These are some horrifying, yet sadly possible scenarios.
Help Alpha Chi Omega stop
Domestic Violence Awareness by
recognizing, attending and supporting
#DVA Month events in your community
Yellowstone National Park
7 years ago
Showing posts with label teen dating violence awareness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teen dating violence awareness. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Thursday, November 22, 2012
I would like to see just one fountain [turned purple]
This is a great Op-Ed post and we agree!
BY CHERYL LEAMAN
October has drawn to a close and unless you were living in a cave, you were probably keenly aware that it was Breast Cancer Awareness Month. My email inbox, Facebook newsfeed and mailbox all included daily notices about events and merchandise.
The magazines I subscribe to carried touching stories of breast cancer survival, advertisements for treatment and reconstructive surgery, and statistics about the number diagnosed and treated as well as those who succumbed to the disease.
Pink-ribbon product endorsements were everywhere — everything from shoe strings to expensive baubles. Breasts sell, even sick breasts. From Foot Locker to Estee Lauder, merchandisers for every gamut in between jumped on the bandwagon and raised an estimated $6 billion for research and awareness campaigns.
Another women’s health issue also shared the month of October. Unbeknownst to many, October was also Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Domestic or intimate partner violence is the “silent killer” of women. It is a phenomena that most people don’t want to talk about. It’s perceived as the dirty little secret that happens in our homes behind closed doors.
The media do little to promote domestic violence awareness even though they are in a unique position to give merit to it by presenting it as a public health problem. Magazines don’t want to publish articles where women are victims with black and blue eyes, swollen lips and broken teeth.
Even Congress can’t move beyond their bipartisan bickering to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act and extend coverage to include undocumented immigrants, Native Americans, and gay/lesbian couples.
A purple ribbon is the symbol of domestic violence awareness. But there weren’t any slick ads and only a few dubious product endorsements could be found to promote awareness of a health issue that the Centers for Disease Control estimates affects almost 1.3 million women annually.
I am a survivor of domestic violence. I was in a physically and emotionally abusive relationship. I was threatened with guns, strangled and isolated from family and friends. My sense of self was destroyed with his reckless and vicious choice of words.
I also have had several breast cancer scares that resulted in multiple mammograms, ultrasounds and biopsies. I volunteer my time to organizations that support both causes and donate money to promote awareness of each issue. But each year, I am perplexed, frustrated and even saddened by the disparity in attention given to breast cancer awareness vs. domestic violence awareness.
Our state capital and county courthouse turned their fountains pink in recognition of breast cancer awareness. Surely one of these public symbols could’ve recognized the other killer — the one that in 2011 claimed the lives of 118 Pennsylvania victims.
There were 257,813 reported domestic violence incidents in America in 2011 versus 225,000 new cases of breast cancer. The statistics are similar, the circumstances just as frightening, but the awareness is sadly at opposite ends of the spectrum.
So while there is nothing wrong with slogans such as “Save Your Ta-Ta’s,” “Feel Your Boobies” and “Real Men Wear Pink,” likewise we need to promote “No More,” “Break the Silence, Stop the Violence” and “There is No Face to Domestic Violence.”
We need to continue to celebrate breast cancer survivors, but we also need to stop shaming survivors of domestic violence by ignoring the issue.
October can champion breast cancer awareness and domestic violence awareness. It is going to take much more than ribbons, billboards and product endorsements to end the epidemic of domestic violence.
But I must confess, as a confident, unashamed survivor, I would like to see just one fountain in Harrisburg’s capital turned purple. I’d like to watch one local media segment interview survivors who want to share their story to help remove the stigma that society has placed on us.
I’d like to see one magazine cover feature the bruised and cut face of a victim with a headline that calls for an end to this scourge. I’d like our local communities and celebrities to go the extra mile for organizations that provide services and outreach to victims. And I’d like our senators and representatives to reach across the aisle and move Congress to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act.
Unbeknowst to many, October was also Domestic Violence Awareness Month
BY CHERYL LEAMAN
October has drawn to a close and unless you were living in a cave, you were probably keenly aware that it was Breast Cancer Awareness Month. My email inbox, Facebook newsfeed and mailbox all included daily notices about events and merchandise.
The magazines I subscribe to carried touching stories of breast cancer survival, advertisements for treatment and reconstructive surgery, and statistics about the number diagnosed and treated as well as those who succumbed to the disease.
Pink-ribbon product endorsements were everywhere — everything from shoe strings to expensive baubles. Breasts sell, even sick breasts. From Foot Locker to Estee Lauder, merchandisers for every gamut in between jumped on the bandwagon and raised an estimated $6 billion for research and awareness campaigns.
Another women’s health issue also shared the month of October. Unbeknownst to many, October was also Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Domestic or intimate partner violence is the “silent killer” of women. It is a phenomena that most people don’t want to talk about. It’s perceived as the dirty little secret that happens in our homes behind closed doors.
