Why I Volunteer at Planned Parenthood
Tondalayo Davis

“As a native Milwaukeean, I take pride in my city.  And as an African-American woman, I value my community above all.  However, Milwaukee faces many adversities, especially in the black population, including high teen pregnancy rates and elevated infant mortality rates. But these and other obstacles aside, I know the good in my community.  So I fight.

“As a volunteer with Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, I feel empowered to effect change in my community.  By giving a voice to the voiceless and taking action to challenge the systems that create the policies and laws that support vicious cycles of poverty and disease, I hope to empower and organize others in my community to get involved.  Many of my people are not fully informed about the legislative and political process, especially about how they influence social issues like health care inequity.  While with Planned Parenthood, I hosted an African-American health house party, petitioned for and participated in a demonstration to implement responsible reproductive health education in schools, and more.  Among the most rewarding experiences for me was lobbying our state legislators in Madison.

“I also found registering voters in Milwaukee to be a great experience. A large number of people in my community are unable to vote due to many obstacles. Despite this, I was able to encourage many people to “get out and vote”  because exercising this fundamental right is so important.