October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

As our president so poignantly stated in his official proclamation last week, October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month - a month to recommit ourselves to ending violence within our homes, our communities, and our country. An excerpt of his proclamation can be read below:

"Domestic violence touches the lives of Americans of all ages, leaving a devastating impact on women, men, and children of every background and circumstance. A family's home becomes a place of fear, hopelessness, and desperation when a woman is battered by her partner, a child witnesses the abuse of a loved one, or a senior is victimized by family members. Since the 1994 passage of the landmark Violence Against Women Act, championed by then Senator Joe Biden, our Nation has strengthened its response to this crime and increased services for victims. Still, far too many women and families in this country and around the world are affected by domestic violence. During National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we recommit ourselves to ending violence within our homes, our communities, and our country."

"During this month, we rededicate ourselves to breaking the cycle of violence. By providing young people with education about healthy relationships, and by changing attitudes that support violence, we recognize that domestic violence can be prevented. We must build the capacity of our Nation's victim service providers to reach and serve those in need. We urge community leaders to raise awareness and bring attention to this quiet crisis. And across America, we encourage victims and their families to call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE. Together, we must ensure that, in America, no victim of domestic violence ever struggles alone."

The YWCA of Charleston echos President Obama's sentiments and encourages you to get involved and show your support of Domestic Violence Awareness Month in and around the greater Kanawha Valley. Our October calendar highlights domestic violence awareness activities occurring in our area throughout the month. We also encourage you to participate in the West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence's (WVCADV) “Light In the Window” public awareness campaign and display a purple candle in your window this month to show support for survivors of domestic violence. Purple electric candles can be obtained by calling the YWCA Resolve Program at (304) 340-3573 or the WVCADV at (304) 965-3552.

With Domestic Violence Awareness Month in mind, please consider that:

• A domestic violence homicide occurs once every 8 days in West Virginia.
• Domestic violence is the single greatest cause of injury to women in the United States – more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined.
• Homicide is the leading cause of death for pregnant women in the United States.
• 1 out of 3 women around the world has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused during her lifetime.
• 40% of teen girls ages 14-17 know someone their age who has been hit or beaten by a boyfriend.
• Domestic violence costs the U.S. economy $3 to $5 billion annually in job absenteeism, and another $100 million annually in medical expenses.
• Gay and bisexual men experience abuse in intimate partner relationships at a rate of 2 in 5 – comparable to the amount experienced by heterosexual women.
• Approximately 50% of the lesbian population has experienced or will experience domestic violence in their lifetimes.
• While 73% of domestic violence victims are female, domestic violence can happen to anyone of any race, age, sexual orientation, religion or gender.

Be more than aware. Help us end domestic violence in our homes, our communities and our country.

YWCA Racial Justice Position a New Opportunity for West Virginia

The following post was written by Hallie Chillag Dunlap, a member of the YWCA of Charleston's Board of Directors and Chair of the YWCA Eliminating Racism Committee.

In the early weeks of the summer, Paul Sheridan came to me, and to the YWCA of Charleston with an idea of reaching out to the United States Justice Administration in the hopes of acquiring federal stimulus dollars to further the work of the Eliminating Racism Committee of the YWCA Board of Directors and our associated community group, One Kanawha. Members of these groups are consummate community activists, motivated by a strong social justice imperative. Members quickly recognized an opportunity to develop a staff position dedicated to this end through personal and community commitment and federal dollars.

As conversations evolved regarding how we could develop a social justice position to support our existing work, we realized that a grant application that reflected the YWCA's mission as well as community needs could truly empower a potential employee to do thoughtful and critically needed work in our community.

Furthermore, this would be a chance to meet both the requirements of the stimulus money (put someone to work) and to hire an individual to help to fulfill the mission of the YWCA, specifically our "eliminating racism" call to action. YWCA staff members (thank you Felicia Bush and Deb Weinstein) and community partners (thank you Paul Sheridan, Tracy Dorsey Chapman, JoEllen Zacks, Crystal Good, and Margaret Chapman among others) worked tirelessly to complete an intensive grant application in less than two weeks!