The media do little to promote domestic violence awareness even though they are in a unique position to give merit to it by presenting it as a public health problem. Magazines don’t want to publish articles where women are victims with black and blue eyes, swollen lips and broken teeth.
Even Congress can’t move beyond their bipartisan bickering to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act and extend coverage to include undocumented immigrants, Native Americans, and gay/lesbian couples.
A purple ribbon is the symbol of domestic violence awareness. But there weren’t any slick ads and only a few dubious product endorsements could be found to promote awareness of a health issue that the Centers for Disease Control estimates affects almost 1.3 million women annually.
I am a survivor of domestic violence. I was in a physically and emotionally abusive relationship. I was threatened with guns, strangled and isolated from family and friends. My sense of self was destroyed with his reckless and vicious choice of words.
I also have had several breast cancer scares that resulted in multiple mammograms, ultrasounds and biopsies. I volunteer my time to organizations that support both causes and donate money to promote awareness of each issue. But each year, I am perplexed, frustrated and even saddened by the disparity in attention given to breast cancer awareness vs. domestic violence awareness.
Our state capital and county courthouse turned their fountains pink in recognition of breast cancer awareness. Surely one of these public symbols could’ve recognized the other killer — the one that in 2011 claimed the lives of 118 Pennsylvania victims.
There were 257,813 reported domestic violence incidents in America in 2011 versus 225,000 new cases of breast cancer. The statistics are similar, the circumstances just as frightening, but the awareness is sadly at opposite ends of the spectrum.
So while there is nothing wrong with slogans such as “Save Your Ta-Ta’s,” “Feel Your Boobies” and “Real Men Wear Pink,” likewise we need to promote “No More,” “Break the Silence, Stop the Violence” and “There is No Face to Domestic Violence.”
We need to continue to celebrate breast cancer survivors, but we also need to stop shaming survivors of domestic violence by ignoring the issue.
October can champion breast cancer awareness and domestic violence awareness. It is going to take much more than ribbons, billboards and product endorsements to end the epidemic of domestic violence.
But I must confess, as a confident, unashamed survivor, I would like to see just one fountain in Harrisburg’s capital turned purple. I’d like to watch one local media segment interview survivors who want to share their story to help remove the stigma that society has placed on us.
I’d like to see one magazine cover feature the bruised and cut face of a victim with a headline that calls for an end to this scourge. I’d like our local communities and celebrities to go the extra mile for organizations that provide services and outreach to victims. And I’d like our senators and representatives to reach across the aisle and move Congress to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act.
CHERYL LEAMAN of Harrisburg is a domestic violence survivor and former
board member of Domestic Violence Services of Cumberland and Perry Counties
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Tweetup for Refuge House (on Estelle's Birthday!)
A combination of our ETE President Amy (Zeta Upsilon, Case), Past Collegiate President Danielle (Beta Eta, FSU) and our friend Paula yielded a fantastic idea combining Twitter and Refuge House.
Remember when we blogged about our service project of collecting shee
ts and towels for Refuge House, "Help Us Help Refuge House"? We are inviting the Tallahassee Twitter community to help us at a lunch tweetup and sheets/towel drive at LeRoc Bistro (inside Hotel Duval) on Thursday, April 21st. The chef at LeRoc is VERY excited and will concoct a special chocolate treat for the menu that day!
Additionally, Amy will be provide a copy of Elin Stebbins Waldal's book Tornado Warning: A Memoir of Teen Dating Violence and Its Effect On A Woman's Life as a door prize!
Want to know more about tweetups? Check out Amy's blog. Hope to see you there!
P.S. Sisters in the Bond - it's Estelle Leonard's birthday on April 21st! Can you think of a better birthday present for her than enjoying lunch with your sisters AND being altruistic?: The true spirit of sisterhood.
Remember when we blogged about our service project of collecting shee
ts and towels for Refuge House, "Help Us Help Refuge House"? We are inviting the Tallahassee Twitter community to help us at a lunch tweetup and sheets/towel drive at LeRoc Bistro (inside Hotel Duval) on Thursday, April 21st. The chef at LeRoc is VERY excited and will concoct a special chocolate treat for the menu that day! Additionally, Amy will be provide a copy of Elin Stebbins Waldal's book Tornado Warning: A Memoir of Teen Dating Violence and Its Effect On A Woman's Life as a door prize!
We hope our Alpha Chi Omega sisters and Twitter friends will meet us there for fun, friendship and philanthropy.
Want to know more about tweetups? Check out Amy's blog. Hope to see you there!
P.S. Sisters in the Bond - it's Estelle Leonard's birthday on April 21st! Can you think of a better birthday present for her than enjoying lunch with your sisters AND being altruistic?: The true spirit of sisterhood.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
DV and the workplace? Yes, there is a connection.
We talk about domestic violence shelters helping DV survivors; women & children trying to escape domestic violence; and signs for identifying and avoiding dating violence, but do you know it affects the workplace?
