Presenting at the Etowah Ministerial Association

A thank you to the Etowah Ministerial Association for asking me to present today. It is always a privilege to do so, but even more so since April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Being educated about the realities of sexual assault is important for everyone, but especially for pastors who may one day be called upon to provide spiritual care for a victim or family.

It is critical for clergy to be familiar with resources before they are needed. The best defense is always a good offense. Thank you for taking time to come out and for inviting me in to speak. But, not only do I thank you, but so do the people that you serve.

For more information about the work we do and our awareness programs, please email us at hello@hopeforhealing.org

Domestic violence awareness display at a mens conference

When it comes to stopping domestic violence, both men and women are equally important. Women are most often victims but, it's important to realize that either gender is capable of inflicting emotional, physical, sexual or spiritual harm on the other.

This Saturday, Hope for Healing.Org will again be displaying at the conference of the Holston United Methodist Men in Abingdon, Virginia. The revival-styled event is aptly titled "Calling All Men". Not only does it lift up and encourage men of all walks of life but the event provides education in several areas including domsetic violence.

Be sure to stop by our display at Calling All Men. By working together, we can stop domestic violence. Stop to talk a minute, pick up some information and leave empowered.

See you in Abgindon, Virginia tomorrow. After that, we'll see you in Knoxville, Tennessee at the next Calling All Men event.

Radio show tribute for Susan Murphy-Milano; Conquering Cancer

Please help us spread the word about an internet radio tribute for nationally recognized, Susan Murphy-Milano. She is a an inspirational champion for domestic violence survivors. Now, she is fighting a battle with cancer as an uninsured American.

D-Talks Radio Show is hosted by Denise Brown and Danielle Pierre. The show was originally set to air on Thursday, July 12 at 9 p.m. However; technical challenges have caused the producers to reschedule to Monday, July 16^th at 9 p.m. EST  at http://bit.ly/OmVqmO Will you help us spread the word by posting the link to your favorite social media site and by sharing it with contacts who may be interested? 

Show participants include:

• Delilah Jones - President of Imagine Publicity   
• Anne Bremner- Seattle Attorney, and one of the Nation's most recognized Legal Analysts     
• Burl Barer- True Crime Author and Radio Host
• Denny Griffin - True Crime Author and Radio Host
• Diane Dimond- Newsweek Investigative Reporter, Journalist and Author, Media Analyst
• Diane Fanning- True Crime Author and Crime Novelist, Author of Mommy's Little Girl
• Donna Pendergast - First Assistant Attorney General-Criminal Division, Michigan
• Dr. Laurie Roth - Syndicated Radio Host, Author and Presidential Candidate
• Gayle Crabtree - Founder of Hope For Healing, Org., Advocate and Trainer for Intimate Partner Violence in the Church, Author of Does God Love Me

Providing domestic violence information at Holston Annual Conference 2012

Here are a  couple of photos of our educational display. Since 2002, we have made domestic violence information available to the Holston Annual Conference.

Domestic violence display
at the Holston Annual Conference.

A lot of water has gone  under the bridge during that time. We are proud to say that the laity and clergy here,  have grown better at recognizing the effects of domestic violence within their congregations.

This year marks the first time that we have sold out of training materials. Leadership who found these materials to be sold out can place orders through our organization.

Photo of  missions display area
at the Holston Annual Conference.

We are glad to help you become more knowledgeable about domestic violence. Thank you for being part of the solution to this worldwide problem.

The staff and volunteers  of Hope for Healing.Org also wants to thank everyone for your support over the last ten years. We look forward to future years in service to the Holston Annual Conference.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month is April; help spread the word

Sexual Assault Awareness Month happens annually in April. Help spread the word to raise awareness! All you  have to do is talk with someone about it. That's it. There are no huge commitments and no costs involved.

Bloggers can create a blog article about sexual assault. Search our blog in the top left hand corner for past posts and articles or go to RAINN or the NSVRC for current stats. If you are on Twitter, tweet about it and ask your followers to RT.

Make an appointment to speak with any of the following to be sure that they know about Sexual Assault Awareness Month and encourage them to get involved. Get information from your local program or print files from the internet to take to the appointment with you.

Some of the people who may need the information include:
Teachers
High school and middle school guidance counselors
Healthcare professionals
Clergy
Youth ministers or anyone who works with youth
Church workers
School principals
... and others

You know who is in your sphere of influence. Please take a moment to find out about Sexual Assault Awareness Month and to share the information. It may be the most important thing that you ever do.

