a non profit 501(c)3
Because of you, more kids are being protected,
more adult survivors served!
NAASCA has a single purpose, to address issues related to childhood abuse and trauma including sexual assault, violent or physical abuse, emotional traumas and neglect .. and we do so from two specific perspectives
:
- educating the public, especially as related to getting society over the taboo of discussing childhood sexual abuse, presenting the facts that show child abuse to be a pandemic, worldwide problem that affects everyone
- offering hope for healing through numerous paths, providing many services to adult survivors of child abuse and information for anyone interested in the many issues involving prevention, intervention and recovery
Building a survivor / activist community ...
because
together we can do what we cannot do alone
!
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Welcome to the October 2018 Newsletter
Thank you for subscribing to NAASCA's newsletter mailing list!
Be sure not to miss future editions of this newsletter, and
'
Male Survivors
'
- this month's newsletter theme
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month
- Mourning those who have died because of domestic violence.
- Celebrating those who have survived.
- Connecting those who work to end violence.
- Visit the official site for the Domestic Violence Awareness Project.
October is National Bullying Prevention Month
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Male Survivor Website Resources !!
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There are many different paths to recovery available for all adult survivors. NAASCA provides information about many of them. We also offer self-help resources and links for the community on NAASCA's
Groups and Services
pages or those who are actively seeking help and support.
While there are a multitude of resources and links that are non-gender specific available to help both men and women, some groups, including NAASCA, have created lists of resources specifically aimed at working with men.
Each of these website links below offer educational information and support for men, and for anyone seeking to better understand the issues of male child abuse.
The list below is only a small portion of the help that is available, however. Again, NAASCA members are encouraged to browse our
Recovery Page
for a broader understanding.
Specifically for Men:
1in6
-
offers a wealth of information and resources on its website, including an online helpline and a lending library, for men who have experienced unwanted or abusive childhood sexual experiences and those who care about them. Their site is for men at various stages of seeking information and help, including those who don't see themselves as “survivors” or their experiences as “abuse.” 1in6 also provides trainings for therapists and other professionals.
End Abuse Now
-
a page about the Hearing Healing Hope program of support groups for sexually abused men based in Owen Sound ON and serving Grey-Bruce counties, including at least one First Nations reserve. The program is explicitly understanding and supportive of First Nations traditions and culture. The page is part of a larger site called End Abuse Now, sponsored by the Grey Bruce Domestic Violence Coordinating Committee.
The Gatehouse
-
community-based agency in the west of Toronto which offers a wide range of services for victims of child abuse and their families -- notably peer-facilitated support groups for men sexually abused as boys.
Gay Men's Domestic Violence Project
-
1 in 4 gay men experience domestic violence (DV). Gay Men's Domestic Violence Project is a grassroots, non-profit organization founded by a gay male survivor of (DV) and developed through the strength, contributions and participation of the community to support victims and survivors through education, advocacy and direct services.
John Howard Society
-
supporting adult male survivors of abuse, substance abuse, harm reduction, domestic violence and anger management.
MaleSurvivor.org
- committed to preventing, healing, and eliminating all forms of sexual victimization of boys and men through support, treatment, research, education, advocacy, and activism
.
Male Survivors of Sexual Assault
-
sessions are free and confidential at the Sexual Assault Crisis Center, 1 Dock St., Suite 320, Stamford, Conn.
Call 203-348-9346 or 24-hour hotline, 203-329-2929
Men Thriving
-
a member's only bulletin board for those over 21 years old - requires registration and adherence to strict rules of conduct - connect and share with other males survivors of child abuse
Men and Healing -
based in Ottawa ON, offers a wide range of individual and group services for men, including men who've been sexually abused using a male-centered approach to psychology and therapy.
The Silence to Hope Project
-
focus on assisting male sexual abuse survivors who have been sexually victimized by representative of the Catholic Church in this part of South Western Ontario
The Victims Resource Center -
provides a wide range of services to men, women and children who are victims of crime. These services include a 24-hour hotline, support groups, counseling and advocacy for victims. VRC also provides numerous educational programs for students of all ages, professionals and community groups. The VRC is private, confidential and it's services are free.
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Have you heard about our new promoting and fundraising tools?
We've created many products to help you promote our NAASCA name and to get people talking about the important issues we address .. child abuse and trauma prevention, intervention and recovery.
We also hope you'll use these items for fundraising efforts! As you know, NAASCA receives no outside funding and is self-supporting through our own members voluntary contributions.
We now have available various products with the NAASCA logos including: T-shirts, hats, posters, banners, signs, promotional materials, and printed supplies, etc, that you can purchase through
The Vistaprint ProShop
.
Some items there are inexpensive and meant to be offered as
giveaways
. Others can be sold at 100% mark-up .. as fundraising items. Still others can be used over and over to ‘decorate’ numerous events.