Kim Wells serves as the executive director for the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence, and her group won a fantastic donation last month from Hopeline© from Verizon to address this issue.
"According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), intimate partner violence victims lose a total of nearly 8 million days of paid work a year, the equivalent of more than 32,000 full-time jobs, and the cost of domestic violence to the U.S. economy is more than $8.3 billion. A 2005 national telephone survey by CAEPV found that 21 percent of full-time employed adults were victims of domestic violence and 64 percent of them indicated their work performance was significantly impacted." (from the CAEPV November 30, 2010 press release)
Amy and I were introduced to Kim Wells through her blog, http://domesticviolenceworkplace.blogspot.com/ and her tweets @kwells2416.
Personally, I'm thinking we should talk to Kim about alumnae initiation into Alpha Chi Omega. She embodies the ideal Real.Strong.Woman.
Thanks to Kim, we know today is a super important day on the calendar for Domestic Violence Awareness.
Today is Liz Claiborne Inc’s seventh annual It’s Time to Talk Day.
If you follow Twitter hashtags (#) you will find tweets about this day marked thusly #ITTTD
The website asks, “TAKE A MOMENT TO TALK ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN YOUR COMMUNITY.”
We hope you appreciate AXΩ – ETE taking the opportunity to inform you about CAEPV, Kim Wells and #ITTTD.
Kim Wells serves as the executive director for the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence, and her group won a fantastic donation last month from Hopeline© from Verizon to address this issue.
"According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), intimate partner violence victims lose a total of nearly 8 million days of paid work a year, the equivalent of more than 32,000 full-time jobs, and the cost of domestic violence to the U.S. economy is more than $8.3 billion. A 2005 national telephone survey by CAEPV found that 21 percent of full-time employed adults were victims of domestic violence and 64 percent of them indicated their work performance was significantly impacted." (from the CAEPV November 30, 2010 press release)
Amy and I were introduced to Kim Wells through her blog, http://domesticviolenceworkplace.blogspot.com/ and her tweets @kwells2416.
Personally, I'm thinking we should talk to Kim about alumnae initiation into Alpha Chi Omega. She embodies the ideal Real.Strong.Woman.
Thanks to Kim, we know today is a super important day on the calendar for Domestic Violence Awareness.
Today is Liz Claiborne Inc’s seventh annual It’s Time to Talk Day.
If you follow Twitter hashtags (#) you will find tweets about this day marked thusly #ITTTD
The website asks, “TAKE A MOMENT TO TALK ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN YOUR COMMUNITY.”
We hope you appreciate AXΩ – ETE taking the opportunity to inform you about CAEPV, Kim Wells and #ITTTD.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Our Mission: Promoting Domestic Violence Awareness - DVA
"In 1992, Alpha Chi Omega adopted domestic violence awareness as its national philanthropic cause. Since then, we’ve promoted education and prevention programs that help people understand and prevent the problem. We’ve also funded programs that assist and protect domestic violence victims and their children. And we’ve provided grants to domestic violence shelters and programs across the United States." from Alpha Chi Omega Foundation
In the Tallahassee-Thomasville area, we support Refuge House. Here are some of our programs:
During the year, we promote Domestic Violence Awareness by offering ways to commemorate:
January: National Stalking Awareness Month
February: Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month
April: Sexual Assault Awareness Month
October: Domestic Violence Awareness Month
We tag posts to make them easy to track, using "Domestic Violence Awareness" and/or "DVA" in the title of the post and in the Labels.
In the Tallahassee-Thomasville area, we support Refuge House. Here are some of our programs:
- We collect new undergarments, comfortable clothes and slippers for victims of sexual assault. When these women are seen at the hospital their own clothes are often kept for evidence. We provide Refuge House (our local domestic violence shelter) and their trained volunteers and SANE nurses (Sexual Assualt Nurse Educators) with enough clothes and other items to take care of everyone they see all year, through the generosity of our members and through grants we received from Alumnae Panhellenic of Tallahassee (twice now, in 2005 and 2008).
- April 3, 4 and 5, 2009, Epsilon Tau Epsilon in conjunction with Beta Eta chapter and the Beta Eta Advisory Board and the in-the-process-of-being-formed Xi Omega Xi (Beta Eta alumnae virtual chapter) hosted a Reunion Weekend and Philanthropy in honor of the 80th Anniversary of Beta Eta’s Installation. All proceeds benefitted our local domestic violence agency, Refuge House. Together we raised $10,000.
- Each fall we commemorate Domestic Violence Awareness with the Alpha Chi Omega collegians at Florida State University. Here are some photos:
During the year, we promote Domestic Violence Awareness by offering ways to commemorate:
January: National Stalking Awareness Month
February: Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month
April: Sexual Assault Awareness Month
October: Domestic Violence Awareness Month
We tag posts to make them easy to track, using "Domestic Violence Awareness" and/or "DVA" in the title of the post and in the Labels.
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