The dream of having a dedicated employee to push our equity work forward was an exciting and unprecedented opportunity. This individual would not have another job to distract him or her from our important mission! We realized that having a paid YWCA staff position could really grow what had been before exclusively volunteer work. Last month we were notified that we would have the opportunity to hire such an individual, which was an extremely exciting revelation for our community and committee members!

To this end, we are currently looking for a Racial Justice and Hate/Bias Crimes Statewide Coordinator. This position will coordinate a one-year, statewide, racial justice training project. In addition, the position requires that this individual facilitate statewide trainings in racial justice and hate/bias crime issues. This individual will also have the opportunity to develop a model community dialogue. We are looking for an enthusiastic, energetic individual with social justice priorities to come and dedicate themselves to the call to eliminate racism.

For more information, please see extended position specifications here.

To paraphrase the timeless words of Mahatma Gandhi, come and be the change you want to see in this world!

Ending the Cycle of Violence in West Virginia

The YWCA of Charleston, WV is proud to once again take part in the “A Better West Virginia Challenge” in celebration of West Virginia Day. In last year’s post, we discussed stereotypes in West Virginia and how our organization’s mission of eliminating racism was (and still is) and integral component to redefining these stereotypes of the Mountain State. This year, we want to discuss the issue of domestic violence – a horrific problem that continues to plague West Virginia at alarming rates. Our challenge is to identify an obstacle that hinders West Virginia; therefore, today the YWCA of Charleston is stepping up to start a discussion on ending the cycle of domestic violence in our state.

The YWCA of Charleston believes that all people – women, men and children – have the right to live their lives free of violence, oppression, and intimidation. Our very nation was founded on this premise. However, domestic violence directly violates these rights and makes the home a place of terror instead of a place of peace.

According to the West Virginia State Police Crime Statistics Report, there were 14,315 reported incidents of domestic violence in the state in 2006 (most recent data). Of these, 10,530 of the victims were female and 3,518 were male. The report noted 38 domestic violence homicides statewide that year – an average of one every 9.5 days. Our state’s judicial system defines domestic violence as any of several acts between family or household members, including: causing, attempting to cause, or placing another in reasonable apprehension of physical harm; creating fear of physical harm by harassment, psychological abuse or threatening acts; committing sexual assault or sexual abuse; and holding, confining, detaining or abducting another person against their will.

As a whole, the state of West Virginia is taking a step in the right direction to eliminating domestic violence and making our state a safe place beginning in the home. On April 2, YWCA representatives joined other domestic violence advocates for Domestic Violence Prevention Day at the state capitol to educate lawmakers and the public about this ongoing horrific problem in our state. They showed their support for House Bill 2739 which, among other things, calls for Emergency Protective Orders to be served faster. We are also encouraged by the Supreme Court of Appeals’ initiative to have a new statewide Domestic Violence Registry up and running by this fall, which will facilitate communication about domestic violence protection orders so law enforcement can always access up-to-date information about domestic violence cases.

Although these are steps in the right direction, it will take far more than government, law enforcement, and service providers like the YWCA to fully combat this issue. It takes the entire community to look after our friends and neighbors and be positive role models to our children and students. It was only a matter of weeks before our community fell back into complacency after a young woman was violently murdered by her boyfriend in broad daylight at a Charleston Taco Bell. Where is the outrage now, when domestic violence incidents continue to rise?

Working with statewide organizations like the West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the YWCA of Charleston hopes to set an example to other domestic violence programs across the state through the YWCA Resolve Program by offering secure shelter and emergency services to all domestic violence victims regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or socioeconomic status. Equally important are the classes we and other organizations provide to help male and female perpetrators end this cycle of violence by identifying abusive behaviors, recognizing the effects of violence on others, accepting responsibility for their behavior and developing healthier relationship skills. Our free counseling, victim support groups, court advocacy and monitored child visitation & exchange further move us toward our goal of breaking this horrendous cycle.

While these are important steps in our objective to eliminate domestic violence in our community and our state, far more work lies ahead. Most importantly, funding for domestic violence programs is critical and we thank the legislature and the governor for providing a supplemental appropriation of $1 million to fund these programs. Please join us in rising up as a community and saying “no more” to the cycle of violence.

