 June is Pride Month!Hope Project is excited to celebrate Pride month with everyone in the LGBTQI+ community! We are doing another drawing this month, so look for the hidden word “pride” in this newsletter. You will find it out of place in a sentence! When you find it, respond to this email with the complete sentence that you found the hidden word in and you will be entered! The drawing will be done June 25th! Sexual Assault and the LGBTQI+ CommunitySexual assault affects people of all ages, races, sexual orientations, and identities. Statistics for sexual assault for members of the LGBTQI+ community are much higher than other demographics. According to the CDC, 44% of lesbians and 61% of bisexual women have experienced rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner. 26% of gay men and 37% of bisexual men have experienced rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner. For transgender people, the statistic is even higher. 47% of survey respondents have been sexually assaulted at some point in their lifetime. While these statistics are staggering, it is important to remember that there are often many barriers for people from this community to find support and help. One way that we can help to fight against these barriers is by making sure that we create safe spaces for survivors of all kinds.  Being an Active Ally!One way to support survivors of the LGBTQI+ community is to take notice and be an ally. For some helpful ideas on how exactly to be an ally, check out this video. For more resources, check out this link to UCLA’s LGBTQ 101 and ally resources page. Being aware of the fact that sexual assault affects all of us, as humans, is an important role. #UsToo is a branch of the #MeToo movement, bringing awareness to pride sexual assault in the LGBTQI+ community.  Gender identity is not determined by your trauma Gender expression is not determined by your trauma Sexual orientation is not determined by your trauma We Believe You. All Are Welcome Here. Click here for The Gender Unicorn visual for better understanding of the difference between gender identity, gender expression, sex, and sexual orientation! What’s New at Hope Project?New Community Education Classes! If you’ve ever wanted to volunteer with Hope Project, please check out the updated website to find out when the required classes start. Connect with Hope Project! Check out our social media pages to see all of our up-to-date events and groups.  VolunteeringHope Project volunteers support survivors by responding to calls from the hospital when someone goes to the emergency department and reports a sexual assault. They support the survivor through a SANE exam and ongoing advocacy for the survivor during the reporting process, should they choose to report the sexual assault. They also support advocates at our offices by preparing for hospital calls, support groups, community presentations, and a variety of other tasks. Email mayam@esshelter.com for more information or call 360-703-3762 ext. 13. OutreachHope Project also provides free presentations on sexual violence awareness and Hope Project program information to schools, businesses, churches, and other organizations.
Email calebl@esshelter.com or call 360-703-3762 ext. 16.
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May is Mental Health Awareness MonthMental Health America is celebrating 70 years of Mental Health Awareness Month! 43.8 million adults experience mental illness in a given year (nami.org). Mental illness without treatment can have a variety of traumatic consequences such as addiction, homelessness, and incarceration. MHA’s 2018 theme was 4Mind4Body and this year they are expanding the theme and the tool kit with new materials and resources to create a recovery tool kit that can assist anyone seeking information or support around mental health. Click here to download the tool kit Sexual Assault and Mental HealthExperiencing sexual assault can have a severe impact on an individual's mental health. A survivor may experience triggers or flashbacks of the assault. Often after an assault, feelings of guilt and shame may be present. Remind the survivor that sexual assault is never their fault. Remember to validate each survivor’s emotions and experience. Allowing them to share what they would like to when they are comfortable doing so can help create a sense of safety and security. Each survivor's story is unique, as are their experiences and reactions after a sexual assault has occurred. It is important to keep in mind that there is no right or wrong way for an individual to process their emotions. Hope Project advocates are available to be present and support anyone who is processing traumatic memories or emotions from a sexual assault. If you are a survivor wondering how you can improve your mental health on a day-to-day basis MHA also has some wonderful articles about incorporating small things into our daily lives, like humor. Humor is a small yet extremely beneficial strategy when looking for ways to deal with difficult experiences. Check out this image below to see a sample of their work. It explains how to use humor to reduce stress hormones and the potential benefits of doing so. You can click the link to check out their website. http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/conditions/4mind4body-humor Hope Project Self-care TipTaking care of our personal needs allows us to be more diligent and efficient in every aspect of our lives. Remember to take time to assess how you are doing! Are you taking time to love and take care of yourself? Honoring mental health awareness month not just for those around us, but for ourselves as well is very important. Check out this work-life balance piece from Mental Health America to learn more about managing our workload along with all of life’s stressors.  Connect with Hope ProjectCheck out our social media pages to see all of our up-to-date events and groups. Follow us on Instagram @hopeproject42 Like us on Facebook @hopeproject42 VolunteeringHope Project volunteers support survivors by responding to calls from the hospital when someone goes to the emergency department and reports a sexual assault. They support the survivor through a SANE exam and ongoing advocacy for the survivor during the reporting process, should they choose to report the sexual assault. They also support advocates at our offices by preparing for hospital calls, support groups, community presentations, and a variety of other tasks. Email mayam@esshelter.com for more information or call 360-703-3762 ext. 13. OutreachHope Project also provides free presentations on sexual violence awareness and Hope Project program information to schools, businesses, churches, and other organizations.
Email calebl@esshelter.com or call 360-703-3762 ext. 16.  April showers bring May flowers, but it also brings Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and we could not be more excited! Over here at the Hope Project, our goal is to help raise awareness of the prevalence of sexual assault year round, but we especially love the month of April! This year’s theme is I Ask. What does that mean? It means that people are committed to asking for consent! Sometimes, it may seem that consent is only talked about in terms of new acquaintances or dates. Consent is important in all relationships, new and old! By asking for consent between partners, it shows a level of respect. Here is a link to our FAVORITE video related to consent! Hope Project Outreach The Hope Project is involved in many different community outreaches! We have participated in doing presentations at Lower Columbia College and at the local high schools about healthy relationships, and we work with local business to provide education about our program as well other topics such as consent. This month we are going big! We have been working with local bars in what we are calling the SAFE (Sexual Assault Free Environment) Challenge. Approximately 50% of sexual assaults involve some alcohol consumption (either by perpetrator or the victim). That, coupled with the possibility of drugged drinks, can make bars feel like an unsafe place. Many of our local bars are committing to become safer places for patrons. We are providing a training to the participating bars about how to identify if somebody is at risk of sexual assault, as well as helping them enact policies that can ensure a safer environment! We are also having our 4th annual Hops for Hope event! On April 19th, we are going to be at Ashtown Brewing Co. helping raise awareness about Sexual Assault! Ashtown has agreed to donate $1 from every beer served between 5pm and 9pm to our program! We will also have Hope Project beer glasses for sale! There will be live music and fun, and we hope you will come out and join us! It will be a great time! Social Media To go along with our SAFE Challenge, we are inviting you to be involved! If you go out to any of the participating bars, make sure you take a pic and post #SAFEchallenge and post it on Facebook or Instagram. We are going to pick a winner at the end of the month from everyone who has participated for a prize! We are also doing a 30 day Instagram challenge celebrating Sexual Assault Awareness Month! Every day for the month of April we will be posting! Check us out on social media if you haven’t already! Connect With Hope Project
Facebook and Instagram: @Hopeproject42 Find, Follow and Share!! Volunteering Learn how you can make a difference! Hope Project volunteers support survivors at the hospital or support advocates at the office with preparing for hospital calls and getting ready for groups and presentations Email mayam@esshelter.com for more information or call 360-703-3762 ext. 17. Outreach Hope Project also provides free presentations on sexual violence awareness and Hope Project program information to schools, businesses, churches, and other organizations. Email Calebl@esshelter.com or call 360-703-3762 ext. 16. |
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