Stina Sayre’s Freedom Collection fashion show last week was a benefit for Friends of Family Planning.
I arrived on the Island as a twenty-something in the early 1980s and found a fledging art scene and stunning, unlimited beauty. There were a handful of galleries, one of which accepted me, but the bulk of my work was sold in New York. Little by little, independent art shows sprang into existence along with more permanent galleries. The all-Island art show was one such show, and the Family Planning art show was another.
The Friends of Family Planning Art Show and sale celebrates its 24th year at the Agricultural Hall in West Tisbury beginning today, May 25, and running through Sunday, May 27. With about 125 artists exhibiting and over 25 Island eateries donating goods, the art show has become an essential fundraising event for the Island’s family planning clinic.
“For us it’s really crucial,” said board member Jennifer Knight. “It’s what enables us to support the clinic.”
The Vineyard Family Planning clinic — for now — has been spared deep state budget cuts that threatened the 30-year old clinic with possible closure.
“It is a huge step in the right direction, it’s a big relief,” said Elizabeth Torrant, chief operations officer of Health Imperatives Inc., in a telephone interview Friday morning. Formerly Health Care of Southeastern Massachusetts, the health group manages the Vineyard clinic.
Catherine Coogan walked into the Family Planning clinic at 8 o’clock one morning this week, fresh from getting her three kids out the door and dropping them off at their respective schools, ready to do battle once again in the fight to keep her clinic open.
She was calm and collected, only momentarily frazzled when she couldn’t find the keys to her office in her purse.
The latest victim of deep cuts to health and human service funding at the state and federal level, the Vineyard Family Planning clinic, which has provided Islanders with a wide array of confidential health services at affordable rates for some 30 years, is now facing the very real threat of closure.
Catherine Coogan is the new director of Martha’s Vineyard Family Planning.
Ms. Coogan, a resident of Vineyard Haven, is a registered nurse with a bachelor of science in nursing from Boston College and a master’s in public health from Boston University. Ms. Coogan has 13 years experience as a medical provider. She has worked as a nurse at the Red Cross, the Boston Medical Center Adolescent Clinic, and Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Since 2006 Ms. Coogan has provided nursing and counseling services to clients at Martha’s Vineyard Family Planning.