Representing West Virginia women and families on a national scale

On May 3, West Virginia Assistant Attorney General Janet James stood before the YWCA USA Annual General Assembly in Washington, DC and repeated an oath to uphold the YWCA’s mission of “eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.”James, who currently serves on our board of directors, was one of eight women sworn in that day to the National Coordinating Board (NCB) of the YWCA USA. This 21-member board represents nearly 300 affiliated local YWCAs serving 2.5 million women and girls each year. Globally, the YWCA USA is a member of World YWCA, which has affiliates in 122 countries that serve 25 million women and girls worldwide. James was elected as one of the two representatives of the Mid-Atlantic Region, which encompasses 49 YWCAs in nine states. Below you will find her reflection on being elected to this important position.

"I first became involved with the YWCA of Charleston because its work is crucially needed in our community and because those who do this work have such passion for the people they serve. I served as the YWCA of Charleston’s board president from 1999-2003, and for the past eight years, I have acted as the organization’s liaison to the YWCA Mid-Atlantic Region, along with our Executive Director Debby Weinstein.

When our Mid-Atlantic Region volunteer member came to her term limit on the YWCA's National Coordinating Board (NCB), I was compelled to run for the NCB because of my passion for and belief in the YWCA USA’s advocacy work at the national and world levels, and its development of hallmark programs dealing with racial justice and women's economic empowerment. I was thrilled to hear that I had won the election in January, and humbled to stand before the more than 300 women from across the country to be sworn in to the NCB on May 3, 2009. It is extremely important that the YWCA USA be visible and active on the national and world stages.

On the NCB I will be a part of the decision-making process for the endowment fund, property acquisition and sale, development of peer review standards and other business with local associations, such as gender-neutral petitions and disaffiliation, and maintaining linkages to the World YWCA, including determining delegates to the 2011 World Council Meeting in Switzerland. I am very grateful to the YWCA Charleston for providing me with the opportunity to have a leadership role in the work of the Mid-Atlantic Region and the YWCA USA. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity which I will never forget.

The YWCA USA just celebrated its 150th anniversary in Washington DC. It is my hope that 150 years from now, the YWCA will no longer be needed for its current mission because there will no longer be homeless women and children, no one will be the victim of domestic violence, racism will have been eliminated, all employers will have on-site daycare, and women will have leadership roles in every aspect of life. But to get there, much work remains."

West Virginia is Moving in the Right Direction

Thursday was Domestic Violence Prevention Day at the state capitol, and West Virginia is definitely moving in the right direction. YWCA representatives joined other advocates for victims of domestic violence to educate lawmakers and the public about the issue. They also showed their support for House Bill 2739 which, among other things, calls for Emergency Protective Orders to be served faster. See the WOWK-TV news story about this day at the legislature.

West Virginia has made another giant step toward ensuring officer safety and better enforcing domestic violence orders, when the Supreme Court of Appeals launched an initiative last week to facilitate communication about domestic violence protection orders to law enforcement. This new statewide Domestic Violence Registry is a tool to communicate the court’s actions on domestic violence cases to law enforcement. The registry will create a bridge between the courts and the police, so police are always able to access up-to-date information about domestic violence cases.

According to Mary Anderson, Court Coordinator at the YWCA Resolve Family Abuse Program:

"The domestic violence registry will ensure officer safety and
better enforcement of domestic violence orders. This will enhance victim safety.
When law enforcement officers answer domestic calls, being able to physically
see a copy of the protective order and know the history of why the order was
issued will better equip them to assess the scene. When law
enforcement have the ability to use this nationally, it will greatly aid
the enforcement of domestic violence petitions on a national level. Nine
counties within the state of West Virginia are up and running, with a target
date of the fall of 2009 for the rest of the state."

See an additional interview with Mary here.

Celebrating Solutions

When working to eliminate domestic violence in our community, partnership and collaboration is key. From law enforcement and judicial branches, to schools, churches, and domestic violence advocates, a coordinated effort is vital to prevent domestic violence and to keep victims safe.

Today, such a partnership was recognized for its outstanding work: the West Virginia's Legal Assistance to Victims (LAV) Partnership. This is an innovative statewide collaboration between the West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence (of which the YWCA Resolve Family Abuse Program is a licensed program) and Legal Aid of West Virginia.