Sexual assault; We must be the change we want to see

By Frank DiCocco

Guest blogger
 

We Must Be the Change We Wish to See All Around Us

We need to change the way we think about the female gender, and the way we perceive women’s place in society. We have to examine the ways that we think about and speak about women, and individually, we need to re-evaluate the things we allow others to say about and to do to women.

We need to change the way we think about assertiveness and aggressiveness. We need to change the ways that we create, tolerate, and allow violence to persist in our society. We need to begin working to initiate change: WE need to change…if we want our SOCIETY to change. Period.

__________________________________________________________________________

In sports, there are many times when your team calls upon you to do your part.

Eventually, there comes a time when your team and your teammates need you to step up.

Well, right now, our country needs you.  Our culture needs you.  Our society needs you.

And our world needs you.  It’s time to wake up.  It’s time to step up.

There is no value in standing back. But there is valor in standing up.

Don’t stand back. Step up and take action.

Come forward and speak up.

Step forward and act.

__________________________________________________________________________

It’s Time We Change the Way We Live

When it comes to sexist attitudes, disrespectful remarks, and the violent mistreatment of women: Enough is enoughalready.  It’s time for a change.  It’s time we change our world—change our communities, our neighborhoods, our schools, and even our own houses—by changing ourselves and by challenging those around us to change as well. 

To paraphrase the late Tupac Shakur: It’s time we change the way we live. It’s time we change the way we treat each other. It’s time for us as a people to change.  It’s time for each of us to start making some changes—individually—if we want to start seeing some changes begin to occur—collectively. After all: Enough is enough, already.  It’s time for a change.

______________________________________________________________________________

As a society, we need to Wake Up. More importantly, we need to Stand Up.

We need to Speak Up. We need to Speak Out, and we need to kick-start a change.

We must not only sit around, dream, and wish for change to take place.

We must roll-up our sleeves and work to make that change happen.

______________________________________________________________________________

With this being April & Sexual Assault Awareness Month, I am going to continue to do my part to make sure that I’m doing all I can to make a difference.  I will do my part.  Will you do yours?

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

By Frank DiCocco
Guest blogger

April Is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

As some of you may know, the month of April is officially designated as “Sexual Assault Awareness Month.”  If you know me, then you know that I feel very passionate about this subject, and that much of my work with young men (through coaching, writing, etc.) centers on dealing with the issue of mistreatment of women. The painful statistics at this point in our nation, are that 1-in-6 women will become the victim of assault in her lifetime.  1 in 6. 

I know 6 women.  I have 6 important women in my life.

I’m pretty sure that every man in this world knows 6 women,

and has 6 important women in his life, as well.

As a gender, as a nation, as a society, and as a culture… collectively, each of us and all of us needs to WAKE UP.  We need to raise-up our own level of awareness, so that we can then raise-up the quality of life of those around us (and truly, for ourselves as well.)  We need to wish for change, but much more importantly, we need to begin to work to make change happen.

We need to start by raising our awareness to the issue…

       But then we need to reach-out our hands and do something about it.

We need to start by raising-up our consciousness to the circumstances and problems…

       But then we need to roll-up our sleeves and get working to help make things better.

We need to start by changing the way we think about violence…

       But then we need to change the ways that we promote and tolerate violence in our society.

We need to change our attitudes toward and about women…

       But then we need to make sure we are doing our part to educate and inform others to the  

       proper ways in which to speak to, speak about, interact with, and act toward women.

Find your state domestic violence coalition at http://bit.ly/ng1R6Z #dvam

State domestic violence coalitions lead the way in planning programs and raising awareness. A survivor can call their state coalition and get information or referrals. These organizations are at the forefront of the movement to end abuse in many ways.

We need your help to get the word out. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. A different status update is being posted every day. In less than a minute you can copy and paste this update to your Facebook page or send it to your Twitter followers. If you decide to do both that's even better.

The status update for today October 24 is:

Find your state domestic violence coalition at http://bit.ly/ng1R6Z

Yes. We will have status updates for DVAM

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and it's right around the corner. People have been asking if we will be posting to the Hope Blog like we did for Sexual Assault Month in April. The answer is yes, we will be posting one update per day throughout the month of October.

Status updates for Domestic Violence Awareness Month are designed to be tweeted, re-tweeted. The short, pithy updates are perfect for posting on your status. They are a great way to reach out and educate others. Every time we step out to raise awareness we become one step closer to ending the abuse.

