| Message from the Executive Director Dear Friend, Although February is the shortest month of the year, our calendar is busy here at Resilience. We’re spending February celebrating Black History Month and honoring Black feminists and activists who have fought to end sexual violence throughout history. Arguably, among the most impactful ways we can pay tribute to our past is to be accountable today and to move forward the dreams of those that came before us for equity and inclusion for all. Black women led the earliest waves of activism against sexual violence in America. They spoke truth to power and were amongst our most courageous history makers. Yet today, sexual violence continues to be among the darkest parts of our American culture, happening every 68 seconds and every 9 minutes to a child. If you’ve been looking for a meaningful way to give back, there’s no better time to support survivors of sexual violence. Resilience is actively looking for volunteer medical advocates. Our volunteer medical advocates are the backbone of our advocacy services. They provide crisis intervention counseling, nonjudgmental support, and medical and legal advocacy to survivors of sexual violence and their families or friends. You can learn more about becoming a volunteer medical advocate below. As you will see below, there are many meaningful ways to get involved and engaged with our work – including our first-ever virtual conference! I hope to see you there! Until then, stay safe and warm, and thank you for your continued and generous support. Kind Regards, | | | Erin Walton Executive Director Resilience | | | Meet Michelle D. Morrow, EdD It is more important now more than ever to embrace and celebrate what connects us: our resilience. This month, we're proudly shining a spotlight on Michelle D. Morrow, EdD. Michelle is the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Chair of the Resilience Associate Board. Read our interview with Michelle below. | | | | Associate Board Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Resilience's Associate Board has created a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Charter that outlines a clear and mutually agreeable definition of the DEI council's role, scope, and goals. The Associate Board's committees also use this charter to strategize voting, onboarding, and recruitment processes. It is crucial that the Associate Board works to become as accessible as possible to promote a diverse and equitable membership experience. You can learn more about getting involved in the Resilience Associate Board here. | | | Looking for Volunteer Medical Advocates Resilience is searching for our next training class of volunteer medical advocates. The deadline to apply for our spring 2022 volunteer training is March 30. An orientation session (by invitation only) will be held in April, and the training will take place from April 25 through June 1. To learn more about our volunteer program, click here. | | | Interested in becoming a volunteer medical advocate later this year? We will also be offering a summer training and fall training. Apply today by clicking the button below! | | | | Join us for Resilience's first-ever conference this April Plan to join us this spring for our first-ever virtual conference, Uprooting Power: Cultivating Liberation and a World Without Sexual Violence on Thursday, April 21, and Friday, April 22, 2022. This event seeks to explore how we can shift the paradigm around the anti-violence movement. Registration is now open! Get tickets while early bird pricing is still available. You can learn more about the conference here and register below. | | | | | Work with us! Resilience is hiring Resilience is looking for new talent to join our ranks in support of survivors of sexual violence. The following positions are currently open: To learn more about careers at Resilience, click here. Know someone who might be a good fit? Please send them this email! | | | | | Queer Survivors Support Group – Virtual When: Wednesdays, February 16 – April 20, 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm In this group, sexual violence survivors will connect with other queer survivors of sexual violence in weekly sessions to help participants support each other with difficult experiences, the healing process, and transitions. This group will be facilitated by Erica Hungerford, MS, NCC, and Katie Forrest, MSW. This 10-week support group is open to adult survivors 18+, all genders welcome. No previous experience is needed. This group will be held virtually. Interested participants may contact Katie Forrest at kforrest@ourresilience.org to set up a screening video call. Learn more below. | | | 40-Hour Sexual Assault Crisis Intervention Training – Virtual When: March 7, 8, 10, 14, 15, 17, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Participants will obtain foundational knowledge on sexual violence and rape culture. This training will provide an in-depth examination of how sexual violence impacts individuals, communities, and broader society. LCPC and LCSW CEUs are available. Learn more and register below. | | | Preventing and Responding to Sexual Violence in Higher Education Trainings – Virtual Two upcoming dates: March 25, 2022, 10:00 am - 1:30 pm via Zoom May 27, 2022, 10:00 am – 1:30 pm via Zoom This virtual training is intended for higher education professionals involved in providing student survivor support or responding to student disclosures of sexual or domestic violence. This training will provide an in-depth look at identifying and understanding sexual and intimate partner violence, stalking, and domestic violence. Participants will explore the impact of trauma and trauma responses, as well as legal and medical options for survivors. | | | | Questions about this training or the Resilience Training Institute? Contact Candice Tindell, Training and Outreach Manager at ctindell@ourresilience.org. | | | | | | Resilience 180 N. Michigan Ave. Suite 600 | Chicago, Illinois 60601 312-443-9603 | info@ourresilience.org | | | | | | | | |