May Craftivism + SARA/SHE Recap
Join us May 8th from 5:30-7:30 for our next meeting!
A HUGE thank you to Lindsey (SARA), Clare (SHE), and Melvin (SHE) for sharing about the work they do to help people who have/are experienc(ed/ing) sexual violence and domestic violence. Honestly, we had such a great discussion about so many things that I’m having a hard time summarizing it all into bullet points.
Details for our next meeting are at the bottom of the email.
Biggest Takeaways:
Remember that Quality is Dignity. Whether you’re donating items or volunteering with an organization, the quality of that donation helps people in more vulnerable situations maintain their dignity.
Prevention is not just about teaching people what not to do. Prevention means access to stable housing, food, and education. Prevention means teaching people what to do. Prevention starts at home with you modeling behavior for any kids in your life.
Both SARA and SHE work to give people their power back by providing a lot of options in all of the work they do. Everyone’s path to healing is going to be different.
What SARA does and how you can support them:
In addition to hosting a 24/7 hotline (434-295-7273) for anyone who has experienced sexual violence, SARA has ER advocates on call for anyone who has been hospitalized or is going through a forensics exam.
They can also connect you with resources for navigating the legal system, provide full-time trauma therapy at no cost, and offer support for restaurants where tip workers are more vulnerable to sexual harassment and assault.
SARA puts on a variety of prevention programs:
Get Involved
Volunteer: SARA is always looking for volunteers to help monitor the 24/7 hotline. But they also need volunteers to help with community outreach and administrative tasks.
Donate: Lindsey said, “Full transparency, we’re a little scared [about losing our funding sources] but we’re going to keep showing up.”
Grab a pint of a Simcoe for SARA draft at Decipher Brewing, Selvedge Brewing, Hogwaller Brewing, or Superfly Brewing. Proceeds from those beer sales help support SARA’s work.
Dab for Good Bingo @ Randow Row 4/23
What SHE does and how you can support them:
In addition to hosting a 24/7 hotline (434-293-8509) for anyone experiencing domestic violence, SHE provides emergency housing for people in immediate danger and counseling services.
Additionally, SHE does a lot of proactive programming so community members don’t need their services later in life. This includes a Dungeons and Dragons game for teens to help teach ideas of consent and healthy relationships, as well as seminars on internet safety for parents and kids.
Get Involved
At Scrappy Elephant, we will be collecting NEW self-care items for people staying in the shelter and UNUSED toiletries for survivors in the ER through the end of April.
May Meeting
Join us on May 8th from 5:30-7:30 for an evening with the newly formed Rivanna Area Queer Center! Learn about this new resource in our community and craft with fellow craftivists.
Can’t make it to the in-person event? Join us virtually with whatever project you’re working on at home. Both events will start at 5:30pm.
About RAQC
The Rivanna Area Queer Center provides a safe refuge for LGBTQIA+ folx in Central VA, a loving home for our community, and a resource for our liberation.
With love and solidarity,
Sarah and Ellen