Womanspace is honored to have been chosen by BNO to receive Budsie toys. If you aren’t familiar with Budsies, they are custom made stuffed animals, or creations that you bring to life. Anyone can create a drawing, then send it to Budsie to have it made into a stuffed toy. The ones BNO made for us, were created by staff members, then given to us for our child clients.  Thank you for thinking of Womanspace, and donating these adorable Budsies to us!

Watch the video below!

Womanspace is honored to be BW NICE’s Charity Partner

Womanspace’s Executive Director, Pat Hart, will be a guest speaker along with our Director of Counseling, Susan Victor at the Mercer County BW NICE breakfast meeting on October 10th ,2016. The meeting will take place at the Salt Creek Grille in Princeton, NJ from 9:00- 10:30 AM.

To attend this meeting please register online with the link below. Tickets are $25 to attend. Register here!

Guests are asked to bring one of  the donations below:

Body Lotion

Washcloths

Leggings for women or girls

Volunteer Attorneys Needed to Help Staff Womanspace Legal Clinic

Womanspace is looking for family law attorneys who would like to volunteer to assist survivors of domestic and sexual violence in our monthly Legal Clinic. The long-standing clinic offers vital support to our clients.

The goal of the Legal Clinic is to provide an opportunity for a one-time consultation that can help clients to clarify their unique situation and to explore their legal options. So many clients come to us with pending legal issues and this has been a successful way to help them begin their journey with the best information possible.

• The Legal Clinic takes place at our Barbara and Herb Goodfriend Counseling Center at 1530 Brunswick Ave in Lawrenceville.
• Training on Womanspace and the work with survivors is provided to all attorneys who elect to volunteer.
• After the initial training attorneys are asked to sign up for a regular schedule, although the schedule varies based on the number of available attorneys.
• Client participation is voluntary and the consultation in no way obligates either client or attorney beyond the consult.
• All communications between the client and attorney are confidential under the laws and attorney ethical standards of New Jersey.
• Consultations are private and 35 minutes in duration. They are scheduled by appointment only, by Womanspace staff.

Click here to download a printer-friendly flyer.

If this volunteer opportunity sounds like something you would be interested in, please contact Susan Victor, Director of Counseling, at 609-394-2532, or via email at rsv@womanspace.org. Bilingual candidates (English & Spanish) are strongly encouraged to apply.

Thank you so much for taking the time to attend Womanspace’s Barbara Boggs Sigmund Award Event on Thursday, May 19th, at the Westin in Princeton. We hope you enjoyed the program and found the information to be informative. Our Honoree Tamron Hall, and former client Elizabeth Paddy, both delivered heartfelt and supportive speeches that brought the room to their feet. We appreciate their support for our mission and reconizing the adversity of domestic violence. Womanspace was fortunate enough to host an event with 370 people in attendance and raised over $140,000!!! Thank you for making a difference in our commmunity and helping those impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking.

Stephen Sigmund, son of Barbara Boggs Sigmund with our Honoree, Tamron Hall and Executive Director, Pat Hart Womanspace staff and friends celebrating the event  Womanspace Event Committee Member, Landy Eaton joined by fellow Womanspace Supporters      Womanspace Director of Development, Lauren Nazarian joined by family and friends as well as Honoree Tamron Hall.

Womanspace Executive Director, Pat Hart accompanied by friends and family.

Friends of Womanspace

  Honoree, Tamron Hall giving her speech

 Janssen Pharmaceuticals Global Head of Neuroscience Dr. Husseini ManjiWomanspace Director of Development with Honoree Tamron Hall and Executive Director Pat Hart

Elizabeth Paddy, former Womanspace Client and Domestic Violence Survivor

Board President, Christopher Bukosky

Womanspace Child Counselor, Megan Tantum attending the event with her family

Board Member Kristin Keller and Anita Moore with their guests

Stephen Sigmund, Son of the Founder of Womanspace, Barbara Boggs Sigmund

BBS event committee with our Honoree, Tamron Hall

Bronze Sponsor NJM Insurance Group

Janssen Pharmaceutical, Presenting Sponsor

Doctors Express Urgent Care, Silver Sponsor

Bronze Sponsor, Wells Fargo

Womanspace Board Memebers

Bronze Sponsor, Church and Dwight

Bloomberg

Womanspace welcomed Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney and Senator Shirley Turner to the Administrative Offices to recognize Sexual Assault Awareness Month with the presentation of a proclamation to both Womanspace and New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault. Patricia Teffenhart, Executive Director NJCASA facilitated the meeting with Senator Sweeney’s Office. The meeting was attended by Womanspace Board Members, Advisory Council Members and Staff. ‬

Pictured are Robert Baran, Assistant Director,NJCASA, Senator Sweeney, Patricia Teffenhart, Chris Bukosky Womanspace Board President Senator Turner, Patricia Hart Executive Director of Womanspace and Alison Daks Sexual Assault Support Services Coordinator. — with New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

MAKE A SOCIAL STATEMENT WITH YOUR FASHION STATEMENT
WEAR JEANS WITH A PURPOSE
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2016

We are asking community members, elected officials, businesses, and students to make a social statement by wearing jeans because there is no excuse and never an invitation to rape.

