URGENT! Calls needed immediately!

Please act NOW and forward widely! 

February 1, 2012

TAKE ACTION TODAY – We only have hours before the Senate Mark Up of VAWA which will happen TODAY (2/2) at 10am EST!

The Senate Judiciary Committee will be voting on VAWA at 10:00am tomorrow (Thursday 2/2), and the following Senators from the states listed above have not yet signed on in support of VAWA. These Senators need to hear from you by 10:00 am eastern Thursday morning: “I urge Senator ___ to vote yes on S. 1925, the Violence Against Women Act, without harmful amendments!”

Call (http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm) these Senators today:

Grassley, Chuck (IA), Ranking Member:  (202) 224-3744
Hatch, Orrin G. (UT):    (202) 224-5251
Kyl, Jon (AZ):    (202) 224-4521
Sessions, Jeff (AL):     202) 224-4124
Graham, Lindsey (SC):    (202) 224-5972
Cornyn, John (TX):    (202)-224-2934
Lee, Mike (UT):    (202) 224-5444
Coburn, Tom (OK);    (202) 224-5754

PLEASE TAKE ACTION NOW!

Watch the committee proceedings: http://www.judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/hearing.cfm?id=f14e6e2889a80b6b53be6d4e413209e1.

For more information visit 4vawa.org or contact:

Paulette Sullivan Moore, National Network to End Domestic Violence, PSMoore@nnedv.org.

Terri Poore, National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, tpoore@fcasv.org.

Sharon Stapel, NCAVP, sstapel@avp.org.

We need your help to make sure VAWA has as much support in Congress as possible when it is introduced to the Senate tomorrow.

Over the past 17 years, VAWA has given survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking unprecedented access to improved services and ultimately, safety. VAWA has saved countless lives, protected families, given a voice to survivors and provided invaluable training to the criminal justice community. VAWA is landmark legislation in the movement to end violence against women and girls, and is both a symbol and actualization of what it means to create healing and justice for survivors and their communities.

We ask that you take a moment today to contact your Senators and encourage them to support this bill and sign on as an original co-sponsor.

We’ve listed the Senators that the VAWA coalition has identified as particularly important to gain as original co-sponsors below, as well as talking points to share during your phone call with your Senator(s).

Please share this message with your family, friends and colleagues as well and ask them to make a call to their Senator(s) today–we are hoping to get as many co-sponsors as we can before tomorrow. The time is now.

Talking points:

• We know that Senator _________ cares about ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking.
• The Violence Against Women Act is critical to our ability to address these crimes in our state.
• There is evidence showing that VAWA has saved millions of dollars and countless lives.
• We are asking for you to be an original co-sponsor of the Leahy/Crapo bill that will be introduced on Wednesday.

***********

Alabama

Sessions, Jeff – (202) 224-4124
Shelby, Richard – (202) 224-5744

Arkansas

Boozman, John – (202) 224-4843

Alaska

Murkowski, Lisa – (202) 224-6665

Arizona

McCain, John – (202) 224-2235
Kyl, Jon – (202) 224-4521

California

Boxer, Barbara – (202) 224-3553
Feinstein, Dianne – (202) 224-3841

Florida

Rubio, Marco – (202) 224-3041

Georgia

Chambliss, Saxby – (202) 224-3521
Isakson, Johnny – (202) 224-3643

Hawai‘i

Akaka, Daniel – (202) 224-6361
Inouye, Daniel – (202) 224-3934

Idaho

Crapo, Mike – (202) 224-6142 – (Sen. Mike Crapo is already one of the original co-sponsors. If he is your Senator, be sure to thank him for his commitment to ending violence against women.)
Risch, James – (202) 224-2752

