For some people, the days and weeks since the new presidential administration took office have seemed to be one piece of bad news after the other. Some of us have our legislator’s office on speed dial, calling endlessly to protest attacks on healthcare, civil rights, immigration, climate protections, trade partnerships, foreign interference, and other issues that affect us and those we care about. It gets to the…
This week’s blog is by one of our Community Advocates, whose name we will withhold for confidentiality reasons. Recently I had the wonderful experience to be part of the Massachusetts Victim Assistance Academy (MVAA) which is conducted by the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance (MOVA) and other community agencies.
For Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) 2016, our theme is “Listen and Believe.” While that might sound simple and straightforward, listening is a skill that we can all develop and improve over time. At REACH, we often hear from friends and family who are concerned about a loved one who is in an abusive relationship. So often, friends and family are worried about having the “right”…
I spend a lot of time talking with survivors of domestic violence. Lately, I’ve been co-facilitating a support group at our shelter, where we utilize an arts based curriculum and psychoeducational framework. In these conversations, we’ve had an opportunity to learn from one another about a variety of topics, including self-care, boundaries, trauma, domestic violence, and red flags. In these conversations, I’ve been astounded by so…
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). At REACH, we are painfully aware of domestic violence every day. Its effects are obvious on the faces of the survivors that come through our doors seeking help, whether in the form of physical injuries, or the wary looks on their faces. The other day we were waiting for a candidate for an open staff position to come in…
At our annual meeting last night, we focused our discussion on how to talk to young people we care about as they prepare to leave for college about intimate partner violence. While sexual and dating violence have always been issues impacting college students, the recent media attention to this problem has left many parents and incoming college freshmen feeling a heightened sense of anxiety and concern…
We’ve talked before on this blog about the process of arriving at shelter, about the myriad of emotions and hopes and fears and reactions that someone can have when facing such a huge step. But have you ever wondered what happens on the other end, when they’re ready to leave shelter? As one staff member puts it, if it were a movie, this would be the…
Over the past five years, I have lost an important person in my life every year. My brother in-law, my paternal grandfather, my maternal grandfather, a friend and mentor, and my paternal grandmother. Sam, Lewis, Oscar, Sarah, and Eleanor. Some of these deaths were sudden, some of them were anticipated- each of them had an impact on my life that defies description; each of their deaths…
Abuse thrives in isolation and silence. When we use our voices we can prevent abuse, protect survivors and strengthen our communities.
Last fall, REACH was awarded a federal grant under the Violence Against Women Act to lead a group of community partners in enhancing the safety of elders in the City of Waltham. Together with Springwell Adult Protective Services, the Waltham Police Department, the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, and the Dual Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Program at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, we have formed the group called Waltham Against Abuse…