Join the Denim Day movement by educating yourself and others on facts about sexual assault, and by wearing jeans at your job or school on April 27, 2016.

How can you get involved?

1. Wear denim on Wednesday, April 27, 2016
2. Tell your friends and family to wear denim
3. Download the Denim Day Action Kit

History of Denim Day:

In 1998 the Italian Supreme Court overturned a rape conviction because the victim was wearing tight jeans at the time of the assault. The justices stated that the victim must have helped her attacker remove her jeans, from which they inferred consent.

Enraged by the verdict, women in the Italian Parliament protested by wearing jeans on the steps of the Italian Parliament building. Wearing jeans on Denim Day became an international symbol of protest against destructive myths about sexual assault.

To learn more please download the 15 ways to stop rape today!

You can be featured in the next edition of Womanspace News! Take a picture of you and your friends, family or coworkers wearing denim and submit to gmv@womanspace.org.

Womanspace ha tenido un prolongado compromiso con las personas de habla hispana, quienes han sobrevivido violencia doméstica.  Una de las maneras en las cuales hemos mantenido nuestra promesa, ha sido mediante la creación del Equipo de Servicios Bilingües (BST) en el año 1998; desde entonces nuestro personal de habla hispana se ha reunido para debatir las necesidades matizadas de los latinos/as sobrevivientes. Recientemente el BST ha reafirmado nuestro objetivo, revisando nuestra Misión y Visión:

Misión: El Equipo de Servicios Bilingüe de Womanspace se esfuerza por educar, colaborar y crear conciencia dentro de la agencia y en la comunidad acerca de los desafíos que enfrentan los/as sobrevivientes de violencia de habla hispana.
Visión: El Equipo de Servicios Bilingüe asegura que se provean en español servicios de intervención de crisis a víctimas o sobrevivientes de violencia doméstica y asalto sexual y a sus hijos, a través de consejería, abogacía, manejo de casos, número de emergencia 24/7; además ofrecemos un refugio seguro y confidencial. Este equipo también proporciona educación y entrenamiento a la comunidad y su objetivo es servir mejor a la población de habla hispana.

 Nuestra Misión y Visión existen, ya que desafortunadamente prevalece la violencia doméstica y sexual dentro de la comunidad de habla hispana, especialmente aquellos que no tienen documentos.  La violencia doméstica  es definida como un patrón de comportamiento abusivo en una relación familiar o romántica, en la cual el abusador busca mantener el poder y el control sobre la víctima. La violencia sexual ocurre cuando alguien obliga o coacciona a otro a realizar comportamientos sexuales sin consentimiento; ambos violencia doméstica y sexual son delitos que se basan en la dinámica de poder y control. Con el propósito de destacar su gravedad entre la comunidad de habla hispana, tenga presente las siguientes estadísticas:

• 1 de 3 latinas experimentan violencia doméstica en el transcurso de su vida.
• (nationallatinonetwork.org).
• Las mujeres inmigrantes casadas (incluyendo las latinas) tienen más probabilidad de experimentar violencia doméstica que las que son solteras. (nationallatinonetwork.org).Algunas barreras que las mujeres latinas enfrentan:

• Desconocer el lenguaje y las barreras culturales.
• Tener sus familiares amenazados en sus países de origen; si se van o denuncian el abuso.
• Amenazas de deportación.
• Factores económicos; como la dificultad de obtener un empleo estable debido a su estatus migratorio.

Una vez más, Womanspace se compromete a proporcionar servicios integrales y de apoyo a las víctimas de violencia doméstica y sexual de habla hispana. Por favor, tenga en cuenta los servicios que ofrecemos y ¡compártalos en sus redes sociales!

• Líneas de emergencia las 24 horas con personal de habla hispana: 609-394-9000.

• Personal de habla hispana en nuestra Casa Segura, un lugar confidencial.

• Una intercesora de habla hispana en el Tribunal Superior de Familias ofrece apoyo en las audiencias de órdenes de restricción final.

• Consejeras de habla hispana en nuestra Oficina de Consejería y Apoyo.

• Grupo de apoyo, Mi Hermana, Mi Amiga, reuniones disponibles todos los miércoles de 6:00-7:00 pm. Ofrecemos cuidado de niños.

• Grupo Madres Seguras y Niños Sanos para las personas que tienen un caso con División de Protección Infantil y Permanencia (DCP& P). Este programa permite completar el currículo ya sea en sesiones individuales o en grupo.

El comité de BST de Womanspace está aquí para ofrecer apoyo, seguridad y servicios a las víctimas de abuso. A través de la capacitación, planificación de seguridad y los servicios de apoyo, estamos comprometidos a ayudar a los sobrevivientes de habla hispana a encontrar la paz y la seguridad que se merecen.

