|
Today we want to thank all of you that continue to support our mission of supporting those that have been victims of childhood abuse! EmpowerSurvivors was created in 2014 by Stillwater, MN resident Elizabeth Sullivan. What started out as a peer support group meeting in a local library quickly morphed into a 501c3 nonprofit that is now able to reach survivors worldwide! Since 2014 we have visited and spoken with thousands of survivors of childhood sexual abuse, 250 prisoners of the Lino Lake Prison system, local colleges, Universities, local Rotary Clubs, businesses leaders, numerous podcasts, nonprofit organizations, MN House and Senate committees, survivor groups, survivor families, and Take Back The Night Events, and more!!! We could not do this work without all of you. Thank you to all of the members that bravely walk this healing journey with us, all of you who have " Liked" our page, our donors, fellow businesses, and past and present board members. We truly appreciate each and every one of you!!! More about the EmpowerSurvivors Organization: https://www.empowersurvivors.net/ 
0 Comments
 Join us for another episode of the EmpowerSurvivors Zoom podcast:
Conversations with Elizabeth! Monday, April 10, 2023 6:00 PM Central Time 7:00 PM Eastern Time 5:00 PM Mountain Time 4:00 PM Pacific Time Must register in advance: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUud-urpzwiH9Hz38R6raU4-ZMZKPb8nZ14 After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. This week we cover the subject of sibling childhood sexual abuse and trauma with special guests & Survivors, Amanda S., Maria Socolof, and Jane Epstein of the nonprofit 5WAVES. An estimated 80 million children worldwide have experienced sibling sexual trauma or abuse. 88% of survivors don't tell anyone till adulthood if they ever tell at all Join us as we discuss this important topic that is rarely spoken about. What is 5WAVES? 5WAVES is a not-for-profit promoting Worldwide Awareness, Voice, Education, and Support around Sibling Sexual Trauma--child sexual abuse caused by a sibling. The founders of 5WAVES are five women in five different time zones, working to break through the dark shadows of a silent epidemic. As survivors and parents, they each found themselves utterly alone for years and even decades, as they faced the effects of sibling sexual trauma (SST) on their lives and families. Sibling sexual trauma is real. It happens in all types of families. In fact, it is one of the most common forms of child sexual abuse both in the US and worldwide. https://www.5waves.org/ What is EmpowerSurvivors: EmpowerSuvivors is a survivor-led 501c3 nonprofit organization incorporating the peer support model. EmpowerSurvivors aids in reducing the silence and stigma of childhood sexual abuse. We offer individualized mentorship programs, peer-support groups, classes, and conferences. These programs help aid in the survivor recovery process, reduce isolation, provide skills to help manage lives in the community and promote health and well-being. https://www.empowersurvivors.net/  Thank you to Doreen Knefelkamp Chapin and Jeff Chapin who kindly opened up their home to hold a fundraising garage sale for EmpowerSurvivors!
