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“Two years ago I turned to RAINN for help and advice and it made all the difference in my life… I owe my life to RAINN.”
- A 16-year old girl who was raped by her best friend’s brother

When I think of the month of May it brings images of beautiful Spring skies and flowers. During this time of year the weather is generally the most peaceful and inspiring, and conjures some of my favorite memories. There seems to be a nostalgic smell in the air of an entire lifetime of childlike frolicking and feelings of love. Spring is easily my favorite season of all. There are many reasons for my overwhelming enthusiasm towards Spring, one of the most important reasons is Spring’s representation of rebirth. This is a time when Mother Nature is replenishing herself and cultures all over the globe celebrate fertility rites.

During this month of fresh starts and new directions, I would like to pay homage to an amazing organization that has helped millions of women and men take a step toward rebirth. The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, known as RAINN, is the nation’s largest anti-sexual assault organization. We have Scott Berkowitz, founder & president of RAINN, to thank for this group that has had a profoundly staggering healing effect on the lives of millions.

“A very close friend of mine has really found a lot of comfort in your organization and speaks so highly of you… The hope you have given my friend is alive in every smile, something I haven’t seen in a while.”
- Friend of a hotline caller

• The National Sexual Assault Hotline helps about 400 victims each day.
• RAINN has been selected as one of “America’s 100 Best Charities” by Worth Magazine
• RAINN led prevention and public policy efforts that contributed to a record 50% decline in sexual violence.
• All services are free, confidential, and available 24/7

Since it’s inception in 1994, RAINN has developed enormous celebrity support – among them is co-founder and super star Tori Amos.  From the very beginning of her career Tori Amos has made no secret of her personal experience with sexual assault.  It is her fearless ability to speak about this horrifying epidemic that has put her on the map as one the worlds leading spokespersons for this crippling act of violence. During an interview Tori was quoted as saying, “Frankly, as a woman, and as a woman who wrote ‘Silent All These Years’ (a song about rape that appeared on 1992’s Little Earthquakes), I needed to stand up,” Amos explained. “It seemed to me that, sometimes, the material wanted to be overtly political. Sometimes the material wanted to be cheeky and seductive. Sometimes it wanted to be heartbreaking and deal with the inner world of women.”

Below is a letter written by Tori to inform people of the service that RAINN offers to anyone who needs it.

Dear Friends,
For the last two years, I’ve sung “Me and a Gun” at every concert as a way of healing the place inside myself that has been hurt, enraged, and numbed by violence. For many years, I shut down that place inside myself that needed to rage, cry, ask questions, and basically just express herself. I made a conscious choice when I put “Me and a Gun” on the record not to stay a victim anymore. You see, I was still a victim in my own mind from an experience that had happened a long time ago: I was still torturing myself. Passion, joy, and love were not things I felt I could have or deserved anymore. I’ve been encouraged by wise ones, who taught me how to develop inner tools where I can understand these scared places in my being. It took me many years to make the decision to deal with this, but a bitter woman was what I was becoming and when I was young I always saw myself as a passionate woman. I would say, “Well, she’s dead.” And the wise ones said, “It’s your choice, Tori, if you want to bring her back to life, you can. She’s only been sleeping-alone, in a very dark corner. It’s your choice and there is help out there.” I received a letter from a 13-year old girl in Paris whose stepfather has been molesting her for years. She wrote: “If I had known a phone number which would have been able to help me, I certainly would have dialed it. So, we can’t go on being blind and dumb: You don’t have to put the message with the help phone number out now. Maybe you’ll never do it, because of different reasons. You won’t be to blame for it. But, I want you to never forget that every day someone loses their dignity.”

Healing takes courage and we all have courage, even if we have to dig a little to find it.

