Emergency contraception vending machine installed in downtown Lafayette
Emergency contraception vending machine installed in downtown Lafayette
Reproductive resources vending machine touted as second in the state. Plus, feds put $2M grant to wastewater at, near SK hynix in West Lafayette. CityBus looks for feedback on future service. And more
Sponsorship help for this edition comes from Wintek Powered by Tipmont, in support of Boo at the Zoo, Oct. 18-20 at Lafayette’s Columbian Park. Check here for tickets.
EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION VENDING MACHINE INSTALLED IN DOWNTOWN LAFAYETTE
Nearly six months after setting up a vending machine with free emergency contraception, period products and other reproductive health products in Indianapolis, members of the Indiana Task Force installed a second one, this time in downtown Lafayette.
On Friday, as the group – locally known as the Younger Women Task Force – made finally prep to a machine in the back of the Eleventh House coffeehouse, organizer Melissa Gruver talked about the local launch.
Question: When did you set up the first vending machine? And how much business does that location get?
Melissa Gruver: We officially launched the vending machine project publicly with the installation of our first machine at Dear Mom Indy on April 5, 2024, and that machine has vended over 250 reproductive health supplies. Emergency contraception continues to be our most commonly vended item, averaging 34 vends in a month.
Question: How did this idea of a vending machine emerge? And how does it fit into a post-Dobbs decision landscape?
Melissa Gruver: The idea for emergency contraception vending machines in Indiana started when one of our local directors, Jessica Joneson, connected with Midwest Access Coalition, a 501c3 founded in 2014. MAC is a practical support abortion fund helping people in the Midwest afford associated costs such as travel and child care. MAC has led the effort to establish EC vending machines in the region with their first one launching in Chicago much earlier this year. Jess responded to an Instagram story from a MAC staff member, which started our conversation about what it would take to establish a community-based vending machines across the state of Indiana.
Post Dobbs, there has been an air of uncertainty and fear in our community as people try to navigate barriers to reproductive care. Emergency contraception plays an important role by providing options for people before they become pregnant. Unfortunately, EC options can be cost prohibitive for many people when acquired through the usual channels. It is our hope that the vending machine can get these life-changing medications to people for free, and in a stigma-free environment.
Question: How did you pick Eleventh House as the second site – and the first in Lafayette?
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