As summer comes to a close, we have many awareness months and days to reflect on. Pride Month, Mental Health Liberation Month, National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and many more. We must consider the intersectionality of survivors and their identities, and how this impacts them moving through multiple systems, access [...]
When our body feels unsafe, our brain takes automatic steps to protect us. That reaction can vary from person to person, from time to time. Most of us have heard of the fight or flight response. Our adrenaline forces us to run from danger or fight against it, a natural survival tactic. However, these are [...]
We are honored and excited to announce that Battered Women’s Shelter has been chosen to participate in a special charitable giving campaign, sponsored and funded by Target. And you have the chance to help direct a portion of Target’s donation to us! Now through September 30th, vote for us through the Target Circle program to [...]
Violence has played a perpetual role in our society and civilization. Settler colonialism, the mass transportation and exploitation of enslaved individuals, and systematic oppression continue within today’s society, often unnoticed and unacknowledged. The violence that individuals face in their intimate partner relationships is paramount to the insistency of societal violence and lack of accountability for [...]
Pride month is a time for the Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, and Queer community to be proud of who they are and tell the stories of those who brought us the freedom to be who we are. Historically, the LGBTQ community were forced to keep their identities private for fear of discrimination on a personal [...]
Friends of Hope & Healing,We’re delighted to report that the Board of Trustees of BWS/RCC has named Teresa Stafford as our next Chief Executive Officer. As a strategic leader with proven success in emergency response for survivors of intimate personal violence and sexual violence, Teresa will succeed Terri Heckman and assume responsibilities mid-March.We’re grateful to [...]
The Battered Women’s Shelter knows firsthand that home is not always a safe place. Unfortunately, there are times when women and often their children, must escape their homes so that they can eat, sleep and live in a non-violent environment. The Battered Women’s Shelter is available 24-hours every day, responding to the cries of families [...]
Where Do The Years Go? I had just finished college at the University of Akron, and was offered my first “real” job as the Volunteer Coordinator of the Rape Crisis Center located at the YWCA. That seems like forever ago. In actuality, it was 35 years ago. The YWCA was a wonderful place to get [...]
Sydney Sines As we continue to recognize May as Mental Health Awareness Month, we want to share and explain how being in immigrant in the U.S. often creates more barriers to receiving help when survivors find themselves within abusive relationships. To provide clarity with a shared definition in the interest of this blog, the term [...]
