Month: February 2013

Michaela Quimby’s Bio

Posted on February 26, 2013 by - BF NEWS, Uncategorized

My name is Michaela Quimby and I am a junior at Westfield State University in Westfield, MA. I am interning at Becky’s Fund from February to May. I grew up in a small suburb about 20 minutes north of Boston. My town is the kind of place where “everyone knows everyone” so living in DC is a huge change of pace compared to small-town New England.
I grew up in a home where I was taught to always be patient with people because you never know the demons they are dealing with. My older brother is autistic. He looks the same as you and I but his mannerisms may seem peculiar to someone who is not familiar with his disability. My mother has raised me to be understanding of all people because we all come from different places and we all have different problems. Her lessons are the reason why I want to go to college to help those who cannot help them self.
My career goal is to be a counseling psychologist specializing in post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The military faces two major challenges in relation to PTSD and domestic violence. The first being that PTSD is a taboo subject many veterans do not want to talk about. They sweep their problems under the rug and take them home with them. Often anger is taken out on their loved ones and leaves a family in pieces. The second issue relating the two is sexual assault within the military. Every day women are sexually abused in the military yet the government continues to ignore this crisis. Many people do not know that there are actually more women suffering from PTSD in The United States due to rape than veterans returning from combat. It is time to remove the stigma of counseling and help these men and women.
While I am interning here at Becky’s Fund I hope to focus on the issue of families facing PTSD at home. I want to learn more about how we can help those dealing with PTSD at home with their loved ones. What programs can we offer them? What support systems are necessary? What therapy works best? Is only one type of therapy effective or can we individualize it? PTSD is not a new disorder but the effects are finally coming to surface. I hope with Becky’s Fund I can help end this crisis.

Its time for a REVOLUTION, join the ONE BILLION!

Posted on February 12, 2013 by - BF NEWS, Uncategorized

V-Day is a global activist movement to end violence against women and girls. V-Day is a catalyst that promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money, and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations. V-Day generates broader attention for the fight to stop violence against women and girls, including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation (FGM), and sex slavery. This year they will be hosting their V-Day’s 15 Anniversary, by hosting a world wide stand against domestic violence “ONE BILLION RISING”.

One in every three women on the planet, will be beaten or raped in her lifetime. That accounts for ONE BILLION women today, including mothers, daughters, sisters, partners, and friends being violated. V-Day refuses to stand by as more than a billion women experience violence.

On February 14th, 2013, V-Day’s 15 Anniversary, we are inviting one billion women and those who love them to walk out,  DANCE, RISE UP, AND DEMAND an end to this violence. One Billion Rising is a promise that we will rise up with women and men worldwide to say, “Enough! The violence ends now.”

HERE’S HOW YOU CAN START A RISING – Stage a rising in your community, office, college, or school. Organize a flash mob at a landmark building/site, in the streets or in a nearby mall. Have a dance party, produce a theatrical event, march in your streets, protest, strike, dance and above all RISE!

If you are in the DC area there will be a rising taking place at Farragut Square. One Billion Rising DC- FLASHMOB! (Start a Rising). The DC Commission for Women has joined the National Council of Women’s Organizations to celebrate ‘One Billion Rising DC’ with a FLASHMOB dance to kick-off the rally and dance party!…  Join us as we RISE UP in opposition to gender-based violence, dance and celebrate in defiance of its oppressive impact, and show our collective strength.  To dance in the flashmob, sign up on this site then go to women.dc.gov for  a link to the instructional video.  Show up at the stage in Farragut Square at 11:30am on Valentine’s Day for a quick practice and a free t-shirt… then dance and enjoy the event! For more information on the flashmob, send us an email at women@dc.gov or call us at (202) 724-7690. For more information on the rally and dance party, visit facebook.com/DCrising214.

ONE BILLION RISING will move the earth, activating women and men across every country. V-Day wants the world to see our collective strength, our numbers, our solidarity across borders. What does ONE BILLION look like? On 14 February 2013, it will look like a REVOLUTION.

Sungeun(Sonya) Heo Bio

Posted on February 12, 2013 by - BF NEWS, Uncategorized

I am Sungeun Heo, a junior Political Science major. Please call me Sonya rather than Sung, it is not my name and it sounds like a common boy’s name. Also, I am offended when people call me ‘Sung’, still I do not correct people when they call me that, especially when I meet them for the first time because I am shy. My shyness and silence  leads people to believe that I am not interested in them or what they are saying. The truth is, I am very interested and I am thinking about the people around me almost all the time. It doesn’t help, that my facial expressions are slow to interpret my thoughts; this is why I prefer to write down my opinions and feelings.

I am from Seoul, South Korea. Some people try to relate my personality to my hometown culture which incorrect because many people from Seoul are very social. I should practice interacting with people more. It has only been a week since I arrived in D.C. but I think that Washington D.C. people and Seoul people are a lot alike. We tend to take ourselves very seriously, we have specific goals, and we tend to protect our boundaries more. I presume our similarities have to do with the environment of the big city surrounding us. I am currently attending Ohio Northern University situated in the small, country-side town of Ada, Ohio. My undergraduate major  is Political Science which is not given the same amount of importance as other majors on my campus. I appreciate the supportive faculty and staff of my department

Like my university’s faculty and staff, I’d love to support others; I am very interested in helping victims of domestic violence because I understand their concerns. They want to fight against those who victimize them, but they feel too weak and afraid to stand up to the one the once loved. Furthermore, victims sometimes forget they have the right to be loved and cared for, instead they blame themselves. I understand that it not only affecting the present time of a whole family but also the future of a family; because the family is the basic society in one’s life. This is why I want to help victims and ultimately myself. When I help others stand up for them self I also gain confidence and energy to stand up for myself.  I think that legally supporting victims is the secure way to protect them. Also, many lack the knowledge to defend themselves in court, I hope to help them in that area as well. This is why I was attracted to the organization Becky’s Fund, because it supports people in legal realm. Another attraction is the many active events, such as workshops and activities which I would like to take part in so I can bring myself interactive and social.

