A Step Ahead Chattanooga

05/28/2026

Join us Wednesday, June 17th for a sparkly night of book bedazzling with

Your $15 dollar ticket includes a seat at the crafting tables and bedazzling supplies. You may purchase a book on site or bring your own.

All ticket purchases support A Step Ahead Chattanooga’s mission to remove barriers to contraception through education, outreach, and access to birth control.

Link to get your ticket here 👉 https://loom.ly/QYSp_ac
Can't make it to BeDaZzLe but still want to support? Click this link here to make a donation 👉 https://loom.ly/4tYFXxI

05/27/2026

For the past year Mandy has been writing a monthly email series called All Access Pass to share more context around the work we do and what we’re seeing across our region.

One thing we kept hearing is: “I wish I could share these emails with more people.”

So, we decided to start a Substack.

Going forward, we’ll publish Mandy’s monthly All Access Pass updates there for anyone wanting to better understand what’s happening in the world of birth control access across our region.

Through these posts, we’ll break down the policy landscape, share research, and talk about the historical, political, and economic forces that shape who gets access to contraception and who doesn’t.

We want to make complex information more approachable so together we can all be more informed advocates, better resources for the people in our lives, and more confident voices in these conversations.

We’ll also share reflections from our work, what we’re noticing in real time, and the barriers people in our communities are navigating every day.

Check out our first post and subscribe to see more https://loom.ly/-xwWkdQ

An introduction to A Step Ahead Chattanooga and the work of expanding contraceptive access

05/20/2026

This is how we imagine a group text would go between some of the birth control methods. 😆

You already know the pill is running the group chat and has absolutely had it with everyone.

05/13/2026

Tennessee currently has the highest maternal mortality rate in the country at 42.1 deaths per 100,000 births, nearly double the national average, not a list we want to be at the top of.

One part of the maternal health conversation that often gets overlooked is access to birth control.

Access to contraception is a proven strategy for helping reduce maternal deaths by preventing high-risk pregnancies, supporting healthier birth spacing, and allowing people to plan pregnancies with earlier and more consistent prenatal care.

With May being a month where we celebrate and care for the women and mothers in our lives, and this week being National Women’s Health Week, we wanted to share more about this connection and why birth control access is an important part of improving maternal health outcomes in Tennessee.

We recently shared more on our blog about why birth control access is an important part of improving maternal health outcomes in Tennessee and why these conversations matter. https://loom.ly/cfNWfiE

Last year, Tennessee received news that no state wants: we now rank last in the nation for maternal mortality. According to the March of Dimes 2025 Report Card, our state's maternal mortality rate is 42.1 deaths per 100,000 births, nearly double the national average.

05/12/2026

Why are millenials so wordy? 😅

05/05/2026

Just popping in.... 👀

04/29/2026

Which one of these was your aesthetic? 👀

04/23/2026

Our 2025 Year in Review reflects what it takes to keep showing up and overcoming the barriers people face every day. The need isn’t slowing down. More people reached out than ever before, each navigating their own path to access care.

It’s also a reminder of what’s possible. Over the past year, more than 1,400 individuals across our region accessed birth control at no cost, without the added stress of insurance or out-of-pocket expenses. That access is only possible because of a community that continues to show up.

Thank you for being a partner in this work. Every social media share, every word-of-mouth recommendation, and every dollar helps make this possible and keeps this work going in our communities.

VIEW THE BOOKLET HERE 👉: https://loom.ly/5NJkY0s