The Sexual Assault Resource Agency hereby requests nominations for the first recipient of the Annette DeGregoria Grimm Award.
AWARD CRITERIA
In honor of Ms. Grimm, the award is intended to recognize the extraordinary contributions to the elimination of sexual violence through education, advocacy, direct services to clients, volunteer activities, or legislative activities or contributions. The recipient may be recognized for a specific contribution of great magnitude or for a body of work over an extended period of time.
The award is intended to recognize the contribution of ordinary citizens or professionals who work in the field. The recipient must be a resident of the SARA service area, a resident of the Commonwealth whose efforts benefit the entire state, or a resident of another state whose efforts merit national recognition.
Nominations may be submitted by any person or by any agency that is involved as a part of its work in the elimination of sexual violence.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE WINNER
Please join us in November for a celebration of SARA’s 31st anniversary and the announcement of the first winner of the Annette DeGregoria Grimm Award. Details to be announced.
NOMINATION PROCESS
Please submit your nomination by October 1, 2010. Nominations are reviewed by a 5-member committee including one SARA Board member, one past SARA Board member, one citizen representative, one professional, and one SARA staff member.
To nominate someone for the award, please send the following information to SARA, c/o of Laurie Jean Seaman, PO Box 1565, Charlottesville, VA 22902 or info@saracville.org.
Name of nominee
Contact information for nominee
Nominating person or agency
Contact information for nominating person or agency
In less than 1,000 words, please tell us how the nominee has contributed to the elimination of sexual violence. Please be as specific as possible about the nominee’s relevant work, activities, and achievements.
SARA has an amazing, important event coming up very soon! Our friends at The Collins Center of Harrisonburg asked us to help arrange for a community dialogue on child sexual abuse and Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church was kind enough to let us use their facilities. I hope you all will come out—the more people who learn about child sexual abuse and how to prevent it, the safer our children will be!
The Collins Center, along with the Virginia Department of Health and Stop it Now!®, is hosting a community dialogue to bring together those whose lives have been touched by child sexual abuse and to explore steps we can all take to protect our children. The dialogue will include a panel discussion between two survivors of child sexual abuse, a recovering sex offender, a trauma counselor, and a treatment provider who will share their individual perspectives and engage in discussion prompted by audience participation.
Research has shown that while adults are aware that child sexual abuse is a widespread problem, relatively few adults feel they have the tools necessary to prevent assault from happening in their families and in their communities. Having open and honest conversations about the issue is the first step to empowering adults to take action. By overcoming fears and misconceptions, adults can learn practical, effective ways to protect children.
Stop it Now!, a national organization that encourages adults to take responsibility for preventing child sexual abuse, created this public dialogue project as a format for a deeper conversation about prevention. The organization has coordinated over 50 previous dialogues in various settings with an average of 30 – 60 participants.
This event will be held on Tuesday, August 17, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church at 105 Lankford Avenue. Registration is free and a continental breakfast will be served. All community members are invited. Details are available at www.saracville.org.
We had so much fun Thursday night at Siips when Congressman Tom Perriello tended bar to benefit SARA and the Shelter for Help in Emergency. We had a great turn out and raised over $450 from tips alone! Thank you to all the people that came out and helped raise money for our Campaign for Prevention! I know the media came out partly because it’s an election year, but it was great that they mentioned the Campaign for Prevention, because we need everyone to know! You can see the video coverage here.
“Chhh Mamacita!” A catcall like this is just one of the things discussed at a presentation to a group of about 20 parents and students of Henley Middle School and Western Albemarle High School heading to Guatemala at the end of June.
The presentation came about after concerned parents realized that they wanted to equip their children with more information about how to keep themselves safe during their upcoming trip. One call to SARA led to a conversation with Aaron Miller, Child/Adolescent Advocate at SARA, who, along with other SARA staff, gives presentations on a wide variety of topics, such as healthy relationships, boundaries, sexual harassment, SARA services and sexual assault. Aaron not only brought her experiences from SARA into this presentation, but as a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, serving 2 years in El Salvador, she had insight into the types of cultural differences the students might come into contact with while in Guatemala and also shared many of her colorful experiences while in El Salvador.
The presentation, which later became dubbed the “Henley/Guatemala safety presentation” covered basic safety that is useful at home and abroad, cultural awareness and specific tips to keep in mind while in Guatemala, and safety plan ideas to keep in mind. The discussion started out from simple reminders about traveling in groups and locking doors, to more specific topics such as machismo in Latin America, clothing tips, and how to carry money. Here is a glimpse into that conversation: “Sorry for all you guys in the group,” states Aaron, “but one tip I learned in El Salvador was to keep my money in my bra. It may sound stupid and you might feel ridiculous, but chances are you aren’t going to be the only one doing it. I saw many Salvadoran women pulling change purses, cell phones, etc. all out of their bras!” One mother in the group came up with a great alternative for all non-bra wearers – the travel wallet/bags that can be worn around the neck under a shirt.
