items to anyone who needs them. And through our abortion fund, we directly help cover procedure costs for Arkansans traveling out of state for care, connecting clients with our client hotline and travel support along the way.
Our roots are in direct, hands-on support and that hasn't changed. What has changed is the shape of the work. We remain committed to evolving alongside the people we serve, grounded in the principles of reproductive justice and bodily autonomy.
Our values
Southern Liberation & Community
We are committed to advocating for bodily autonomy for all Arkansans. We recognize that our cause is intertwined with numerous other important communities in Arkansas and throughout the South. We are dedicated to playing an active role in fostering and improving a future that is inclusive of all individuals.
Reproductive Justice
We believe in reproductive justice: bodily autonomy, the freedom to grow or not grow our families, and the support to parent safely and sustainably. This isn't about "choice," it's about access. A right on paper doesn't mean much if cost, distance, racism, or state law stands in the way of actually living it. This framework was built by Black women organizers in 1994 and carried forward by SisterSong, and we're proud to stand in that tradition here in Arkansas.
Privacy
We believe privacy is crucial for safeguarding individual autonomy and dignity. We maintain stringent privacy protocols to ensure the utmost safety and security of our clients, staff, and volunteers.
Accountability
We are open to receiving constructive feedback and value transparent and direct communication. We approach all communications with a focus on radical non-judgment.
Accessibility
We believe that ensuring accessibility to abortion and comprehensive reproductive care, for people of all abilities and backgrounds, benefits everyone. It is through genuine accessibility and transparency that we can truly achieve a progressive and liberated South.