W.O.M.A.N., Inc. News - October 2016
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In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, W.O.M.A.N., Inc. staff shared their voices with Blue Shield of California Foundation about their work in the DV field and their visions for a world without abuse. Read about why Adilia, Alicia, Ina, Jill & Mary work to #EndTheSilence!  #ThisIsMyVoice

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month -- a time to shine extra light on an all too common and understated community issue. We all have our part in ending domestic violence. As we continue through the rest of October, we encourage you think outside of the dominant narrative and consider all the ways domestic violence can manifest. Challenge traditional ideas of domestic violence & squash misconceptions. Learn about the additional barriers people from different communities face when experiencing domestic violence. Let's talk about how domestic violence might show up in LGBTQ+ communities. Let's talk about how often survivors, mostly women of color, are criminalized for their survival strategies. Let's talk about the added layer of complexity that being new to the country, being undocumented and/or not speaking English adds to experiencing abuse in the U.S. Read about how various patterns of violence intersect with one another. Let's spend some extra time recognizing the complexities of domestic violence and take this knowledge with us beyond Domestic Violence Awareness Month. 

We can be better advocates and allies by committing to be aware of the larger picture,  to make sure ALL SURVIVORS are supported and heard. 

We stand in solidarity with 14 year old Bresha Meadows who was incarcerated and facing murder charges for defending herself and family against her abusive father. Bresha deserves support, love and healing. Stop criminalizing survivors for surviving! #FreeBresha #SurvivedAndPunished
W.O.M.A.N., Inc. supports those impacted by violence using an innovative approach to services and programs that build stronger, safer communities. Please make a donation today and join our community of supporters who impact changes in the lives of survivors of all communities.   
CHANGE IN DROP-IN SUPPORT TIMES

Please note that as of November 2nd, 2016 our drop in times will be as follows:
W 11:00am - 1:00pm
F 2:00pm - 3:30pm
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Volunteer Highlight: Astrea Somarriba

What inspired you to do anti-violence work?

My freshman year of college, I traveled to Lima, Peru with a group of students to learn more about the street child phenomenon and how it intersects with sex work in the city. During this trip, we had the opportunity to speak with and learn from sex workers who shared their unique stories, strengths, and hopes for the future. This propelled me towards further examining women and sexual violence in areas that have witnessed conflict or hardship and led me to Thailand, Cambodia, Nicaragua, and Cuba. Many of the women I met shared similar experiences of abuse, but also demonstrated remarkable resilience, and I was eager to continue learning from and working with survivors of abuse back home in San Francisco.

How has your involvement impacted your life?
Working the support line has taught me a lot about what it takes to be fully present for another person. I’ve learned the value of pauses and in finding answers to challenging questions together. It’s given me the chance to develop my listening and facilitation skills, and “check myself” and any assumptions I may have often.

What pieces of wisdom would you share with new volunteers or community members who are interested in supporting W.O.M.A.N., Inc.?
You may have extensive training to provide support to domestic violence survivors, but the survivor is the expert in their own life and the author of their own story. It’s an honor to be included in their journey, so enjoy the time you have with them and make sure to take time for yourself. Acknowledge when you need space and time to re-energize and reflect.

Read more about Astrea on our blog.

YOUR Pet Could Be In Our 2017 W.O.M.A.N., Inc. Pet Calendar!
It’s that time of year again! Looking for animal friends to star in our annual W.O.M.A.N., Inc. Pet Calendar! In addition to raising awareness for the correlation between domestic violence and animal abuse, we want to celebrate the therapeutic powers animals provide us during times of both struggle and healing.

How has your pet impacted YOUR life? 

Whether your pet has helped you through hardship or you just want to share with the community about the joy your animal friend has brought to your life, we invite you to share what you’d like with us! Please submit a picture of your pet with a short blurb on what they mean to you to shaena@womaninc.org. Feel free to get creative! Short stories, love letters or simple odes of appreciation all encouraged.

Read more at our blog.
Program Highlight: Echando Pa'lante

Echando Pa’lante (EPL), which translates to “Moving Forward”,started out as a support group for monolingual Spanish speakers.. It was born out of a group of survivors who were no longer in crisis but still needed resources to help them beyond their domestic violence situation. They also wanted to keep a connection to the agency. This group would meet once a month with various topics that would range from yoga sessions, art activities, and presentations from outside agencies.

EPL is continues to meet once a month but participants felt like they needed to do more to give back to the agency that helped them so much.  As a result of this, the EPL Leadership training took flight. In this process of becoming trained domestic violence advocates, members gained skills in the following areas: outreach, facilitating art based support groups, peer counseling, domestic violence prevention education, and the 40 hour domestic violence training.

Echando Pa’lante has grown so much and will continue to expand and grow. In the long run, EPL member’s hopes are to expand the training and spread awareness about domestic violence to their community in hopes that one day there will be no more violence.

Adilia PreciadoEchando Pa’lante Coordinator

Help W.O.M.A.N., Inc. be Listed as a 2016 Top Rated Non-Profit
We are SO close to being listed as a 2016 Top Rated Nonprofit for the 5th year in a row, your help can get us there! Why do we have your support? Did you have a positive experience with us? It takes less than 5 minutes to rate us and share your thoughts. This title helps us garner community and donor interest, allowing our programs to thrive. Thank you in advance for your help!
W.O.M.A.N., Inc. Wish List
These items can help W.O.M.A.N., Inc. support survivors of domestic violence in a holistic and relevant manner.

Please follow this link to see our our full Amazon wish list.

In addition, W.O.M.A.N., Inc.’s administrative office is in need of the following items: Small rolling luggage case for laptop, Digital camera with video, Room/Cubicle Dividers, Laptops, Used cell phones with batteries (no chargers, please!) If you (or your organization) are able to support our work through a donation of any of the above items, please contact Jill Zawisza, Executive Director, at (415) 864-4777 x306.
Purple Purse Challenge
September 29th - October 25th

Community Education Series - Supporting Survivors
 Wednesday, October 19th

W.O.M.A.N., Inc. Open House
Wednesday, November 2nd

Community Education Series - Healthy Relationships
Wednesday, November 16th:

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 26 Boardman Place, San Francisco, CA 94103



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