Illinois

Kirk, Mark – (202) 224-2854

Indiana

Lugar, Richard – (202) 224-4814
Coats, Daniel – (202) 224-5623

Iowa

Grassley, Chuck – (202) 224-3744

Louisiana

Vitter, David – (202) 224-4623

Kansas

Moran, Jerry – (202) 224-6521
Roberts, Pat – (202) 224-4774

Kentucky

McConnell, Mitch – (202) 224-2541
Paul, Rand – (202) 224-4343

Maine

Collins, Susan – (202) 224-2523
Snowe, Olympia – (202) 224-5344

Massachusetts

Brown, Scott – (202) 224-4543

Mississippi

Cochran, Thad – (202) 224-5054
Wicker, Roger – (202) 224-6253

Missouri

Blunt, Roy – (202) 224-5721

Nebraska

Johanns, Mike – (202) 224-4224

Nevada

Heller, Dean – (202) 224-6244

New Hampshire

Ayotte, Kelly – (202) 224-3324

North Carolina

Burr, Richard – (202) 224-3154

New York

Gillibrand, Kirsten – (202) 224-4451
Schumer, Charles – (202) 224-6542

North Dakota

Hoeven, John – (202) 224-2551

Ohio

Portman, Rob – (202) 224-3353

Oklahoma

Coburn, Tom – (202) 224-5754
Inhofe, James – (202) 224-4721

Pennsylvania

Toomey, Patrick – (202) 224-4254

South Carolina

DeMint, Jim – (202) 224-6121
Graham, Lindsey – (202) 224-5972

South Dakota

Thune, John – (202) 224-2321

Tennessee

Alexander, Lamar – (202) 224-4944
Corker, Bob – (202) 224-3344

Texas

Cornyn, John – (202) 224-2934
Hutchison, Kay Bailey – (202) 224-5922

Utah

Hatch, Orrin – (202) 224-5251
Lee, Mike – (202) 224-5444

Wisconsin

Johnson, Ron – (202) 224-5323

Wyoming

Enzi, Michael – (202) 224-3424
Barrasso, John – (202) 224-6441

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release October 3, 2011

NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH, 2011

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA       

A PROCLAMATION

During Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we recognize the significant achievements we have made in reducing domestic violence in America, and we recommit ourselves to the important work still before us. Despite tremendous progress, an average of three women in America die as a result of domestic violence each day. One in four women and one in thirteen men will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. These statistics are even more sobering when we consider that domestic violence often goes unreported.

The ramifications of domestic violence are staggering. Young women are among the most vulnerable, suffering the highest rates of intimate partner violence. Exposure to domestic violence puts our young men and women in danger of long-term physical, psychological, and emotional harm. Children who experience domestic violence are at a higher risk for failure in school, emotional disorders, and substance abuse, and are more likely to perpetuate the cycle of violence themselves later in life.

My Administration is working not only to curb domestic violence, but to bring it to an end. Last year, we announced an unprecedented coordinated strategy across Federal agencies to prevent and stop violence against women. We are empowering survivors to break the cycle of abuse with programs to help them become financially independent. We have prevented victims of domestic violence from being evicted or denied assisted housing after abuse. And we are promoting tools for better enforcement of protective orders, while helping survivors gain access to legal representation.

In addition, as part of the Affordable Care Act, the Department of Health and Human Services announced historic new guidelines that will ensure women receive preventive health services without additional cost, including domestic violence screening and counseling. The Affordable Care Act also ensures that insurance companies can no longer classify domestic violence as a pre-existing condition.

Last December, I reauthorized the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, giving communities life-saving tools to help identify and treat child abuse or neglect. It also supports shelters, service programs, and the National Domestic Violence Hotline, linking tens of thousands of victims every month to the resources needed to reach safety. I encourage victims, their loved ones, and concerned citizens to use this hotline for more information at 1-800-799-SAFE or visit www.TheHotline.org.

This is not just a job for government; it is a job for all of us. Vice President Joe Biden’s “1is2many” initiative reminds us that everyone has a part to play in ending violence against youth. By engaging men and women, mothers and fathers, and schools and universities in the fight, we can teach our children about healthy relationships. We are asking everyone to play an active role in preventing and ending domestic violence, by stepping up to stop violence when they see it. During National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we recommit to making sure that no one suffers alone, and to assisting those who need help in reaching a safer tomorrow.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 2011 as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. I call on all Americans to speak out against domestic violence and support local efforts to assist victims of these crimes in finding the help and healing they need.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this third day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.

# # #

Some recipients who are the victims of domestic violence also may be temporarily exempted.

“We are returning cash assistance to its original intent as a transitional program to help families while they work toward self-sufficiency,” Snyder said in a statement. He noted that the state still will help the poor by offering food stamps, health care coverage through Medicaid, child care and emergency services.

Then-Gov. Jennifer Granholm, a Democrat, signed a bill that created a four-year limit starting in 2007. But that law exempted many welfare recipients, including those whose caseworkers said they were making progress toward finding employment.

The 2010 election of Snyder and the simultaneous Republican takeover of the Michigan House gave the GOP a free hand to set its own course on public assistance.

The change gives Michigan the Midwest’s toughest welfare time limit, according to a survey by The Detroit News. It said there are five-year limits in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin. Indiana has a two-year limit for adults — but none for children.

Gilda Jacobs of the Michigan League for Human Services said she expects about 41,000 people to lose their cash assistance payments on Oct. 1 when the state’s new budget year begins. That includes 29,700 children, according to the Michigan Department of Human Services.

“We’re very, very concerned,” Jacobs said. “As the days go by, new people will be meeting the 48-month limit. … More will be falling off that cliff.”