Holding a sale takes a lot of time, work, sweat, and energy. Doreen and Jeff both worked tirelessly and I am very thankful for all they did to pull this off!!! Thank you also to all of our great donors who contributed merchandise to this sale ( including the Chapins) and to all who gave cash donations. You helped to make this garage sale a success. I also want to thank all who stopped and purchased items. Without you, we wouldn't have raised as much as we did. EmpowerSurvivors was hit hard by the Covid Pandemic. Charitable donations plummeted and with the economy being the way it is we suspect this will be the case for a while. We know we are not alone as we see many nonprofits struggling, hardly hanging on, and many closing their doors. Thanks to the Chapin family, our donors, and everyone who stopped by, the Chapins were able to raise $1006.00 for the EmpowerSurvivors nonprofit. This truly is a gift and we are very fortunate to have those in our community that has such a big heart for survivors of child sex abuse & trauma survivors. Thank you from all of us here at EmpowerSurvivors! Learn more about the EmpowerSurvivors nonprofit and ways you can help: https://www.empowersurvivors.net/  Yesterday I had the pleasure of talking with a foster mom out of Kentucky who is fostering several teens with childhood sexual abuse histories. We had a great discussion on why she became a foster parent, her decision to take in children that were sexually abused, and how we need systematic change. It was wonderful to hear her heart and the passion she has for children that are now in the foster care system, specifically children that were sexually abused. I was so glad to have a conversation on our current foster care programs here in the United States and can say in our short discussion I learned a lot. I have known for years our foster care programs needed real education when it came to early childhood traumas but learned yesterday that many foster parents fear taking a child that has been sexually abused and raped. Many children that are sexually abused will not go to good foster homes due to foster parents worrying about the child offending another child and maybe leary of all the issues that may come up in a child's life when abuse is where they came from. It is true fostering a child with an abuse history is challenging but I think it is worth noting that these kids need help more than ever. As I listened to this foster mom my heart was warmed knowing that there are wonderful foster moms like herself that are willing to take on the challenge and provide safe, loving homes to kids that have suffered so much. At the same time, my heart dropped knowing that a lot of these kids will be passed over simply for being sexually abused by people they may have loved and trusted. As a child being abused many will suffer the effects of the abuse for years to come. Most children however will not go on to sexually abuse others although it is true that many perpetrators had abuse in their childhoods. Most of us that have sexual abuse in our past go on to be great individuals with loving hearts. This is one reason why some survivors stay silent. This thought that those who were abused will be predators creates more shame and will silence many which only perpetuates the epidemic of childhood sexual abuse. I am looking forward to having this foster mom as our guest and having a discussion on the Conversations with Elizabeth program in June 2022. If you are a foster parent or thinking of becoming a foster parent this may be one program you want to tune in to so you can be more informed and join in the conversation. Thank you to all the great foster care parents that are providing safe spaces for children and facing all the battles that go along with taking in a foster child. These kids are worth it and with your love and support, they can go on to live the lives they deserve. FosterCare Statistics There are more than 424,000 children and teens in the Foster Care System nationwide, and every single one deserves a chance at happiness, belonging, safety and love. ( IFoster Blog) The median age of children in foster care is 6 ½ years old. ( IFoster Blog) 20,000 youth age out of the foster care system between the ages of 18 – 21 annually without having found a forever family, leaving them to fend for themselves. ( IFoster Blog) The foster care system underinvests in foster children, contributing less than 50% of what it costs an average American family to raise a child from 0 to 17 years of age. ( IFoster Blog) Within four years of aging out, 50% have no earnings, and those who do make an average annual income of $7,500.After a foster youth age out, homelessness and unemployment become a huge issue. Despite there being more than 34 million entry-level jobs nationwide, many foster youths aren’t prepared to be independent and don’t have the skills or resources needed to access the opportunities that could launch them into employment. ( Family Preservation Foundation) 22% of children had three or more placements during a length of 20 months in foster care. ( Family Preservation Foundation) A Foster youth is less likely to graduate from high school. ( What To Become) At least 40% of foster children have learning difficulties. Which makes sense as they are dealing with trauma. ( What To Become) Foster kids get suspended and expelled from school three times more often than other children. According to foster youth education statistics, children in foster care have different needs and backgrounds than their peers. Many of these children come from abusive households, making them prone to erratic behavior that ultimately leads to suspension or more severe disciplinary measures. ( Partners For Our Children) One out of four foster care kids shows signs of post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD, also known as a post-traumatic stress disorder, is a huge issue when talking about foster children. Research has shown that at least 25% of the overall number of foster youth in the US suffer from this mental health condition. ( Partners For Children)  EmpowerSurvivors is a 501c3 nonprofit that supports survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