NAASCA makes no money on these items. But wearing a T-shirt or passing out our business cards is a terrific way to spread our NAASCA name and, more importantly, our mission.
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Highlight on a Fabulous NAASCA Volunteer !!
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Late in 2015 NAASCA officially became a non-profit charity after being a grassroots effort for a decade. NAASCA relies solely on volunteers to offer our
30 Entirely FREE Services
, programs, tools, resources, and social media efforts available to anyone, anywhere in the world, anytime.
We want to highlight our
Primary Volunteers
who offer their skills and creativity with ongoing commitment to specific tasks
.
This month we are very excited to introduce our Founder,
B
ill Murray
!! Without him, NAASCA would never had existed so we are very excited to recognize his ongoing devotion and commitment to this organization!!
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Meet Bill Murray
(Los Angeles, CA, USA)
Bill comes from an Irish Catholic family and is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) beginning at 11 years old. Over three consecutive summers he was assaulted by a counselor at a Catholic summer camp. The predator took thousands of pre-pubescent pornographic photos of Bill, too, and eventually there was a two-week long kidnapping and sex-trafficking where he was taken to multiple states and Canada .. and abused by multiple pedaphiles.
The first person he decided to tell about the abuse was a priest at a minor seminary Bill attended, a boarding school in PA, St Vincent Prep. But he became Bill's next abuser. Through his first 2 years at this Catholic high school, Bill was sexually abused by several of the monks/clerics, including his Latin teacher who abused him off campus, and at a convention.
Living with the psychological damage of the constant trauma deeply affected him, and he became aggressive in school, struggled with classwork, and felt uncertain about his sexual identity. Counselors and others never asked if he had been abused, instead labeling him as having 'lack of motivation.'
When he was 30 years old Bill was able to seek help and healing from the trauma, and at 65 he now has been in CSA recovery for 35 years.
In spite of his humble claim to be "just a guy" with no special training, he's been able to connect with and help thousands of other survivors of all types of child abuse through our NAASCA community.
In his career, Bill worked with some success in show business. He's also been a long-standing volunteer with the Los Angeles Police and Sheriff Departments.
In addition to NAASCA, nearly 20 years ago he founded and still manages the
LA Community Policing
website.
Now retired, Bill is continuing to work as hard as ever and devotes the majority of his time to running NAASCA and LACP. Bill says, "
There have been literally thousands of people who have contributed to my recovery over the years, most of who I'll never specifically remember.
" However, h
e gives special thanks to his, "
wonderful wife, Christina, who is not a survivor, but supports what I do completely. I could not run NAASCA without her."
Outside of his volunteer work week, Christina and Bill share their home with their little lap dog, Jack. They recently enjoyed the first 'deliberate vacation' Bill had since he was a child camping, and they hope to spend more time traveling and camping in the near future.
How and when did you first get the idea to create NAASCA, and to keep it all volunteer based?
"
Originally my activism was 'confined' to Alcoholics Anonymous, where I not only got clean and sober but also began my recovery from CSA. Since the early 80's I shared my story in meetings, with individuals and, when asked, at large conferences and conventions. I also participated in various local public safety community efforts, in being a volunteer at LAPD, in bringing Neighborhood Councils to Los Angeles and as a Board Member of a large LA based set of community clinics. But I knew I'd someday go very public with my story, and model my efforts with NAASCA after the spiritual principles found in AA's
12 Traditions
. Once my parents died, I decided to devote my remaining time, money and available energy to this vitally important cause, and officially launched NAASCA.
"
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(
Photo: Bill Murray
)
Can you share a little about what your work week currently involves? The tasks you do, how you manage and balance your time, etc?
"
I spend each morning and each evening devoted to the NAASCA web site and experience. I wake up early and have a 30 second 'commute' to get the computer open. Mornings are spent adding and updating things on the web site, addressing Facebook and LinkedIn issues and answering emails, etc. In the evenings I am mostly found on our "Stop Child Abuse Now" talk radio shows. My mid-day is spent answering phone calls and more emails, researching articles for the 'News of the Week' shows, arranging 'special guests' and so on. Daytimes I almost always take a nap.
"
What message would you most like people to know about NAASCA?
"
We're not a specialty group. We address all adults and all types of child abuse and trauma. Everything we offer is
FREE
. We receive no outside funding or grants. While we are independent of every other group, we cooperate with everyone. NAASCA is run 100% by volunteers and paid for by their voluntary contributions to our non-profit organization, mostly through the web site. Our membership includes every type of person, from every walk of life. We require nothing, not even 'registration'. A person is a member of NAASCA if they say they are.
"
This month's theme is focused on male survivors. Are there issues of child abuse recovery and child abuse prevention you feel are specific to male survivors that need more attention?