The new law will reduce the number of children and adults receiving cash assistance by nearly a fifth, from more than 221,000 to around 180,000. Enforcing a four-year limit will save the state more than $60 million annually, according to a House Fiscal Agency analysis.

Jacobs said it’s hard to see how 11,000 adults will find a job when Michigan’s July unemployment rate was 10.9 percent, tied with South Carolina for third-highest in the nation.

“We still have to preserve a safety net for people who, through no fault of their own, can’t find a job,” she said, noting that most cash assistance goes to help poor residents pay their rent. “There’s obviously a lot of anxiety out there. Folks aren’t sure exactly what this means to them.”

State officials say they’re working with nonprofit organizations to direct welfare recipients to other services and provide a “soft landing” as they lose benefits. Recipients will be connected with other resources, given housing and job placement assistance for up to three months beyond October and mentored by trained job navigators.

“Michigan continues to face financial challenges, and the fiscal reality is that we cannot afford to provide lifetime cash assistance to recipients who are able to work,” Health and Human Services director Maura Corrigan said in a statement. “Enforcing lifetime limits for cash assistance ensures that available funds are targeted toward those recipients who need a helping hand while they find employment.”

Michigan ranked 38th in child poverty for 2009, defined as income below $21,756 for a family of two adults and two children. About 23 percent of Michigan’s children lived in poverty in 2009, compared with 20 percent nationally. In 2000, only 14 percent of Michigan children lived in poverty. The average age of a child in a family receiving cash assistance is around 7 years old.

Snyder, a Republican, has said reducing the number of children living in poverty is a priority of his administration.

The Michigan Catholic Conference has objected to the four-year limit. The conference said the effect will be felt for years by society and by children who lose services.

-MSN

As a domestic violence organization whose clients are 95% women we are expecting an increase for services, emergency funding and housing. We will not be able to meet every need but will do our best to help during this tough economic times.

SAVE THE DATE: Thursday, September 15, 2011 is the date of this year’s DV Counts: National Census of Domestic Violence Services.

As we prepare for this year’s census, we want to offer a heartfelt thanks to the 1,746 programs across the states and territories who made last year’s count the most successful ever with a 91% national participation rate!   Please help us continue to show the incredible work advocates do every day by participating again this year.

 

At the press of a button, domestic violence victims can alert the emergency services when in fear of attack. The Government’s B-safe program has provided comfort to many who have recently trialled the alarm in Victoria. But already, the program looks set to fall through due to lack of funding.

Transcript

CHRIS UHLMANN, PRESENTER: A personal alarm system for domestic violence victims is to be scrapped for lack of money. Known as B-Safe, and similar to medical alerts that call emergency help with the press of a button, the federally-funded scheme has been successfully trialled in Victoria.

But as Kerri Ritchie reports, the $125,000-a-year program ends today.

ANONYMOUS WOMAN: He was always driving by, the phone calls, coming to our house.

KERRI RITCHIE, REPORTER: This Victorian woman, whom who can’t be identified for legal reasons, stayed with her abusive husband for nine years.

ANONYMOUS WOMAN: When I was in Queensland I had patrol tipped over me. And he chased me with the lighter. There’s the knives – he always loved playing with the knives. Whatever’s handy. I’ve had dogs set on to my face. All sorts of stuff. Just cruel.

KERRI RITCHIE: She says she finally left her ex-husband when he began grooming one of their children to be an abuser.

ANONYMOUS WOMAN: One of the children did actually punch me, then he gave him a knife and told him to stab me, which he refused to do. And that’s when I decided I don’t care where we end up or what happens, I have to get these kids out of here.

KERRI RITCHIE: The woman fled to a refuge where she heard about a new device called B-Safe being offered to others in north-eastern Victoria with intervention orders out against their former partners.

RACHAEL MACKAY, B-SAFE PROJECT OFFICER: The concept for B-Safe in a practical sense has just been so simple. We just applied the technology used to keep elderly people safe and independent in their own homes, and we applied that technology to women and children escaping family violence.

KERRI RITCHIE: Rachael Mackay, a B-Safe project officer based in regional Victoria, says if a woman’s ex-partner turns up, she only has to push a single button which alerts a call centre. Phone operators then ring 000, giving police all the woman’s details.

ANONYMOUS WOMAN: There was one Christmas and he – I’d just put the kids to bed and he’d come to the window and he was questioning me about who had been there. And so I knew he’d been watching us for a while, but I activated the kit, and it makes a beeping sound, so he heard that. The kids were up by this stage and told him that I’d set off the alarm. After some swearing and cursing, but he left pretty quickly.

