Message From the Executive Director

Dear Friend,

This spring has been a busy and exciting season for us here at Resilience! Last week we finished up the last of our Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) programming and now we are looking forward to our Celebrating Resilience Luncheon on Thursday, May 13.

Despite the challenges of the past year and adjusting to our ever-changing world, there's so much to be grateful for. We hope you've been enjoying all the small things that are slowly but surely bringing moments of "normal" back into our lives. I sincerely hope you and your loved ones have been able to stay safe and healthy this year.

Resilience is excited to share with you all of the plans that we have for this spring and summer. Thank you for your continued support and dedication!

With Gratitude,

Erin Walton
Executive Director
Resilience

Thank you for making SAAM 2021 a success!

We are proud to share that during SAAM, together we:

• Hosted 13 events, attended by 304 people
• Hosted 32 online fundraisers, raised over $18,000 in donations toward our services, and inspired 365 donors to give
• Virtually adapted our two biggest events, Standing Silent Witness and Breaking the Silence Café, for the second time with huge success
• Kept our community close, despite a pandemic

Thank you to our SAAM business partners, Pono Design, Designed Out of Love, Human Up!, The Colour Polka Dot, Raygun, Athleta Lincoln Park, and Engine Group.

On behalf of the entire Resilience community, we would also like to extend a very special thanks to Jean Cozier, a long-time Resilience supporter, who provided us with a $20,000 match to boost our fundraising efforts during SAAM. We are so grateful!

Join us next week for our 2nd Annual Celebrating Resilience Luncheon

We’re thrilled to announce that United States Senator Dick Durbin will provide welcome remarks at our Second Annual Celebrating Resilience Luncheon on May 13, 2021!

Senator Durbin has been a courageous champion and strong supporter for survivors of domestic and sexual violence. We are incredibly honored to include him in our program.

This year’s Luncheon will also feature keynote speaker Julie Smolyansky, President and CEO of Lifeway Foods and co-founder of Test400k, an organization dedicated to ending the backlog of 400,000 untested rape kits in the United States. 

A survivor herself, Julie has been active in the fight against sexual violence since high school. She’s traveled the globe to support other survivors in their struggle for justice; worked with the Obama White House on their “It’s On Us” campaign; and, most recently, was a producer for the documentary “On The Record,” about the abuse allegations against music mogul Russell Simmons. 

Please join us Thursday, May 13 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. for a powerful lunch hour of learning and inspiration!  Individual tickets are available for purchase here.  Are you interested in sponsoring?  Please contact Amy O'Keeffe.

Meet Kayla, Survivor and Former Resilience Client

This year, we’re continuing to celebrate the people who make #OurResilience possible and telling the stories of some of our incredible clients, staff, volunteers, and supporters. 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 Kayla. Kayla is a survivor and Resilience client that has shared her story. 

To support survivors like Kayla, consider making a donation to Resilience. Our services come at no cost to the survivor thanks to generous supporters like you.

Support Resilience's Year End Appeal

"After my assault I felt alone.  Attending a support group allowed me to connect with other survivors and receive the support and validation that I needed to heal.” - Resilience Client

For the last year, there have been two epidemics in the United States, one viral and one cultural, and their impact cannot be understated. Studies say that someone in the U.S. experiences sexual violence every 73 seconds, and COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdowns meant that many survivors were trapped at home with their abusers, escalating the danger and preventing them from accessing the help they need.

But, slowly, we are emerging from the shadow of the pandemic and into a new world with a new, yet-to-be-defined normal, and Resilience needs you to help us get there. The world has changed, and our cultural approach to sexual violence should be changing with it.

Your donations allow us to advocate for survivors, help them heal, and adapt to whatever circumstances we encounter, from providing virtual therapy groups to in-person medical advocacy. With your support, our work to end sexual violence and empower survivors will continue into our new normal, making our world better than it was before. Please help support our mission by making a gift today.

Preventing Sexual Violence in Higher Education Training
May 21, 2021, 10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. via Zoom

This Zoom 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.

Virtual 40 Hour Confidential Advisor Training

June 7, 8, 10, 14, 15, and 17, 2021, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. via Zoom

The Preventing Sexual Violence in Higher Education Act requires that each institution of higher learning have a 40-Hour trained Confidential Advisor available to students. This training will examine sexual assault's impact on students and equips Confidential Advisors with legal and medical options for students in a trauma-informed context. Contact ctindell@ourresilience.org with any questions.  

Virtual 40 Hour Sexual Assault Crisis Intervention Training

July 12, 13, 15, 19, 20, 22, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. via Zoom

Participants obtain foundational knowledge of sexual violence and rape culture and its’ impact on those whom experience this type of victimization. Trainees gain basic crisis intervention skills, explore the neurobiology of trauma and learn how to respond appropriately to disclosures. They also learn about the legal and medical remedies available to survivors and explore how sexual violence impacts unique groups of survivors. The training concludes with an emphasis on vicarious trauma and self-care and empowers trainees with the resources that they may need to share with survivors in their communities.

We're Hiring!

Resilience is looking for new talent to join our ranks in support of survivors of sexual violence. The following positions are currently open:

• Legal & Medical Advocate (Austin)
• Trauma Therapist (Austin)
• Creative Arts Therapy Supervisor
• Bilingual Legal and Medical Advocate (Stroger)

To learn more about careers at Resilience, please click here.  

Internships with Resilience

Resilience is looking for 2021-2022 Academic Year Legal Advocacy and Advocacy Volunteer Management Interns! Please find our internship application and information on our open positions here. The deadline for submissions is May 15, 2021.

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