Find out more at: www.EmpowerSurvivors.net  Join us
Monday, August 9, 2021, at 6:00 pm central time via Zoom for Conversations With Evey & Elizabeth!! Cost: Donation https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=MRU3VP4L3KSFU This week we have a special guest, Dr. Gregory Williams, who will bring us through his story and add to great conversations! About Dr. Gregory Williams: My name is Dr. Gregory Williams and I am on the Senior Leadership Team at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, Texas. I authored a book a couple of years ago called, “Shattered by the Darkness: Putting the Pieces Together After Child Abuse” that has drawn worldwide notice. The book tells of my daily childhood sexual abuse in the hands of my father and his friends until my 17th birthday. My decision to not reveal this horror to anyone until a few years ago caused many emotional, physical, and relational issues that I have learned from and still daily deal with. I have two books being released in August 2021 called “Overcoming the Darkness: The Road Map to Hope” and the youth version of the book called, “When the Dark Clouds Come: The Road Map to Hope.” I also host a weekly LIVE radio show called, “Breaking the Silence with Dr. Gregory Williams” and it is heard worldwide by over 1.7 million listeners LIVE each Sunday evening at 8:00 pm Central Time on the BBS Radio Network, iHeart Radio, YouTube LIVE, Spotify, and many other LIVE platforms. I now teach workshops, seminars, and webinars literally around the world each and every week. Register in advance for this meeting: us02web.zoom.us/meetin...AetA_6uHylmrarnexWzM After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. ******** This Meeting Will Be Recorded ******** Learn more about EmpowerSurvivors program Conversations with Evey & Elizabeth and all we have to offer! https://www.empowersurvivors.n...ic-conversation.html Do you want to be our next guest? Contact Evey at : [email protected] On Healing Trauma, respected therapist and teacher Peter A. Levine brings you face to face with his effective new treatment - not a "talking" cure, but a deep physiological process for releasing your past traumas and instilling a harmonious awareness of your body. Are you experiencing physical or emotional symptoms that no one is able to explain? If so, you may be suffering a traumatic reaction to a past event, teaches Levine. Medical researchers have known for decades that survivors of accidents, disaster, and childhood trauma often endure life-long symptoms ranging from anxiety and depression to unexplained physical pain and harmful "acting out" behaviors reflecting these painful events. As a young stress researcher at the university of California at Berkeley, Levine found that all animals, including humans, are born with a natural ability to rebound from these distressing situations. Researchers have shown that survivors of accidents, disaster, and childhood trauma often endure lifelong symptoms ranging from anxiety and depression to unexplained physical pain, fatigue, illness, and harmful "acting out" behaviors. Today, professionals and clients in both the bodywork and the psychotherapeutic fields nationwide are turning to Peter A. Levine's breakthrough Somatic Experiencing® methods to actively overcome these challenges.In Healing Trauma, Dr. Levine gives you the personal how-to guide for using the theory he first introduced in his highly acclaimed work Waking the Tiger. Join him to discover: how to develop body awareness to "renegotiate" and heal traumas by "revisiting" them rather than reliving them; emergency "first-aid" measures for times of distress; and nature's lessons for uncovering the physiological roots of your emotions. "Trauma is a fact of life," teaches Peter Levine, "but it doesn't have to be a life sentence." Now, with one fully integrated self-healing tool, he shares his essential methods to address unexplained symptoms of trauma at their source―the body―to return us to the natural state in which we are meant to live Includes 12 guided Somatic Experiencing® exercises. If you or someone you know is dealing with a challenging situation and could benefit from additional support, consider talking to one of the 2,000 licensed online counselors at BetterHelp. Emotional abuse is a severe form of psychological trauma. It’s otherwise known as mental or psychological abuse; however these terms refer to the same concept. Unlike physical abuse, emotional abuse doesn’t leave visible scars. That doesn’t mean that it isn’t damaging. When a perpetrator abuses a victim emotionally, they use several forms of manipulation to control the person. Abusers break down their victim’s self-esteem to the point where they feel worthless. When a victim believes that they don’t deserve love, they are at the whim of their abuser. The perpetrator may engage in name calling, shaming, and telling the abused person that they’re unlovable. Threats are a large part of the emotional or mental abuse. The abuser tells their victim that they won’t be able to do better or find love. The victim often hides the mental or emotional abuse from friends and family because they are ashamed. However, there are some signs to indicate emotional abuse is happening. If you think someone you love is a victim of abuse, don’t ignore that intuition. Check in with them and see if they need help. You could save a life. IMPORTANT: The information in this video is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information contained in this video is for general information purposes only and does not replace a consultation with your doctor. |
Archives
September 2024
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed