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Dear Veda A Cavitt,

As we recognize Veterans Day today, I'd like to address a question I get asked time and time again: "What does Wreaths Across America do for living Veterans?"

It's a great question, with many answers. 

In remembrance of their brothers and sisters in arms who paid the ultimate sacrifice, we place wreaths on their headstones and say their names out loud so they will never be forgotten. 

We honor them with local events throughout the year, and with awareness programs in communities across the country. 

Through our fundraising program, we help raise funds for their own local veteran programs. Since 2007, Wreaths Across America has given back more than $13 million to local groups through this fundraising structure. 

And perhaps most notably, we tell their stories so that the memory of their heroic actions will live on with future generations. Our Mobile Education Exhibit brings local communities and our military together with education, stories, and interactive connections.

How will you honor the service members in your life this Veterans Day Veda A Cavitt?  This month, I encourage you to Remember, Honor, and Teach in your community. 

  • Talk to loved ones and family members about the veterans in your community and what it truly means to be a veteran. 

  • Support fundraising for a community or civic group in your community. Find a Sponsorship Group to support.

  • Volunteer to honor veterans at a location convenient for you. Find a location near you.

  • Or consider one of the options below to easily sponsor a veteran's wreath for placement on National Wreaths Across America Day, Saturday, December 19.

STAND UP AND SPEAK OUT

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#1Thing, One Movement:

Working Together Towards Collective Liberation

By Casey Keene, National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV)

Division is a tool of oppression. The remedy is collaboration.

Advocates across social justice movements have long known the power of solidarity. However, often the very institutions that sustain us also perpetuate a system of divisiveness and competition among organizations whose goals and values intersect, and between movements searching for voice and visibility. It takes humility and courage to prioritize collective action over individual agendas, and to step back to make space for others, which are necessary shifts in order to achieve true social transformation.

“Transformative movements recognize that we are whole people, our communities are whole, and because the issues and problems are interconnected our systemic solutions and movements must be as well.” - The Practices of Transformative Movements, Movement Strategy Center, 2016

The VAWnet TA Question of the Month for October, How can movement building support our efforts for social change and collective thriving?, explores the Idaho Coalition’s journey to engage in multi-generational movement building work in order to actualize “beloved communities with social equity and collective liberation.” They describe this work as “building a bigger we,” which includes intentional efforts to build authentic relationships with leaders and organizations connected to and rooted in historically marginalized communities.

Similarly, NRCDV’s CEO, Farzana Safiullah, has articulated a clear and bold vision for moving our transformative work forward. Among other priorities in service to this charge, she has emphasized proactive efforts to deepen NRCDV’s commitment to racial justice, to cultivate authentic relationships with community leaders and movements, to invest in stronger connections with community-driven social change efforts, and to engage diverse voices to create healthy relationships and beloved communities.

In May 2018, the Global Fund for Women engaged researchers, advocates, and philanthropists in a conversation that identified the following broad-based movement trends (Investing in Social Movements, Global Fund for Women, 2018):

 •  “There are new forms of solidarity across issues, sectors, and geographies. We are seeing social justice organizations linking up and bridging issues, such as environmental justice with land rights or domestic worker rights with migrant worker rights—bringing together movements advancing racial, gender, social, and political justice. By seeking commonalities and overlapping goals, our collective impact is more inclusive, effective, and sustainable.”
 •  “There are interesting new forms of transnational activism both online and offline, such as #NiUnaMenos, #Neveragain, and #MeToo. These movements are led by women who have been historically left out of the conversation. They are bringing the marginalized to the center, crossing borders, and allowing online organizing of major protests that bring thousands together in person.”
•  “Intersectionality is being recognized as a critical component of social movements. Audre Lorde understood that we must acknowledge the various ways that discrimination intersect and the commonalities across our organizing when she said, ‘There is no thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single issue lives.’”

Now is the time. We must act together.

“#1Thing is about harnessing the momentum of our movements – especially at their critical points of intersection – by calling people to specific and direct collective action that are informed by the communities most directly impacted.” – Awareness + Action = Social Change: What’s Your #1Thing?, 2018

This October, the Domestic Violence Awareness Project has chosen the theme, #1Thing, One Movement, challenging each of us to identify new ways to move forward together toward our common vision.

What are some concrete ways that you can “build a bigger we” during Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Beyond?

Applications will be accepted between February 1st and March 31st

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Scholarship awards are between $250 and $1500 each

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Only complete applications will be considered for scholarships and must be submitted to ThePortiaSouthernFoundation@gmail.com Only.

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Offer or Denial notifications will be sent out at the beginning of April and awarded Scholarships will be presented at the end of April.

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If you have any questions, please contact us at ThePortiaSouthernFoundation@gmail.com

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Domestic and Sexual Violence Fact Sheet

 

Incidence, Prevalence, and Severity Domestic violence and sexual assault are pervasive, life-threatening crimes affecting millions of individuals across our nation regardless of age, gender, economic status, race, religion, or education level. ï‚« More than 1 in 3 women have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime.i ï‚« Nearly 8 million women are raped, physically assaulted, and/or stalked by a current or former intimate partner each year.ii ï‚« 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men have experienced rape in her or his lifetime.iii ï‚« Nationwide, an average of 3 women are killed by a current or former intimate partner every day.iv ï‚« Survivors of color and immigrant survivors face increased barriers to accessing safety and services. A 2019 survey found that 3 out of 4 advocates reported that immigrant survivors fear accessing legal services related to their abuser.v

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