Love & Support,
Tori Amos

Tori has blessed millions of people worldwide with the courage and strength she portrays through her music. RAINN is just another tool she has developed for helping anyone who has been a victim of sexual assault, to help them find that voice inside themselves that has been silenced by fear and senseless shame.
To purchase albums by Tori Amos please visit the iTunes Store at:
http://shop.rainn.org/shop/index/0/23/49/tori-amos-itunes

For more information regarding Tori Amos and RAINN click on one of the links below:
http://www.welcometobarbados.org
http://everythingtori.com
http://www.tennysoncenter.org
http://www.prevent-abuse-now.com
http://www.911rape.org
http://www.darknesstolight.org

RAINN was also founded thanks to the generous contributions of Atlantic Records and Warner Music Group, then part of Time Warner. Those music connections helped them build RAINN into a nationally known charity very quickly, despite their tiny budget, and introduced the hotline to millions of Americans.
The vital partners in all of their work have been the nation’s local rape crisis centers. At their launch in 1994, 347 local centers affiliated with RAINN to provide services to victims. Today they have over 1,109 local partners. Not to mention the star studded lineup of support from celebrities in every category of entertainment such as: Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Bacon, Rachel Bilson, Kenneth Cole, Sarah McLachlan, R.E.M. & Bertis Downs, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tim Roth, Mariska Hargitay, Hootie & The Blowfish, Calvin Klein, Steve Madden, Christina Ricci, David Schwimmer, Kevin Smith….to name a few.
Collectively, tens of thousands of volunteers and crisis center staff have teamed up to help callers to the National Sexual Assault Hotline. Every day and night, these dedicated people sit with victims through invasive emergency room exams; they listen to the anguished voices of callers and find a way to provide solace and support; and they coach the families and victims on playing a positive role in the recovery process.

If you would like to become involved as a volunteer or sponsor, there are many different options available. To name just a few:

• Volunteer to work the hotline.
• Become a corporate sponsor.
• Join the Fashion For RAINN Campaign by:
• Donating advertising space.
• Be photographed in an advertisement.
• Host a Fashion For RAINN Exhibition
• Contribute to the production of Fashion For RAINN displays & editorials as a writer, photographer, creative producer, crew member, stylist, marketer, or advertiser.
• Host a charity event.
• Make simple donations through everyday online shopping at http://shop.rainn.org
• Donate your time to local crisis centers.

If you find yourself in a situation where a loved one has been affected by sexual abuse and he/she has come to you for help, you can direct them to the RAINN hotline which is 1-800-656-HOPE or send to them the RAINN website at www.rainn.org
Of course you can also help by simply being a shoulder to lean on. This can be a very heavy burden to bare, but each one of us needs a close friend or family member to lean on from time to time.

“I am forever indebted to RAINN for giving me the strength and courage to move forward in my life.”
-Anonymous hotline caller

“I just want to thank you on behalf of all victims for the work that you are doing. I can’t begin to tell you how much RAINN has helped me. Keep up the wonderful work. You are angels, and I hope God blesses you.”
-Letter from a caller to the National Sexual Assault Hotline

As I get older it seems that the holidays come faster and faster each year. When you have children it’s almost like there is never a break from holidays. Once the New Year begins I hardly have enough time to breath before it’s time to start planning birthday parties and designing new Halloween costumes. I can’t complain though, I love my job as a mother and I am as close as it gets to being a hip Martha Stewart to the 30 something’s. Although, I prefer to identify myself as June Cleaver with an edge. My point is, it gets more difficult each year to find time for resolutions when there are so many other obligations on the table. Most of us tend to make resolutions that focus on common issues like weight loss, quitting smoking or drinking, and securing our financial futures. Let’s be honest though, how many of us actually stick to these promises? At best we survive on ambition alone for a couple of weeks after New Year’s Eve, but eventually the majority of us become so overwhelmed with daily life that we quickly fall back into old patterns. It is no secret that these common resolutions are notoriously ridden by failure. It’s not always our own fault. So many factors weigh heavily on the success of weight loss, and improving our health, and sometimes we may have to tap our life savings when a failing economy hits us below the belt. After so many years of falling off the resolution wagon myself I decided to change my thinking. Rather than making myself empty promises of fitting into the jeans I loved so much in high school or putting away enough money to finally travel abroad, I chose to set goals that are not only easy to fulfill but also provide eternal enrichment for my soul.

