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IN THIS ISSUE:
Discover the ways you can be a voice against violence in your community, from taking the #iPledgeBecause Challenge to making sure everyone can safely exercise their right to vote on National Voter Registration Day.
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The horrific display of hate that we witnessed in Charlottesville, VA earlier this month left many of us speechless and distraught.
We have experienced so much hate and violence as a country this year, and although there have been many protests and marches, the events in Charlottesville compel us to ask the question, "How can we be the change that we want to see in the world?"
Women Against Abuse is an organization that
strives to create safety in all its forms as a foundation for ALL of us to thrive. In our community of staff, survivors, and supporters, we speak truth to power and embrace new ideas and practices in order to engage citizens from all walks of life. We hope you will stand with us in the coming months and years as we advocate for safer communities for everyone.
In this issue, we're looking forward to the 10th Anniversary of
iPledge®, sharing a recap of our
Voices Against Violence Advocacy Open House in June, encouraging you to participate in
National Voter Registration Day, beaming with pride over the students who completed their
WorkReady program training with our Prevention team, talking to
Monk's Cafe about why they support Women Against Abuse, and including information about the 30th anniversary of
Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Thank you for being a voice for change and safe communities, and I hope to see you at our iPledge® event in Philadelphia on October 4th!
In solidarity,
Jeannine L. Lisitski
Executive Director and President
Women Against Abuse
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Join us as we launch Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Philadelphia with our special 10th Anniversary edition of
iPledge
®
!
iPledge
®
is Women Against Abuse's public awareness campaign that calls on everyday Philadelphians to speak out when they see or hear domestic violence in the community. The pledge is more than 3,800 signatures strong - and counting!
Join us for the 2017 iPledge press conference on October 4th at Philadelphia City Hall, where we will honor
Mayor Jim Kenney and key members of his administration for their leadership in implementing
Shared Safety
: Philadelphia's revolutionary new approach to relational violence!
We're also encouraging everyone to take the
#
iPledgeBecause Challenge
, by signing our pledge against violence and then sharing a selfie with your reason for taking the pledge on social media.
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Passionate advocates gathered for our first Voices Against Violence Advocacy Open House
on June 15th, which was held at the
William Way LGBT Community Center
. Joining us were Women Against Abuse Board Member and Advocate Lauren Swartz, who shared her story about awareness and the importance of advocating for survivors, and Representative Brian Sims, who told us about his strategies for successful advocacy.
We hope to have another Advocacy Open House in the future, and we encourage our supporters to sign up to receive Advocacy Alerts from the Policy team at Women Against Abuse.
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Voting is our opportunity to make our voices heard in politics. It is the cornerstone of our democracy and happens more than once every four years.
This
September 26
th
is National Voter Registration Day.
National Voter Registration Day is a day for all of us to register to vote, change our voter registration address, and check up on previous registrations to make sure they're still eligible. Women Against Abuse values the voices of our clients and community partners and wants to make sure that all people have the choice to safely exercise their right to vote.
Women Against Abuse also hopes to educate individuals about how to register, check their registration, receive mail ballots, sign up for election reminders and learn about different voting options and supports. Get involved on September 26
th
and beyond by visiting the
National Voter Registration Day website
.
Voting is one important way to make change, but be sure to visit Women Against Abuse's Take Action Center to learn about additional ways to advocate and reach out to your elected officials for survivors of domestic violence in your communities.
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This summer, Women Against Abuse's Prevention team
had the opportunity to host five students for five weeks through
WorkReady Philadelphia, which connects young people in our community to employment opportunities. The students, who ranged in age from 14 to 17 and came from different neighborhoods and public schools throughout the city, were trained by members of the Prevention team to become champions of our
teen dating violence prevention
curriculum. They learned the dynamics of healthy versus abusive relationships, as well as warning signs of teen dating violence, and how to share this powerful knowledge with their peers.
Karen Specht
,
Community Education and Prevention Supervisor
at Women Against Abuse, said,
"Each student brought with them their own unique talents and experiences. While this was certainly a summer of learning for them, it was also a summer of learning for us."
Congratulations to our student champions!
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Most Philadelphians know Monk's Cafe as a celebrated Belgian beer hangout, but this beloved locale is also known for its charitable giving initiatives. In March and July, Monk's Cafe held two fundraisers to benefit Women Against Abuse and raised a total of $5,000! For Monk's owner Tom Peters, giving back to the community is personal.
"I grew up in the projects, so I know how it is to have no money or resources," he said. "We really wanted to help people who don't have resources, so we looked at different city organizations [when we came up with the idea for the fundraiser]."
For the fundraisers, Monk's dedicated the profits from two beer labels sold on March 8th (International Women's Day) and July 15th to help women and children impacted by domestic abuse.
In the end, Tom and his team chose Women Against Abuse as the beneficiary of their fundraisers because they knew that the money raised would be put to good use.
"I always look at 990s when I give, because I want the money to go where it needs to go. Women Against Abuse really does a lot for people who need help, so that's why we decided to make them the beneficiary of the fundraisers," Tom said.
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In October 1987, Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) was launched in the United States. The goal with DVAM was two-fold: to connect and unite individuals and organizations working on domestic violence issues, and to raise awareness about domestic violence in all its forms in communities across the country.
The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) wants you to help honor the accomplishments made over the last 30 years and show your support for survivors. Visit the NCADV website to learn more about the #DVAMTurns30 campaign and other resources for DVAM.
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