As we move into the end of the year and enter a season of gratitude, we’ve been reflecting on what keeps our communities strong, compassionate, and whole. At the top of that list remains abortion access and the folks who make abortion access possible.

Abortion care workers—doctors, nurses, medical assistants, hotline staff, patient navigators and advocates, clinic escorts, abortion funders, and legal monitors—wear many hats, all while remaining some of the most resilient and courageous people.

We’re the voices on the other end of the phone when someone calls, afraid or uncertain. We’re the steady presence of trusted medical staff when our patients feel off balance. We’re the people who hold space for our patients as they make deeply personal decisions, while navigating a system designed to prevent them from accessing the care they deserve.

The work is even more challenging in states with hostile laws, such as our clinics in Florida and North Carolina. Providers, staff, and volunteers continue to show up despite restrictions, harassment, continued political attacks, and misinformation. We continue to fight through legal red tape, juggle constantly changing laws, and navigate ambiguous language with significant gray areas. The fact that abortion care frontline workers continue to provide compassionate care to patients is extraordinary. We do it because our patients and our communities are tremendous.

Abortion access is about more than just health care; it’s about dignity, freedom, and possibility. It allows people to imagine futures on their own terms—whether finishing school, raising a stable family, or simply choosing what’s right for their own body and life. And every single time someone can access abortion care, it’s because of the tireless efforts of people working behind the scenes to make it possible.

Being thankful, though, means more than just saying the words. Gratitude can also be an action. We can support abortion funds, speak up against stigma, volunteer our time, or even have honest conversations that normalize abortion as the health care it is. Every act of solidarity strengthens the safety net that patients and providers rely on.

So, this season, as we take stock of what we’re thankful for, we want to say this clearly: thank you to the abortion care workers. Thank you for your courage, compassion, and persistence in the face of overwhelming challenges. Thank you for protecting access to care, even when the system tries to shut the door.

We’re thankful for you. We’re grateful for abortion access. And thankful for the communities that continue fighting for both.