August 2024 Newsletter
PurpleOne tops 1,000 trainees in Erie County
PurpleOne, Safe Journey’s domestic violence and bystander awareness program, is uniting our communities against domestic violence. PurpleOne’s 4-hour training educates individuals to recognize and respond to domestic violence, to refer survivors to Safe Journey’s free and confidential services, and to safely act as prosocial bystanders. Since launching in 2019, more than 1,000 people in Erie County have been trained. About 80 county locations have been approved as Safe Places for Domestic Violence Victims, where survivors can discreetly obtain information about Safe Journey’s services and be referred to the agency. PurpleOne trainings will be held virtually via Zoom on Thursday, Aug. 8, and Thursday, Nov. 7, from 8 a.m. to noon. There is still time to register for a training, or to locate a Safe Place, visit purpleone.org.
Medical Advocacy Program educates health-care community, students
Health-care professionals and medical students in Erie County are learning more about how to best serve domestic violence survivors thanks to Safe Journey’s Medical Advocacy Program.
The MAP team educates health-care providers and students about DV with the goal of improving medical care for domestic violence survivors.
Team members visit medical offices, mental health providers and hospitals; offer information at health fairs and community events; and make presentations to students at PennWest Edinboro, the Erie Institute of Technology, trade schools, and other locations.
Advocates teach individuals how to recognize and respond safely to domestic violence, and how to refer survivors to Safe Journey’s free services. In addition to face-to-face interaction, MAP stays in regular contact with the medical world through a monthly newsletter and by sending about emails to 150 professionals each month.
Your Erie Gives donation supports survivors
Over the past 10 years, Safe Journey has provided free services for an average of 550 people annually. During the past year, however, Safe Journey served 750 people, the greatest yearly number in its 46- year history. Numbers are increasing, and so is the cost of providing services. Your donation to Safe Journey helps ensure that survivors continue to receive the life-saving services they need to escape violent relationships. Donations of any size are gratefully accepted. To donate, visit mysafejourney.org and follow the prompts on the “Donate” dropdown menu. To contact Fundraising Development Coordinator Scott DeBruycker, call Safe Journey at (814) 438-2675 or email scottd@mysafejourney.org. Erie Gives is August 13th. Go to eriegives.org and donate to Safe Journey.
Have a Ball on Oct. 19
Save the date! Safe Journey will host its third Masquerade Ball Saturday, Oct. 19, at Enchanted Beginnings, 18700 Conelway Road, Corry. Titled “Unmasking the Faces of Domestic Violence,” this elegant event will honor survivors and unite the community in standing together against domestic violence. There will be dinner, dancing, and a gifts auction. Attendees are encouraged (but not required) to wear finery fit for a ball. Purple, which symbolizes domestic violence awareness, will be the color of the day. Stay tuned for further details.
MORE THAN A SHELTER Safe Journey provides shelter, if needed, but we offer so much more. Our free, confidential services include group and individual counseling for children and adults, daily support groups, a 24/7 hotline, help with protection orders, transportation to court hearings and appointments, prevention programs in local schools, and help with parenting. Help is a phone call away: (814) 438-2675.
PREVENTION PROGRAMMING
A new school year is approaching. Educating young people about domestic violence and providing trauma-informed care for young survivors is vital if we are going to eliminate domestic violence.
Safe Journey’s prevention team provides age-appropriate programming and activities for students in local schools. Last year, counselor advocates also provided one-on-one counseling for more than 40 students in four local school districts, a considerable increase compared with past numbers.
The team recently met with guidance counselors representing rural Erie County’s 11 school districts, with the long-range goal of offering programming in each those districts.
Also, Safe Journey is developing Orange Circles, an innovative domestic and teen dating violence awareness initiative. Orange Circles programs will educate the community about domestic and dating violence and teach individuals to safely act as prosocial bystanders. For information about teen dating violence, visit safedatesmatter.org.