This afternoon at the Governor's Mansion, First Lady Gayle Manchin welcomed members of the Mary Byron Foundation in presenting the LAV partnership with the "Celebrating Solutions" Award. This national award showcases and applauds local innovations that demonstrate great hope in breaking the cycle of violence. Each year, the Mary Byron Foundation selects programs that serve as models for the nation and offers $10,000 cash awards in recognition of their pioneering efforts. The LAV partnership was one of only four recipients nationwide - great honor and testament to the work being done to eliminate domestic violence in our state.

The most moving part of the presentation was the personal testimony of Star Hogan - a domestic violence survivor who received help through the YWCA Resolve Family Abuse Program and Legal Aid of West Virginia. With the help of a YWCA court advocate, Star received legal counsel, representation, and individual and group counseling. Her Legal Aid attorney helped her understand her rights as a victim and helped her through child support and custody issues. Star and her two children all received free individual, group and family counseling through YWCA Resolve. Today, her life is free of violence.

Thanks to Mary Byron Foundation and First Lady Gayle Manchin, today we celebrated the innovative solutions that continue to provide all citizens with the right to be free from violence. I will end this post with Star Hogan's poignant closing statement - a quote from British author Albert Pine: “What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.”

(pictured above: First Lady Gayle Manchin and Star Hogan)

Making the world a better place

Avery is 2 ½ years old. Like most young children, he loves to play outdoors – climb on jungle gyms, play games, and have picnics with his family while they enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. Sadly, like many of the children currently residing at the YWCA Sojourner’s Shelter for Homeless Women and Families, Avery has never had a yard to call his own - until now. Thanks to the West Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association (WVNLA), children like Avery now have their very own backyard – a newly-created green space and recreation area at the YWCA Sojourner’s Shelter on Charleston’s East End.

In January, the 100-member statewide association voted to donate an “extreme makeover” landscaping project to a deserving group, in lieu of its annual summer meeting. In just 10 short weeks (ground was broken on June 2), WVNLA and its partners transformed the YWCA Sojourner’s property from a barren lot with a portable basketball hoop, minimal playground equipment, a large unusable pile of dirt and concrete, and dumpsters that were quite the eyesore, to a landscaping and architectural masterpiece.

The shelter now boasts a welcoming entrance with seating areas; a center courtyard with a planting area; an outdoor dining plaza located off the cafeteria with access through new doors; a game court complete with a basketball hoop, hopscotch and foursquare; a playground for younger children; a gathering space for parents to socialize while watching their children play; and greenery to screen the walls and dumpster areas.

WVNLA chose the YWCA Sojourner’s Shelter over several other charitable projects because of the significant impact a newly-renovated space would have on the children who reside in the shelter. YWCA Sojourner’s is home to an average of 65 individuals at any given time – approximately 25 of which are children. All funding, design, materials, and labor for the project were donated by WVNLA – estimated at approximately $100,000. The completed project includes every aspect of the original plan, as well as additional features such as two new awnings and security gates and fences to help ensure residents’ safety.

The YWCA and all the residents at YWCA Sojourner's are truly inspired by WVNLA's generosity and dedication and are grateful beyond words for this gift. We hope that WVNLA's project inspires other organizations to follow their example and give back to the communities in which they live - to enhance and improve the lives of others and, simply, to make the world a better place.

Advocating for Domestic Violence Funding

With looming budget crunches in the public, private and government sectors alike, non-profit funds are becoming increasingly scarce. To take a proactive approach to this issue, two YWCA Resolve Family Abuse Program staff members are joining fellow members of the West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence today at 2:30 in a roundtable discussion with Susan Williams of The Gazette. Their goal? To make a case for a one-time $1 million allocation from Governor Joe Manchin.

These funds – which unfortunately were awarded for the past two years but never allocated – would be divided between the Coalition’s 14 licensed programs (approx. $18,000 per county in West Virginia). YWCA Resolve plays a crucial role here in our own backyard by ensuring that victims of domestic violence and their children are provided a safe haven and essential support services – enabling them to build lives free of fear and violence. Last year, YWCA Resolve provided comprehensive services to more than 3,000 victims, children, and batterers in Kanawha, Clay and Boone counties.

Want to become an advocate yourself? Contact your state senators and delegates and ask them to support this $1 million allocation during the state legislature’s June Interim Session. Visit http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Contact/capmail.cfm to find your representatives’ phone number and address.