George:

As a long time volunteer and donor who passionately supports the mission of Planned Parenthood of the Blue Ridge, I am unwilling to believe that the recent resignation of the entire Charlottesville representation on the board of PPBR is “misguided.” When five very distinguished and civic minded individuals resign en masse from an organization that they have long served, it would be reasonable to assume something is amiss. When the accounting firm which has audited PPBR for many years withdraws, when supporters cancel significant pledges, when an organization will not address concerns about finances with volunteers and donors, it is more reasonable to assume that there is a serious leadership problem. I commend The Hook for opening the discussion of what has gone wrong with this important organization, and I hope the beleaguered leadership of PPBR will provide a more thoughtful response than the half truths and obfuscations provided to date.

For many years PPBR has played a crucial role in providing reproductive health care, education and advocacy in Central Virginia. I know that I speak for many in the community when I say that I look forward to renewing my efforts in support of PPBR once the current leadership crisis is resolved.

S. Sonjia Smith (electronic mail, December 28, 2005)
Volunteer of the Year for Planned Parenthood of the Blue Ridge 1993
Sunny Knickerbocker Award Recipient (PPBR) 2003
Former coordinator of the PPBR UIP Interns (1992-1995 and 2000-2004)

Editor's Note: This letter was originally published in The HooK in 2005.