Most of the status updates will link to help or education websites. Look for updates with links to the National Domestic Violence Hotline and the Teen Domestic Violence Hotline.

We are also going to be tweeting some stats and facts. Did you know that 1:4 women in the U.S. has already experienced abuse in her lifetime? Did you know that as many as 10 million children witness domestic violence annually?

Some people downplay the effects of domestic violence. We don't. That's why we'll be tweeting, posting and sharing on our Facebook page and we hope you'll join us.

How advertising can help a nonprofit

Nonprofit organizations like domestic violence and sexual assault programs need to their causes in the public eye. The economic downturn means that many agencies are feeling the pressure of helping more clients while relying on less money. Tragically, some nonprofit organizations are finding it impossible to continue operating.

An Advertising Agency may be able to help. Designing and implementing a successful advertising advertising campaign may help a nonprofit connect with previously untapped donors. Think of it this way.

Almost everyone knows that domestic violence and sexual assault are horrendous crimes. An assumption often is that a charity will be there to help if they need it themselves. What they don't connect is that their personal donations can help keep the doors of a help center open.

Advertising agencies are there to design campaigns so that the public can connect those dots. They know what buttons to push and how to push them so that the public responds. Donations may not be huge but every nonprofit employee knows that those $5 and $10 gifts can make a difference.

The first objection that any member of a board of directions will raise is the cost of paying the advertising agency. Having available funds for any project is always a consideration.

That doesn't mean the charity shouldn't consider getting help with cause awareness. It may be possible to design a campaign to fit the budget of the organization.

After all, anyone in the advertising business knows that they look good when their client looks good. It may be worth a call to see what wonders advertising can do for your nonprofit.

Why we're looking at promotional items

Promotional products help nonprofits raise awareness of their cause. In our case, we hope to make the public more aware of the issues of domestic violence and sexual assault. A large well attended conference is coming up in a couple of weeks. We have been looking at several vendors who may be able to help us with educational and awareness items.

Did you realize that one of the most common tools that many nonprofit organizations choose are custom ballpoint pens? This can be emblazoned with the logo the agency uses. Since people are forever losing pens (and needing them) they have have wide circulation. The wider the circulation the more value it has to the organization. 

It's important that the products are inexpensive and of good quality. Branders.com make shopping easy and worry free. They have a large selection of all types of items to choose from, a money back guarantee and offer 100% satisfaction.

If your nonprofit organization has an upcoming conference you may want to consider looking a Branders.com. It's also nice to be able to make a phone call for assistance. Sometimes it good to talk with someone and ask questions about a product. We like that Branders.com offers that service and more.

Ways to raise awareness of sexual assault online

This is our final post in the Social Medial Speak Out 2011. Every year, April becomes Sexual Assault Awareness Month. This year, we designed an online campaign to make people more aware of sexual violence.

Participants were invited to follow this blog. Every day, we posted an update that could be shared on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. All you had to do to help with the campaign was copy the link and paste. We made it easy for you by doing all the work.

And share you did! We're proud and grateful for the many people who helped this month. Here is the final status update for the 2011 Sexual Assault Awareness Month campaign. This article gives ideas for how you can help raise awareness online.

We're ending at the beginning. Now it's time to get ready. Another social media speak out is set to roll out on April 1, 2012. We hope you'll participate then too! :)

In the meantime, here's your update.

April 30, 2011 Social Media Speak Out Update
Ways to raise awareness of sexual assault online http://bit.ly/maJWpS

Can a person consent to sex if they are drunk?

Can a person consent to sex if they are drunk? This Factoidz article answers the question and gives sources for further information. This is today's social media status update for Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April. It's one of our last ones for 2011.


Can you help us spread the word? All you need to do is copy the following update and post it to your Facebook page or tweet or retweet the link to this article. That's all you have to do. 


No standing on street corners or carrying signs. It's amazing what a copy and paste during Sexual Assault Awareness Month can do.

April 29, 2011 - Social Media Status Update
Can a person consent to sex if they are drunk? Read this article to find out http://j.mp/inBVLu #SAAM

Resources on sexual violence after natural disaster

Because of the storms that swept through the south we changed our plans for today's social media update. In recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month we're posting a different update daily during the month of April.

Today's update highlights resources on sexual assault after national disaster. The information is from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. We ask for your help in raising awareness. Simply copy the update below and paste it onto your status, post it on Twitter or retweet it.