It all began in 2001 when my daughter was only 1 year old. I wasn’t getting any closer to losing that baby weight and my wallet was surely getting thinner as I purchased a thousand diapers a day. I had quit smoking, but a glass of red wine was a bedtime staple. I took a moment to think about the things I missed the most, the things that used to bring me peace but that I could no longer find the time to enjoy. What was it that I could resolve to bring back to my life without killing myself trying to obtain it? After racking my brain for a bit it hit me….READ A BOOK! Yes, that was it. If I could just read everyday even it I only had 10 minutes to do it, I would be so much happier. And what does happiness bring? Well, happiness creates more endorphins in my brain. Endorphins give me energy and ambition. That energy and ambition gives me the strength to be healthy minded. A healthy mind encourages me to take better care of myself. When I take better care of myself I lose weight. Weight loss helps me save money because rather than buying new clothes I can pull out those skinny jeans. I love the way I feel in those jeans so I strut around with pride and confidence and the confidence clears up all the clutter in my head and helps me to get out into the world and share my contagious joy. With all that joy my body feels so great that my desire to smoke or drink is almost non-existent. So you see, a small resolution that is easy to keep can have a profound effect on your entire life. It’s been 9 years since I resolved to simply pick up a book and since then I have read every single day without fail. The moment I finish one book I already have another one right next to me to begin. I have lost 50 pounds and I occasionally have a drink on the weekends. Before I made that change in my life I was a young mother that couldn’t even chase my daughter around the yard without being in pain, now my daughter can’t keep up with me. You wanna know something else that happens when you succeed at your personal goals and feel happiness? You feel a desire to help other people as well, because you have that extra joy to spread around. When you get to that place in your soul where you have the ability to help others it’s sometimes hard to decide where to start, so I have a few suggestions for you. There are thousands of foundations out there to support but I chose a handful to share with you that are near and dear to my heart.

RAINN: The nation’s largest anti-sexual assault organization.
One of “America’s 100 Best Charities” —Worth Magazine

RAINN operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline, and publicizes the hotline’s free, confidential services; educates the public about sexual assault; and leads national efforts to prevent sexual assault, improve services to victims and ensure that rapists are brought to justice. In 2007, RAINN expanded its hotline services with the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline, the nation’s first secure web-based hotline that provides live and completely confidential help to victims through an interface as intuitive as instant messaging. RAINN uses its community partnerships to put critical information into the hands of young women and men at concerts, on campus and in communities. Through these efforts, RAINN educates more than 120 million Americans each year about sexual assault. And that is just a small taste of what RAINN does for the world.

Founded by its member charities in 1988, EarthShare is an opportunity for caring employees and workplaces to support hundreds of environmental charities through workplace giving campaigns. A workplace giving campaign is an annual, employer-sponsored program that lets employees contribute a few dollars per paycheck as their charitable donation. Today EarthShare represents 71 national organizations and hundreds of local groups in 19 states. EarthShare’s member charities work hard every day to safeguard your health, our quality of life and the natural resources we depend on. All of these efforts are supported by EarthShare’s mission: To engage individuals and organizations in creating a healthy and sustainable environment. But you don’t have to be an employee to help Earthshare’s efforts. You can help by simply contributing through your everyday online purchases. You can feel good about your decision to give through EarthShare. EarthShare practices financial transparency and earned the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance Accredited Charity ranking.

Do Something believes that you have the power to make a difference. It is their aim to inspire, support and celebrate a generation of doers: people who see the need to do something, believe in their ability to get it done, and then take action. At DoSomething.org they provide the tools and resources for you to convert your ideas and energy into positive action and to be part of a generation of doers. At Do Something they have five guidelines that they live by:

1. Believe in teenagers. Teenagers can lead today. We don’t require adults.
2. Trust teenagers. They provide reliable, easy to access information and  activation strategies, but teens decide for themselves what to do.
3. Celebrate teenagers. They think all measurable contributions from teens are valuable.
4. Respect teenagers. They understand that teenagers have diverse abilities and constraints.
5. Value teenagers. Their programs and products are free. They’re not after teens’ money; they want their passion, time and creativity.

