Powerful Beyond Measure

            Empowering Ourselves.   Protecting our Communities.

Take Action!

Many survivors want to help others but can feel overwhelmed or at a loss of how to help end abuse.  Here's a list of things you can to help end abuse.

1. Heal Yourself - The most important thing you can do to help others who've been abused is to become an example of what is possible.  When you heal yourself you become a role model to other survivors and a source of inspiration when they are experiencing pitfalls or periods of doubt.  You show other survivors and the world that people aren't ruined forever by abuse.  You become a symbol of courage and strength and transformation for all.
   
   Not only are you a guiding light to other survivors, but everything you do ripples outward and affects everyone you come in contact with.  As David Deida writes: "Your posture can shine your heart or transmit anxiety.  Your breath can radiate love or muddy the room in depression.  Your glance can awaken joy.  Your words can inspire freedom.  Your every act can open hearts and minds."  You have that power and potential within you.  The single (but not so simple) act of healing yourself will have a powerfully healing effect on the people around you, your community and the world.
    
2. Tell your Story - Telling your story of abuse and healing reaffirms to other survivors that they are not alone and that their feelings, fears and circumstances are not weird, bad or wrong.  Also, the more we tell our stories and talk about abuse, the more abuse and healing come out of whispered conversations and into the awareness of our communities.  Even though abuse is talked about more today than it ever has been before, many people still live with the idea that it couldn't happen in their family or it couldn't happen to any person they know.  The more we realize as a collective society that abuse can and does happen in every type of family and to any type of person, the more watchful people will be to each other, the protective of children and the more support survivors will feel as a whole. 
   
   Please take this step at a pace that is comfortable to you.  Do not feel rushed or pressured into telling your story when you are not ready or tell someone you are not ready to tell.  Trust your instincts.  When you are ready to talk about your experiences, you can share them with people you know, find an organization in your area that needs survivors to tell their stories, or post it on survivor websites.  The more you feel comfortable sharing your truth with others, the easier it will be to become comfortable with who you are.
    
3. Volunteer -  There are a lot of non-profit organizations that are doing great work for child abuse, rape and domestic violence.  Many are in need of volunteers.  Before you contact any of them, decide what you feel comfortable doing and what you would not feel comfortable doing.  Would you feel comfortable doing any of the following work:

• Administrative work

• Answering a crisis hotline

• Stuffing envelopes

• Fundraising (door to door, at events, etc...)

• Event organizing

• Volunteer recruiting

• Proving support during court appearances

• Providing hospital support

• Calling people for donations

• Letter writing

• Teaching a class

• Providing day care to children

After you've decided what you'd like to do, you can find an organization by looking in your local yellow pages under 'organizations' or 'associations'.  Volunteering can be very healing for many survivors.  It can help heal our wounds by giving someone else the very thing we needed and did not receive.

4. Donate - Just as many of the non-profit organizations need volunteers, they need money as well.  For some people, donating doesn't feel as  personal as volunteering, but all donations are strongly appreciated by both the organizations and those who receive their help.  Some organizations will let you know what your donation helped purchase or provide. 
    
5. Write to your representatives -  When issues of children's rights or women and children's safety come before Congress and the Senate we will post the information here along with a sample letter that you can forward to your representatives (you can modify the letter or send your own).  

Thank you for wanting to help survivors of child abuse, rape and domestic violence.  Every action you action, no matter how small it may feel, has a powerful impact on the world.   

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