 Our prayers are with each person who has been affected by the storms, tornado and subsequent flooding. 

April 28, 2011 - Social Media Status Update
Resources on sexual violence after natural disasters from the NSVRC http://j.mp/mn1BDk #SAAM

What is sexual violence?

What is sexual violence? The link on the status update below has the answer. We're posting one update each day for Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Use the link to find out more about sexual assault. Then, help us raise awareness by using it as your Facebook status, tweeting the message or by retweeting. Everything that you do will help support victims. 


This April make it a point to support victims. Our social media status updates make it easy.


Social Media Speak Out status update for April 27, 2011 

Sexual violence includes rape, incest, date rape, statutory rape, marital or partner rape and… http://new.vawnet.org/sexual-violence/ #SAAM, #VAWNET

Sexual assault; Men are victims too - Status update

When it comes to sexual assault, men are victims too. This status update is yours to post to Twitter, Facebook or other social media site. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. This is a status update that is too important to keep to yourself.

Visit Malesurvivor.org at the link below to get the facts. Then, post the following update to your Facebook, My Space or Twitter account. It's all to raise awareness during Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Too many people think that sexual violence only happens to women. You can help change their minds. Go ahead. Post this to support victims and educate others.  Go ahead. It'll only take a minute.

April 26, 2011
When it comes to sexual assault; men are victims too. Malesurvivor.org has the facts. http://bit.ly/gdXaHo #SAAM

Did you like this update? 
Don't forget to join our blog. We're posting daily updates throughout the month of April. Joining our blog will help you keep up to date on each one.

How many types of rapists are there

How many types of rapists are there? Most of the time we don't ask this question. If asked, most of us would say that there is only one type. The Mid-Valley Women's Crisis Service gives us a better picture.

Every day during Sexual Assault Awareness Month we're posting status updates. You can post these to the social media sites of your choice. They are an easy way to let people know about sexual assault. Today's post is about the different types of rapists. We invite you to share it with our friends. All you have to do is highlight, copy and paste. That's it.

Here's your update:

April 25, 2011

Think there’s only one type of rapist? This article says otherwise.http://bit.ly/eRFYV2 #SAAM, #MVWCS

Use these updates to raise awareness of sexual assault

Use these status updates to raise awareness during sexual assault awareness month. All you have to do is copy them and then pasted onto the status oof the social media site that you like the most. In as little as a minute you can help others learn about sexual assault and domestic violence.

Perhaps most of all you'll be supporting survivors. Most of us know someone who has been victimized but they may not have said anything. When you post a status update like these you are telling the world that you care.

We're posting a different update each day during sexual assault awareness month. Why not join our Speakout campaign starting today?

Here's the update:

April 24, 2011

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Use these status updates to raise awareness  today http://bit.ly/i3BLFZ #SAAM

iGive searches raise $300 to raise awareness of sexual assault

Did you know that helping survivors of sexual assault is as easy as searching the internet? It's true. Internet searches (and purchases raised through the iGive shopping portal) have raised over $300 to help Hope for Healing.Org.

Every internet search that's done through this link below helps raise funds. The money helps with outreach events like this Social Media SpeakOut 2011. iGive has toolbars available for download that make raising funds even easier. When your regular purchases from merchants like Amazon and Choice Hotels are made through iGive it helps even more. Plus, iGive is Bing based and free to use. 

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Can you help tell others about raising funds through iGive? All you need to do is copy and paste the status update below to the social media site that you frequent.

Then, come back to this blog tomorrow to get the next social media update. New updates are being posted daily throughout April. These updates make it easy for you to raise awareness. Why not go ahead and post the one below before you forget?

April 23, 2011 - Social Media Speak Out Update

Use this search engine to support victims of rape and sexual assault. Use this search engine to support victims of rape and sexual assault. http://bit.ly/fUJaxu  #SAAM

PTSD is also called rape trauma syndrome - Social Media update

Sexual Assault Awareness Month is beginning to wind down. We are already three-fourths of the way through our 2011 Social Media Speakout! Awareness is being raised and survivors of being supported.

A hearty congratulations to everyone who has been Tweeting or posting our status updates.
The month isn't over yet. There is still a lot of work for us to do. We know that you are up to the task. Here's the social media status update for today. Be sure to post it to your favorite social media site.


April 22, 2011
PTSD in sexual assault is rape trauma syndrome. http://bit.ly/fyZDy0 #SAAM, #YWCA