SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY — “We love to talk about menopause, right? We’re really good at it. We’re really good at having those conversations… no, we’re not. We’re not good at it. So that’s what we are trying to do here,” said Liza Bennett of The Field Office while presenting to the executive committee of the Sullivan County Legislature about the new nonprofit on January 23.

The organization is based in Narrowsburg, and aims to look at pressing social issues, design programming around them, and then create a front-facing artistic event at the end for the larger community to engage with. 

What is the first issue The Field Office will tackle? Menopause—the period in life where individuals who menstruate stop for good.

Bennent said that peri-menopause, the transitional period leading up to menopause, can start as early as a woman’s mid-30s, and post-menopause can run all the way up to and through someone’s 60s.

“That’s a pretty big chunk of women’s lives, and whether we are someone who’s facing this or we love someone who’s facing this, nobody gets out of this one,” she said.

According to census data, Sullivan County has a 48.2% female population, and 6.2% of the county’s population is completely without health insurance. 

Menopause falls under the umbrella of reproductive health, which have become far less available and difficult to access in Sullivan County. Back in 2020, Planned Parenthood of Greater New York (PPGNY) promised that the closure of its Monticello clinic—the only one in Sullivan County—would be temporary, and would result in improved access to reproductive care. The Monticello clinic never reopened. The next nearest Planned Parenthood health center is in Goshen, more than 30 miles from Monticello. PPGNY announced in an August 7 press release that that clinic would also close. 

In 2021, Crystal Run Healthcare moved its obstetrics and gynecology office from Liberty to Rock Hill. See reporting here.

Bennett continued, “Everyone needs tools, we need resources, to support the women in our lives who are looking at these massive changes while trying to make dinner, trying to raise kids, trying to be a good spouse—getting all that stuff done and this giant shift is taking place.”

The Field Office is providing one of those tools with “Empowered Menopause,” a six-week Zoom series for people to “learn practical skills, gain resources from health experts and build community while navigating the physical and emotional changes of peri-to post-menopause.”

The course, which has a sliding scale cost based on the ability to pay, ranges from free to between $75 and $125 for the six sessions. District 8 Legislator Amanda Ward requested information so she could pay for others who are not able to afford it to take the course 

For more information on signing up for the course and The Field Office, email connect@thefieldofficeny.org.