KERRI RITCHIE: When the alarm is activated, the kits also start recording sound so the women have proof their violent ex-partner has breached the intervention order. 72 women in Victoria and more than 140 of their children have come to rely on the alarms in the past three years.

RACHAEL MACKAY: It’s reduced breaches of intervention orders. It’s actually reduced physical assaults against more than half of the 72 women. None of the children have been assaulted during that three-year period.

KERRI RITCHIE: Last year B-Safe won a national crime prevention award and other states and other countries came calling. But from today, the B-Safe kits will no longer be available. Rachael Mackay now has the unenviable task of taking the kits off the women, because neither the Victorian or federal governments will fund the $125,000-a-year program.

RACHAEL MACKAY: One woman, I could literally feel her breath over the phone. She just gasped to me. I had to say to her, “Look, we can keep you on until August,” and she sort of heaved a sigh of relief. It’s horrific. My job is horrific.

‘REBECCA’: I’m very scared and very sad. I don’t want my kids to go back to how they were. They were starting to relax and be happy, as kids should be. For them to have to start worrying again and listening out will be very difficult.

KERRI RITCHIE: Rebecca lives in a small Victorian town. To protect her safety, we’ve changed her name and voice. Her relationship ended several years ago, but her nightmare is ongoing. Before she got a B-Safe kit, her ex-partner broke into her home, raped her and threatened her with a rifle.

‘REBECCA’: He tried to shoot me. I think it was just pure lucky that I managed to escape that incident. You get to a stage that you get so put down and so, I guess, lost, that you don’t really care anymore if you don’t get killed. But I had to make sure the kids were safe.

KERRI RITCHIE: It’s a dangerous time for Rebecca because her case is about to go through the Family Court. She’s dreading the day when she has to hand back her B-Safe kit.

‘REBECCA’: The kids were at a point where they were self-harming so they were so scared whether he would turn up or not. They were so scared of seeing him. Everything from bashing their heads on walls and their fists to trying to strangle or stab themselves. They soiled themselves. It’s an ongoing problem with incontinence. That’s the only way their body knows how to respond to any stress or fear.

SUSIE REID, WOMEN’S HEALTH, GOULBURN NORTH EAST: We’ve proved that using B-Safe can cost a third of what it is to move a woman and children out of their home into a refuge and into new housing. So it’s cost-effective, it’s award-winning and we still can’t find funding.

KERRI RITCHIE: In a statement, the Victorian Government says, “… this program was a Commonwealth funded program which they decided not to continue funding …”. A statement from federal Justice Minister Brendan O’Connor says funding was provided for a three-year trial and that, “… funding ceased earlier this year, in accordance with the terms of the grant. ”

SUSIE REID: Crime prevention begins at home. It is the Government’s responsibility to fund B-Safe. They haven’t come up with one reason why it can’t be funded except for money. They can spend $14,000,000 over four years for graffiti prevention and clean up.

ANONYMOUS WOMAN: The other day I saw there was another death due to domestic violence. And the reality is that if they don’t get behind this program, every death after that is going to be on their hands. Because this is the solution.

KERRI RITCHIE: How will things change when B-Safe ends?

ANONYMOUS WOMAN: I guess my nightmares will come back more than what they do now.

CHRIS UHLMANN: Kerri Ritchie with that report.

Via ABC Online

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For more information, please contact:
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P 313.566.8234 l F 313.567.3457 l E bianca.williams@detroitriverfront.org

DEADLINE TO RSVP IS FRIDAY, JULY 22

PRESENTERS: ALICIA STEWART, MANAGING EDITOR, CNN; WALTER MIDDLEBROOK, ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR, THE DETROIT NEWS; LUIS CLEMENT, SENIOR EDITOR FOR DIVERSITY, NPR; NIRAJ WARIKOO, RELIGION REPORTER, THE DETROIT FREE PRESS; ORALANDAR BRAND-WILLIAMS, RELIGION REPORTER, THE DETROIT NEWS; TERESA MASK, EDITOR, PATCH.COM TOM HUANG, SUNDAY & ENTERPRISE EDITOR, DALLAS MORNING NEWS

AAJA will present a session for local community organizations to learn how to pitch their stories to the media and how to get their news covered. Meet with local and national journalists in print, broadcast and online media. How do these reporters, editors and producers choose stories to cover? What’s a pitch, and what should go into one? How do you pitch a local story to national media? How can you help journalists gain access to and understand diverse communities? Learn from these journalists and hear first-hand how they make their news decisions. The workshop will include a one-hour panel discussion involving several journalists from Detroit and across the country. The session will wrap up with a final Q&A.

Register: http://mediaaccess11.eventbrite.com/

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