"
Not really, other than the youthful socialization that may stop a male from sharing his feelings. Since the keeping of secrets is a central part of the problem we all experience, it will be argued by many that this makes men 'special.' But I believe that expressing this thinking only keeps males from entering recovery earlier, and I don't feel that needs to be the case. I myself found help at 30 years old at a time when most therapists didn't even believe little boys could have been sexually assaulted. As long as we're all encouraged to find ways to express our secrets in safety, which NAASCA does, and as long as our feelings are validated, not denied, men do just as well as females in recovery.
"
What would you like to see happen in the next few years with volunteerism and membership involvement with NAASCA?
"
It's my opinion that part of being a good leader is to find a replacement for yourself, and I have been doing this a while now. I've encouraged others, all volunteers too, to take on some of the roles I have, but this has been slow-going. We now have a small group of people who are hosting our talk shows, for example, which has helped a bit, but there are many other opportunities I'd like other members to take on. NAASCA keeps adding more and more tools and services for the survivor and activist. Of course every time we do then more jobs are added too!
"
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Would you like to connect with Bill Murray about public speaking opportunities, with questions about NAASCA or LACP ... or even to swap camping tips?
or via phone at:
(
323) 552-6150
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Want to offer some of your time to volunteer for NAASCA ?
There is always a place for you!
or click the blue button --->
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NAASCA's US/Canadian Ambassador Program !
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We've have created 8 separate Regions in the US and 2 Regions in Canada, each to be overseen by a Volunteer Regional Director, and each state or province is assigned a specific Volunteer Ambassador.
Ambassadors are the primary contact person for the newcomer to NAASCA.
They become well-versed in our many
FREE
services, tools and projects on our website, answer questions and help members locate resources.
They engage in our social media efforts online and regularly participate in our streaming talk radio show.
They are encouraged to outreach in their local community. Many make a Facebook page for their region, share NAASCA links and hashtags, and use the tools available through our new
Promotions Page
.
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We still have numerous open positions available for NAASCA Ambassadors!
This volunteer opportunity is very flexible and easy to do around your other commitments.
A small amount of training by the Ambassador Program Director, Terri Lanahan, is required for all volunteers in this project including a basic familiarity with our web site, projects, tools, services and resources, and a commitment to represent NAASCA in their state or province.
For questions about the program or to become an Ambassador, please contact:
Terri Lanahan,
Ambassador Program Director
Phone
:
406 / 299-0253
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Please Participate in Your NAASCA Radio Shows !
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Sunday through Friday nights we broadcast our live internet-based streaming talk shows. Every 90 minute show begins at
8pm EST, 5pm PAC
.
We
highly encourage
all our NAASCA members to participate in the shows via phone by calling
(
646) 595-2118
at the start of the show
to be a part of our guest panel where you can ask questions and give your opinions.
Regular show formats include:
- "Community Matters" Public Safety show from sister-site LACP.org
- "Stop Child Abuse Now" News of the Week articles from NAASCA.org
- "Q & A call-in" show with Dr. Debra Warner, Forensic Psychologist
- "Special Guest" shows: each Wed and Fri - hear survivor stories
- "Recovery as an Adult" - tips, tools and techniques for healing with a co-host survivor who is also a professional specialist
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Make a Difference with YOUR Story !
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We also invite
you
to appear as a 'special guest' on the "
Stop Child Abuse Now"
show to share your story.
NAASCA's purpose is to to address issues related to childhood abuse and trauma by educating the general public and offering hope and healing to survivors.
Being one of our Special Guests is an excellent way to accomplish this. Don't be ashamed of your story, it will inspire and encourage others!
If you would like to be a Special Guest, just email NAASCA's CEO:
Bill Murray
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You'll never be alone again !
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NAASCA serves everyone, from across the globe.
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Our thousands of members include people of all genders, all ethnic backgrounds and folks of every faith, including agnostics.
We list recovery groups and services from around the world for members to find support in their local communities. Find our what's available near you:
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What's Happening in Your Local Community ?
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NAASCA's Calendar of Events is where you’ll find non-recurring event listings from all around the world.
We list child abuse and trauma related gatherings like workshops, rallies, conferences, marches and so on, and have separate calendars for every state and province in North America and virtually every country on earth.
Please help keep your NAASCA Family updated by
submitting events
and updates or corrections to our Volunteer Groups and Calendar Manager,
Carolin
O'Hara
.
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A Note from Our Founder and CEO:
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Healing from child abuse and trauma can be a very lonely journey .. but you'll never be alone again, a day at a time, if you don't want to be !!
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NAASCA belongs to no other group and receives no outside funding. We're self-supporting through our own members' voluntary contributions.
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Please consider a one time
or recurring donation
.
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Thanking you for all you do in the fight against child abuse and trauma and welcoming you to engage with your NAASCA family, I remain, as always,
Yours in service,
Bill Murray
, Founder and CEO
National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse.
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