With guidelines like that it’s hard not to give kudo’s and contributions to such a fantastic organization.

This simple guiding principle is one of the reasons why TakingItGlobal been successful in enabling youth leaders. How this blueprint is achieved differs for everyone, but they all emerge from this process with the same results. Inspiration from a global community of their peers builds self-confidence. Information provided by tools and resources accelerates their transformation into better agents of change. Involvement through opportunities enables their capacity as active citizens.

Their vision: Youth everywhere actively engaged and connected in shaping a more inclusive, peaceful and sustainable world.
Their mission: To enable a collaborative learning community which provides youth with access to global opportunities, cross-cultural connections and meaningful participation in decision-making.

If you’ve been on this planet long enough I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “the children are our future” and it couldn’t be more true or relevant than it is today. Let’s face it folks, we have a pretty grim future unless we inspire and nurture our children on a global scale. TakingItGlobal is an excellent resource to help you get started.

Their mission is simple but their impact is profound: To save children’s lives and protect people’s health by increasing access to immunization in poor countries. How do they do this? A few ways is through their innovative partnership, funding and technologies. Launched in 2000, the GAVI Alliance is a global health partnership representing stakeholders in immunization from both private and public sectors: developing world and donor governments, private sector philanthropists such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the financial community, developed and developing country vaccine manufacturers, research and technical institutes, civil society organizations and multilateral organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Bank. By working together, Alliance members achieve objectives, that no single agency or group could achieve:

-Accelerate access to existing underused vaccines;
-Strengthen health and immunization systems in countries;
-Introduce innovative new immunization technology, including vaccines.

This prevents millions of deaths worldwide and contributes to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal for child health.

You might be asking what you can do to contribute to one or all of these incredible foundations. I have a very simple solution for you that will tie into some of those personal resolutions you have for yourself. It all starts with basic online purchases by using NonProfitShoppingMall as your resource for some of the best retailers in the world. Each and every purchase you make will contribute a percentage of your final sale to the non-profit organization of your choice.  For Instance, let’s say you’ve made a promise to yourself to relax more this coming year, or perhaps you’d like to take a trip. There are 2 great retailers out there to help you succeed. Pick up some pajamas from BedHead Pajamas and settle down with that DVD you keep meaning to set aside time for. Or how about purchasing some airline tickets from Expedia.com for that unforgettable trip you’ve always dreamed of. Another great resolution is to boost your ego with a fabulous new wardrobe from Roots.com. Roots has some of the cutest jackets and sweaters for the whole family to keep you warm all winter. One of the most common and difficult resolutions is to be healthier. Whether you want to shed those holiday pounds or have an even bigger health goal at hand, Drugstore.com is the place to purchase all of your nutritional supplements as well as goodies such as a neck & shoulder massager to help you relax. By purchasing from these retailers online you have the ability to help organizations all over the world. This brings me back to my original point….help yourself and you will have the power and the desire to help others. IT REALLY IS THAT SIMPLE.
To each and every one of you, I wish you a beautifully enriching new year.

Along with Earth Day and Autism Awareness, April has also been designated Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) – an often overlooked and difficult topic to broach. The goal of SAAM is to raise public awareness about sexual violence (with an emphasis on sexual assault and rape) and to educate communities and individuals on how to prevent its occurrence.

The focus of this year’s SAAM campaign is centered on reaching people in their workplaces. The “Respect Works” campaign is ultimately about moving beyond the victim – or perpetrator – based view of sexual violence and looking to the larger environment in which sexually violent acts happen. This includes relationships, organizations and communities.

Whether at home, work or school, healthy relationships are based on consideration and respect. When we care about others and the world around us, we have a responsibility to be involved and help out when others are in harm’s way. This is the essence of promoting social change that can result in less sexually violent behavior.

The 2009 SAAM Day of Action is Wednesday, April 8. You can join people all over the country and the world by planning an awareness event within your community on or around this date.

We have created a quick reference guide to help you find events in your area and ways to participate as an organizer in the campaign against sexual assault.

