Hello Friends:
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. What does that mean? It means that we at One SAFE Place are committed to partnering with our community in eliminating abuse. As I meet people in our community, I’m continually astonished at how many share with me their personal experiences of abuse. Nationally, it’s estimated that 25-33% of the population has experienced abuse. Did you know that the Redding Police Chief recently highlighted the fact that nearly half of the Department’s aggravated assault calls were domestic abuse related? And, we were all shocked by recent news stories including multiple murders that appear to be related to domestic abuse. Despite making great strides in the past, these events remind us that there is so much more to do.
In recent months, you’ve seen a lot of changes at One SAFE Place. These changes are motivated by a belief that as an organization and as a region we can do better, that we have to do better. This October is the perfect time to not only reflect and pay homage to the past, but also to cast a new vision for the future. We are not willing to rest on our laurels. We believe that one victim is too many, and that domestic abuse needs to be addressed in all its ugly forms, whether it’s against men or women, young or old, parents or children.
We are encouraged that both the Redding City Council and the Shasta County Board of Supervisors have proclaimed October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. I know our community is not willing to stand idly by and watch while our neighbors, friends and family are beaten, violated or controlled. At One SAFE Place, we are committed to providing all abuse victims and their loved ones with hope for the future, a future that will affirm their dignity, their rights as individuals and their value to our community.
With the adoption of the co-located model, we have expanded our services to include help for victims of all forms of familial abuse. Since doing so, we’ve seen parents seeking help from their abusive children and vice-versa. We now offer help to victims of elder abuse and neglect. And, our team of trained educators is working diligently to prevent future abuse by educating school children from kindergarten through twelfth grade on subjects such as how to communicate with respect, how to protect yourself from teen dating violence and how to help others through bystander intervention.
One SAFE Place is not going to stop there. Next month I’ll tell you more about our vision for partnering with other service providers to help veterans and their families. And, in the months ahead, we’ll continue to share with you the groundbreaking work of our talented and innovative staff and service.
Warm regards,
Jean King
Executive Director
Executive Director