English Version

Womanspace has had a long standing commitment to Spanish-speaking survivors of domestic and sexual violence. One of the ways in which we’ve maintained our commitment was through the creation of the Bilingual Services Team (BST) in 1998. Since then, Spanish-speaking staff has met to discuss the nuanced needs of Latino/a survivors. More recently, the BST has reaffirmed our commitment by revising our Mission and Vision, found here:

Mission: The BST of Womanspace strives to educate, collaborate, and build awareness within the agency and throughout the community about the challenges facing Spanish speaking survivors of violence

Vision: The bilingual services team ensures the provision of crisis intervention services to Spanish speaking victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and their children via counseling, advocacy, case management, and 24/7 hotlines and protective shelter. This team also provides education and training for the community and aims to better serve the Spanish-speaking population.

Our Mission and Vision exist, unfortunately, due to the prevalence of domestic and sexual violence within the Spanish-speaking community, especially those who are undocumented. Domestic violence is defined as a pattern of abusive behavior within a family or romantic relationship, in which the abuser seeks to maintain power and control over the victim. Sexual violence occurs when someone forces or coerces you to do sexual behaviors without consent. Both domestic and sexual violence are crimes that are based in the dynamic of power and control. In order to highlight the prevalence among the Spanish-speaking community, take note of the following statistics:

• 1 in 3 Latinas will experience domestic violence in their lifetimes. (nationallatinonetwork.org).
• Immigrant women (including Latinas) who are married are more likely to experience domestic violence than unmarried women. (nationallatinonetwork.org).

• Some barriers that Latino/a women face:

• Not knowing the language and cultural barriers
• Having their families in their country of origin threatened if they leave or report the abuse
• Threats of deportation
• Economic factors: such as difficulty in obtaining steady employment due to immigration status

Again, Womanspace is committed to providing comprehensive and supportive services to Spanish-speaking victims of domestic and sexual violence. Please note the services we offer and share them within your networks!

• 24 hour a day Spanish-speaking coverage of our hotlines – 609-394-9000.
• Bilingual Advocates at our confidential Safe House.
• Bilingual Court Advocate at Family Court for final restraining order hearings.
• Bilingual Counselors at our Counseling and Support Services.
• Mi Hermana, Mi Amiga Drop-In Support Group every Wednesday 6:00-7:00pm. Childcare provided.
• Madres Seguras, Niños Sanos DCP&P Curriculum and Group.

The BST committee of Womanspace is here to provide support, safety and services to the victims of abuse. Through empowerment, safety planning and supportive services, we are committed to help Spanish-speaking survivors seek the peace and safety they deserve.

Thank you to Blackrock- $5,000, Schieffelin Trust – $5,000, and Trenton Thunder- $1,500 for granting Womanspace the funds to support our Children’s Program. Womanspace feels it is important to provide children with an opportunity to let their voice be heard, accepted and understood. Family violence is one of the major health, safety and economic problems in the country today. The pattern of control that abusive partners use to manipulate their victims is a growing problem that permeates silently through neighborhoods and communities close to home. Children exposed to domestic violence may experience a wide variety of stressors which can affect their social, emotional and behavioral health. During 2010, Mercer County reported 2,923 domestic violence offenses, including 2 homicides. Children were involved or present during 31%, or 906, of these offenses. A child is 10 to 17 times more likely than a child in a non-violent home to encounter serious emotional and behavioral problems if they have witnessed domestic violence. The money granted to us for the children’s program will go to providing the critical services needed to pursue a happy and healthy lifestyle for all the children Womanspace comes in contact with. Thank you again to Blackrock, Schieffelin Trust, and Trenton Thunder for their very generous grants.

Womanspace is pleased to be the recipient of a $7,500 grant from The Vahlsing Foundation. We’re especially enthusiastic about this grant because they’re a new donor to Womanspace. The Vahlsing Foundation Inc. is a Human Service Organization located in New Egypt, New Jersey. This grant money will go towards installing a new Air Conditioning system at our Transitional Housing location known as Barbara’s House. The primary focus of the Transitional Housing Assistance Program is to provide aid to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking, particularly those who are homeless or in need of transitional housing and supportive services. Our transitional program addresses emotional needs, financial stability, resolution of legal concerns, and child care options. The program also focuses on educational goals or job readiness skills as the women work towards self sufficiency. During those blazing hot summer months, this air conditioning system will go to good use. Thank you to the Vahlsing Foundation for choosing Womanspace to be the recipient of this $7,500 grant.

Thank you to the Lawrence Township Community Foundation for the $1,000 grant for new computers in the Womanspace Counseling office. The goal of the counseling office is to provide support and resources that help clients and their families determine what their best options are to live a life free of violence. Ongoing support and help to navigate these turbulent times are often necessary, and victims and survivors can utilize all of the services offered by Womanspace’s counseling office through individual and group counseling. The new computers will help our counselors provide the best service possible to their clients. Thank you again Lawrence Township Community Foundation.