Respect Works
The SAAM website brings us the “Respect Works” campaign. Which is an opportunity for you to build partnerships with local employers, as well as a way to convey a message to the public about respectful and responsible behavior.

Some of the campaign materials, like the palm card and Featured Event Workshop, have messages about respect and responsibility that apply to any setting, not just a work environment. This campaign also includes materials specifically designed for the workplace, like the Workplace Outreach Guide, Employer Checklist, and fact sheet. All the messages are aimed at encouraging individuals, wherever they work or live, to build respectful relationships and take responsibility for creating a safer world!

Shop In
Use social networking sites like Facebook, Myspace and Twitter to organize a “Shop In” against Sexual assault. Send messages to everyone on your contact lists and ask them to ”Log On and Shop In” by simply clicking this link: http://nonprofitshoppingmall.com/shop/index/0/23 and purchasing one or more items from any of the listed retailers. A percentage of every purchase will go to the nonprofit group: Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN). * If 100 people each spent $25 – buying things they already need or want – (with an average of 4% of the sale earmarked for RAINN) that would raise $100 to help fight sexual abuse right here in America.

Letter-Writing Campaign
Some organizations can take part in political advocacy during
SAAM by writing letters to local, state, territory, tribal, or other government officials about policies related to sexual violence that effect your community. Click here for sample letters to elected officials.

Denim Day
Denim Day is an international protest in response to the Italian
Supreme Court’s overruling of a rape conviction in 1999, wherein an Italian woman was raped, her assailant tried and found guilty. The Supreme Court later overturned the ruling, using the logic that jeans are so difficult to remove; the assailant could not have done so without the victim’s help.

To honor Denim Day, people are encouraged to wear jeans to work or school in order to promote awareness. Your organization can also print stickers or buttons with Denim Day slogans on them, to encourage people to ask, “What is Denim Day?” To make this event successful, effective promotion is the key. Your organization should publicize this event to as many businesses and schools as possible. Information about sexual assault should be sent out with the information about Denim Day. Peace Over Violence (formerly Los Angeles Commission on Assaults Against Women) sponsors a Denim Day in LA campaign with various related resources. Click here for more information.

Bookstore and Library Displays & Readings
Approach local bookstores and libraries about setting up displays of books related to sexual assault with a SAAM flyer and your program’s information. Organize a book or poetry reading about sexual assault and healing. Click here for a list of suggested books.

Speak Out
This type of event creates a safe space for survivors of all forms of sexual violence to “speak out” about their experience, recovery, and healing. Choose a fairly quiet location for your event and ensure that local rape crisis center professionals are involved in the event’s organization.

V-Day
V-Day is a global movement to stop violence against women and girls. V-Day promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money, and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations. V-Day generates broader attention for the fight to stop violence against women and girls, including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation (FGM) and sexual slavery.

Through V-Day campaigns, local volunteers and college students produce annual benefit performances of “The Vagina Monologues” to raise awareness and funds for anti-violence groups within their own communities. The V-Day website (www.vday.org) provides information on holding a Vagina Monologues event in your community or at your college or university. V-Day events often occur during the month of April, but also take place throughout the calendar year. For event information in your area click here.

Run/Walk
Many social and health causes have started annual walk or run events to raise money and awareness about their issue. If your organization has the resources to plan and hold a walk for sexual violence awareness and prevention, this is a great option.

If you have limited time and resources, consider reaching out to other organizations in your area that are holding walks and runs during April and form a team to represent the anti-sexual violence movement. Have matching teal t-shirts made and make sure to bring materials about sexual violence to distribute to other participants.

2009 National Sexual Assault Conference
The National Sexual Assault Conference is a two-and-a-half-day, advocacy-based conference providing advanced training opportunities and information regarding sexual violence intervention and prevention. This year’s theme is Mentoring Our Movement and will be held in Alexandria, Virginia from September 9-11, 2009. This conference will provide a forum for dialogue on sexual violence prevention and intervention as well as offering advanced training and professional growth opportunities. For more conference information click here.

For more ideas and tools to help raise awareness and organize an activity in YOUR community go to: http://www.nsvrc.org/saam.