Edwin Guevara’s Bio

Posted on February 12, 2013 by - BF NEWS, Uncategorized

Hello My Name is Edwin Guevara I am a 23 year old DC resident. I recently graduated from Montgomery College where I received an associates degree in general studies. I plan to attend a 4 year institution in the upcoming fall semester where I will being studying Criminal Justice and Criminology. During my free time I practice Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and relax by watching european football.

I currently intern at Becky’s Fund because it was something that very much hit home, having had prior experience with domestic violence and seeing many of my peer being affected by it I really felt that it was something I wanted to be part of. I saw that there was a need to get more involved and to educate individuals (especially young men), in our community about issues like domestic violence and women’s rights. I hope to build a long term relationship with this organization and hope to help it flourish and grow while making an impact on our community. In the upcoming months I will be coordinating various events including a panel discussion, a youtube contest, various fundraisers and a young mens summer workshop, all in an effort to spread knowledge of domestic violence and to teach young men to not only respect women but also teach their peers.

I am also an intern at Voto Latino, where I have learned a lot about working in an office setting, social media and organizing large scale events. I recently helped put together an event in celebration of the recent inauguration ceremony. I am currently working on two campaigns one being “Im ready” for immigration reform and the other being our “power submit” where we train our future leaders and advocates. Prior to joining Voto Latino I was never very politically active, but now I feel like a whole new world of possibilities has been opened to me.

Due to recent experiences I think it is safe to say that I really want to work in the non profit sector for years to come. I have learned a lot about my community from a local and national standpoint and I have also learned a lot about my self in the process. While I would love to keep doing this forever, I understand the need for more education and plan to attend a four year institution in the upcoming year, afterwards I hope to attend graduate school and get my masters in urban development.

Anna Battaglia’s Bio

Posted on February 12, 2013 by - BF NEWS, Uncategorized

My name is Anna Battaglia and I am a senior at George Washington University. I am a Women’s Studies major with a double minor in Sociology and Italian Literature and Language. I was born in Pittsburgh, but for the past eight years I have been living in Rome, Italy. I am a dual citizen and can speak Italian fluently.

For me, the issue of domestic and dating violence is one of the most important of our day. I also think that the most effective tool for creating any sort of change begins with education. By educating our youth, it possible to end a generation of violence and promote a future free from violence. That is why I am excited to get to be interning here at Becky’s Fund and being an active participant in educating youth and breaking the cycle of domestic violence.

Tiffany Gambill Bio

Posted on February 12, 2013 by - BF NEWS, Uncategorized

Hi! My name is Tiffany Gambill, I am bubbly, outgoing and super optimistic! I am getting over a cold so that throws me off my game. I am quiet at first, but once I get to know you my true colors will show. Speaking of True Colors, I am pretty awesome orange. In my group at TWC the orange group had to decide what it means to be orange, I instantly shouted out, “YOLO!” You only live once. I try to live life to the fullest; we never know how much time we have. I can make friends with a rock and I can cheer anyone up through humor. Laughing is a priority, it is great, it makes you feel amazing, it makes people more open appearing, everyone can laugh no matter the background, it can help you overcome a tough time and it also is a workout on your abs, not really but I like to think so. Music is another top priority of mine, it can lead everyone to laughter and it just gets people out of their environment and puts them in their own little amazing world, at least for me. It helps me think, I know it sounds weird, but in complete silence I hear everything and I am worried I may make the wrong noise, so music is my white noise that just makes my day better.

I am from Massachusetts, a town called Bridgewater it is southeast; I hate cold so winters in New England are never fun. I grew up camping down in Cape Cod for the summer, you have to visit Cape Cod, and it is beautiful, when it is not raining. I lived in Bridgewater but I attended a private catholic high school in Taunton, MA, called Coyle & Cassidy. I moved to Dartmouth, MA for college when I was 18. I went to the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, they raved of the handicap accessibility, and I soon found out that they lied completely. But I didn’t want to transfer because I joined a sorority Phi Sigma Sigma, the love and support from these ladies was one of a kind and I don’t think I could find that if I transferred. My best friend in my sorority lives in Arlington, so now we live a metro ride away, it’s great. I know this will sound bizarre but I often forget I am “disabled” and I realized it when I mentioned lack of accessibility, so I have Friechreich’s Ataxia (FA), it’s a muscle disorder, it’s not a fun thing to have but it is what it is, it has made me the person I am today.

So in college I was a women studies major, because I wanted to help end Human Trafficking internationally. Then I had a thought, that my wheelchair would not be able to tackle the lack of accessibility internationally. When I graduated I took a Domestic Violence training through D.O.V.E., mainly, because they had a night on Human Trafficking. After the first few meetings, I became much more devoted to the issue of DV. When the trafficking night came, they informed us that many human trafficking cases are DV cases. The training helped me realize DV has every issue that I am passionate to help ending. I took another DV and sexual assault training class, which led me to want to volunteer to be a SANE medical advocate. By the time I was done with the training, I was getting ready to come here so I did not participate in the SANE program. DC is perfect for many human rights and social work issues, so in this economy where I need experience to help find a job, I thought what better way than to get DV experience in DC! And here I am.