The idea behind this presentation was not to be the final word in safety before going on the trip, but rather a way to get a dialogue rolling between students and parents. Several moms stated after the presentation that it helped them bring up other topics they had been concerned about with their kids before, maybe with a little less eye-rolling and a little more understanding after having it already come from an un-biased source. We wish all the students a safe and happy trip to Guatemala, and hope to hear about their many adventures when they return!
For more information on this and other possible presentation ideas, please contact SARA staff at info@saracville.org or (434)295-7273.
SARA is the lucky beneficiary of Brown Auto’s huge tent event at Fashion Square Mall May 27th-31st. So if you’re in the market to buy a car, please do it at this special event and help SARA!
On May 28th, Crystal Lambert, in collaboration with other students at Piedmont College, will host a Consent Workshop, a casual discussion group to get the community to open up about our ideas regarding consent. SARA staff and volunteers plan to take part in this workshop, and are delighted that the community is taking steps . . . → Read More: Consent workshop organized by PVCC student May 28th
Aldridge Karate Institute will present basic self-defense seminars on Saturday, June 5 at Ruckersville Elementary School in Ruckersville, VA to benefit SARA!
Seminars will be held from 1-2pm, 2:30-3:30pm, and 4-5pm. The suggested donation is $20 per participant and $5 per spectator. To register, email Bryan Alstat at bdalstat@gmail.com.
We had about 50 people visiting the SARA office last evening and the staff had a lot of fun showing off the offices they had worked so hard to clean up, and of course talking about the work they do. Some of the comments I heard from guests last night were “what a lovely . . . → Read More: SARA open house shows off super clean offices (and great programs)
SARA offers self-defense training for all women in our community. These trainings are taught by SARA staff who are certified as R.A.D. Systems Instructors.
The Rape Aggression Defense System is a program of realistic self-defense tactics and techniques for women. The R.A.D. System is a comprehensive, women-only course that begins with awareness, safety planning, . . . → Read More: April and May self-defense classes by SARA
Lisa Speidel of the UVA Women’s Center is leading our third brown bag discussion of April this Wednesday. This interactive workshop will introduce key diversity concepts, including an expanded definition of diversity, which is explored in the context of the workforce, the workplace and the community. Participants are introduced to new frameworks, processes and . . . → Read More: Cultural Competency: Going beyond the posters
SARA Safety Presentation at Henley
“Chhh Mamacita!” A catcall like this is just one of the things discussed at a presentation to a group of about 20 parents and students of Henley Middle School and Western Albemarle High School heading to Guatemala at the end of June.
The presentation came about after concerned parents realized that they wanted to equip their children with more information about how to keep themselves safe during their upcoming trip. One call to SARA led to a conversation with Aaron Miller, Child/Adolescent Advocate at SARA, who, along with other SARA staff, gives presentations on a wide variety of topics, such as healthy relationships, boundaries, sexual harassment, SARA services and sexual assault. Aaron not only brought her experiences from SARA into this presentation, but as a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, serving 2 years in El Salvador, she had insight into the types of cultural differences the students might come into contact with while in Guatemala and also shared many of her colorful experiences while in El Salvador.
The presentation, which later became dubbed the “Henley/Guatemala safety presentation” covered basic safety that is useful at home and abroad, cultural awareness and specific tips to keep in mind while in Guatemala, and safety plan ideas to keep in mind. The discussion started out from simple reminders about traveling in groups and locking doors, to more specific topics such as machismo in Latin America, clothing tips, and how to carry money. Here is a glimpse into that conversation: “Sorry for all you guys in the group,” states Aaron, “but one tip I learned in El Salvador was to keep my money in my bra. It may sound stupid and you might feel ridiculous, but chances are you aren’t going to be the only one doing it. I saw many Salvadoran women pulling change purses, cell phones, etc. all out of their bras!” One mother in the group came up with a great alternative for all non-bra wearers – the travel wallet/bags that can be worn around the neck under a shirt.
The idea behind this presentation was not to be the final word in safety before going on the trip, but rather a way to get a dialogue rolling between students and parents. Several moms stated after the presentation that it helped them bring up other topics they had been concerned about with their kids before, maybe with a little less eye-rolling and a little more understanding after having it already come from an un-biased source. We wish all the students a safe and happy trip to Guatemala, and hope to hear about their many adventures when they return!
For more information on this and other possible presentation ideas, please contact SARA staff at info@saracville.org or (434)295-7273.