The stories are many

I just finished jury duty last week and found it - believe it or not - fascinating! I love to meet new people and listen to their story. I met so many people from different walks of life: each one telling their own story, with similarities and differences. Sometimes this was done voluntarily and sometimes because we were asked those direct questions from the judge or the attorneys. Either way, we learned a lot about one another. Sitting in a quiet room with 22 other people, playing the waiting game, I decided to start a conversation about domestic violence. I mentioned the Chris Brown and Rihanna story and the fact that some radio stations were suspending his music until there was more information about the case. Other radio stations did not take that action. So, I asked, "What do you think?"

No surprise to me, the answers were as diverse and confusing as the issue itself. It re-confirmed for me that domestic violence is still one of the most "misunderstood" social issues of our time. The myths are alive and well; the misinformation is great; and the "blaming the victim" still an attitude of many. What alarmed me the most were 2 things: 1) there was a high number of individuals in that room who knew a victim, and this is common in talking about this issue because domestic violence is more pervasive than the average person realizes; 2) So many people had a belief that this was "normal" - "every couple has their thing" - "it could happen to anyone, so why get on Chris Brown?" "She must have done something to deserve it" and on and on. Oh, how disheartening. How much work we still need to do to raise awareness.

I want to thank many of the radio stations for highlighting the fact that this is a very serious issue and should not be taken lightly. Once we as a community, stay completely silent and do not speak up against domestic violence, we have lost our sense of justice - our sense of helping our brother and sister.

Great Crowd!

Wow! What a great turn out at the ARTiculation event! Thank you to all who came and supported this fun evening. It was great to see so many new faces there - along with our faithful supporters. The crowd included artists, chefs, social service advocates, a couple judges, prosecutors, photographers, attorneys and more. We doubled our revenue over last year and all proceeds will go to stalking education and services. Thank you again to Debbie Riddle, her family and friends who made this happen.

January is Stalking Awareness Month.
Stalking is one of those issues that is under the radar screen for many people and systems, including police, courts sytems, prosecutors, judges, attorneys and others. Many victims of stalking don't even realize that what is happening to them is a CRIME. The problem with identifying and prosecuting stalking is that many of the activities of a stalker are "legal" in and of itself- making unwanted phone calls, sending unwanted letters, cards or flowers, showing up at places the victim frequents, and others. Individually, these acts seem harmless and legal. But stalking is a pattern crime - when the stalker does this over and over, and scares the victim and causes mental distress, it becomes a crime. Of course, many times a stalker's actions are more severe such as threatening, property damage, public smear campaign, cyber stalking, and death.

The U.S. Department of Justice conducted a survey in 2006 and estimated 3.4 million people ages 18 and over were victims of stalking. DVC tries to educate the public and raise awareness of stalking. This month, we have a Stalking Awareness Event called ARTiculation. All proceeds go toward providing education and/or programs regarding stalking.

DVC is thankful to Debbie Riddle, the event chair, her family and friends, who work hard every year to raise awareness. Debbie's sister, Peggy, was terrorized and murdered by her ex-boyfriend who stalked her across state lines.

Please join us for ARTiculation, a fun gallery event, on January 31st, from 6:00 - 9:00 pm at Keith Berr Studio, 1420 East 31st St., Cleveland. Tickets are $25 and there will be beer, wine, appetizers, and music - and a silent and live auction. It is loads of fun - so please join us! And thank you for your support!

Thank you to all of you in the community who are so generous. Thank you for giving the women and children in shelter a nice holiday. When I think of the women in shelter at the holidays, I think of the woman singing jingle bells - jingling something in her hand with a big smile. When others asked why she was smiling so wide - she showed her keys - her apartment keys to her new home. She said to staff - "Thank you for the best gift ever. A new home for me and my children."

We could not do this without your support! Happy Holidays!

Holiday Giving

As I sit in my office writing out holiday cards, I am trying to write a personal note on as many cards as possible to thank them for their partnership and support of Domestic Violence Center. We work with thousands of women, men and children every year - that we would never be able to serve if it weren't for the support of the community. In these tough economic times, I admit I am a bit worried about our end of the year appeal, which we heavily rely on. I know people are strapped and spending less; and I am hoping that their giving portion can help us sustain our mission.

I especially think of the women and children in shelter at this time of year. More than half of the residents are children - who are not in their own home celebrating the holidays. That's rough. So please, if you can, support Domestic Violence Center's programs by donating online at www.domesticviolencecenter.org. Help make the holidays happy for those who need some happiness in their lives right now.

What have you turned around in your life?

I started out my day yesterday feeling down about HB 247 because I was just told it was not likely to pass now due to some technicalities. The question was posed to me, "Is it worth you and Johanna Orozco going down to Columbus to meet with Senator Goodman as planned in light of this news?" I asked Johanna her opinion. Her answer was "yes, we have to at least try". So we set out to Columbus early in the morning and got back to Cleveland about 5:00 pm. And YES, THE TRIP WAS WORTH EVERY MINUTE for several reasons. One was that it was a very positive and productive meeting with Senator Goodman. We were assured that he not only supports the bill, but is meeting with legal counsel to work out any technicalities. It sounds like it will have a hearing next Tuesday, in which we will make the trek back down to Columbus, and the bill will hopefully go to the floor for a vote next Thursday. That would be great news for teens and their families throughout Ohio.

The other reason it was worth the trip is that I walked away from my day with Johanna - absolutely amazed by her spirit, her enthusiasm, and her positive attitude. She made statements throughout the day like "I am not a quitter", "You never know how you might change a situation", and most striking, "This used to be a negative in my life, but now it is a positive because I can help others". Wow! What great wisdom for such a young woman.

So even though I started my day feeling down, I ended my day feeling hopeful and uplifted - thanks to Johanna.

It brings a question to my mind, what have you turned around in your life for the better? for a positive purpose? Please share it here. Thanks

I am inspired by the activism in our community. Thank you to the many individuals who called, emailed, and wrote to their senators urging them to schedule a hearing for HB 247. Johanna is ready and waiting to go to Columbus to speak with them directly. We are still waiting on the senators, however. We need to keep our email and letter writing campaign going - so this bill is kept alive and passed before year end. Please pass this along to friends and family. This bill could save the lives of teens involved in a dating relationship. Your help makes a difference! This could be one of the greatest gifts you give this holiday season - to Johanna and the thousands of teens in Ohio who find themselves scared and abused in a dating relationship. Lets give them some peace this holiday.