The two-bedroom apartment was cozy, full of books on the shelves and art on the walls. “The whole place had a vibe that you could pull one of the books off the shelf and curl up,” said Ms. Achebe, 38, a labor organizer. “It was very homey.”
Twenty weeks into her pregnancy, Ms. Achebe, who lives with her husband and 14-year-old son in Rockford, Ill., was told her baby had severe fetal abnormalities. For Ms. Achebe, the decision to terminate a wanted pregnancy was fraught, and the procedure emotionally traumatic and complicated. Added to that, no hospitals in her area provided abortions, so she had to drive two hours to Chicago, leaving her son with his grandparents. The host was warm and friendly, she said, but also gave her and her husband space. One night, they watched Bill Maher together. “For something that is so traumatic, you would think that being in a stranger’s house would be terrifying, but it was kind of the opposite,” she said, adding, “It ended up being affirming. When something really bad happens, there’s always someone who will help.”
After the Supreme Court decision, the requests on the Midwest Access Coalition Signal thread were coming in daily, said Henrietta Dombrovskaya, 59, who was trained to be a host in 2019. Inside her Chicago apartment, an airy prewar two-bedroom, built-in bookshelves by the fireplace display dolls from her childhood in St. Petersburg, Russia. The guest room, with a private bathroom, is the apartment’s larger bedroom. The room, with both a platform Queen bed and a sleeper chair, is large enough to accommodate two adults, which is helpful for guests who may be traveling with a companion. Aside from two small needle works on the wall, the room is sparse with a dresser, a wooden chair and a portable coat rack where guests can hang their clothes.
“You need to earn the trust, it’s not granted,” she said of her role as a volunteer. “If you need me or want to talk, I’m here. If you want to stay in your room, please stay in your room.”
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nytimes.com
