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Volume 5, Issue 3 April 12, 2013
New Beginnings
January to March 2013 Statistics
 STSM staff and volunteers accompanied 93 primary survivors of sexual assault and abuse at the hospital (35 under the age of 17).   STSM staff and volunteers answered 125 hotline calls. STSM staff held 430 individual counseling and crisis intervention sessions.
STAFF
Genevieve N. Waller, Esq. Executive Director Tammy Szymanski Office Manager Sherry Lewis, LPC Director of Therapy and Outreach Melanie Snipes, LMSW Director of Crisis Services Kayce Singletary, MSW, MPH Community Education Director Elizabeth Wolfe Development Coordinator Sarah Moran Nevarez Volunteer Services Coordinator Zoe McDowell Sexual Assault Services Coordinator Amy Meldau, LMSW Advocate Counselor Janet Rodriguez, MSW Bilingual Victim Advocate Kyra Hufford, LPC/I Group Services Coordinator Alexis Stratton Prevention Education Coordinator Megan Monts Abuse in Later Life Coordinator Sarah Collins Community Advocate & Prevention Specialist (Sumter)
Fourth Quarter Trainings & Events
April 18 4th Annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center April 20 Women’s Self-Defense Class Eastminster Presbyterian Church April 24 National Denim Day May 9 Abuse in Later Life: Cross-Training for Victim Service Providers Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites, West Columbia May 13 9th Annual “Tee It Up for STSM” Golf Tournament Golden Hills Golf & Country Club, Lexington May 17-19 Volunteer Group Facilitator Training (gsc@stsm.org to register) June 1-6 Volunteer Advocate Training (vsc@stsm.org to register) June 11 Rotary Club of the Vista Night Wine Tasting & Silent Auction Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center
STSM supports survivors in recovery from the trauma associated with sexual assault and abuse and educates the community to identify and prevent sexual violence.
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Board Member of the Quarter Wendy Fuess
Wendy N. Fuess, CEBS Fellow, is Senior Vice President and Employee Benefits Team Practice Leader for Wells Fargo Insurance Services. She has been involved in leadership positions in human resources and employee benefits for more than 25 years. A New Jersey native, Wendy received her BA at Rutgers University. She attended graduate school at The Ohio State University on a full scholarship, receiving dual Master’s degrees in social work and public administration with an emphasis in healthcare. Wendy moved to the Columbia area seven years ago. She is a graduate of Leadership Columbia, currently serving on their Alumni Association Board, and is the Community Services Director for the Rotary Club of Spring Valley. As a member of STSM’s Resource Development Committee, she has worked tirelessly to ensure the success of recent fundraising campaigns and events. “Wendy has devoted tremendous energy to the agency in every aspect. In particular, she was a big part of our preparation for the Rotary Club of the Vista Night Wine Tasting/Silent Auction last June. She has a challenging schedule, but still makes every effort to be a part of meetings and other affairs. She is very deserving of this recognition.” Jason Bradley, President, STSM Board of Directors
2012-2013 STSM Board of Directors Jason Bradley, BCBS of SC President Jay Hamm, Palmetto Health Vice President Guy Bradley, SCANA Corp. Secretary/Treasurer Kristian Cross, Collins & Lacy At Large Sheryl McAlister, Consultant At Large Leon Bullard, Lexington Medical Center Emily Donaldson, BCBS of SC Wendy Fuess, Wells Fargo Thomas A. McDermott, Office of the Attorney General Dee Moise, Davis Moise CPA
Volunteer of the Quarter Jamie Baker
Jamie Baker began volunteering with STSM in May 2012. She is on call 48 or more hours each month and, in less than a year, has contributed more than 50 hours of direct service in hospital accompaniment and hotline calls. Jamie also volunteers to respond to calls when she is available but not on call to respond. In addition to her work as an advocate, Jamie has participated in volunteer training and in public events to educate the community about STSM and our services. A student at Columbia International University, she was recently accepted to Clemson University’s Clinical Mental Health graduate program. Jamie coaches soccer in daycares and is getting married in July. “When Jamie advocates for survivors, her calm, nonjudgmental demeanor makes it easy for her to develop excellent rapport with them.” - Sarah Moran Nevarez, STSM Volunteer Services Coordinator
9th Annual Tee It Up for STSM Golf Tournament
When: Monday, May 13 Where: Golden Hills Golf & Country Club, Lexington, SC What: STSM’s largest fundraiser will feature some 120 golfers from around the country. More info: Elizabeth Wolfe, dc@stsm.org
Golfers enjoyed homemade cupcakes last year (with teal ribbons for SAAM).
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STSM supports survivors in recovery from the trauma associated with sexual assault and abuse and educates the community to identify and prevent sexual violence.
Prevention Spotlight: The Consent is Sexy Campaign
Following the highly publicized rape case in Steubenville, Ohio, many people have been discussing what “consent” really means and how it is or isn’t given. If you are drunk, are you to blame for what happens to you? According to legal standards, and as we saw in the Steubenville case, if you are intoxicated, unconscious, asleep, or helpless in any other way, you cannot give consent. And, as STSM’s Consent is Sexy campaign puts it, sex without consent is rape. The Consent is Sexy campaign educates young adults about what consent means, why it’s important, and how it can be sexy. For consent to happen, all parties involved have to agree to have sex. It is important for those involved to be clear about what they are agreeing to, at every step of the way. Working with volunteers from the University of South Carolina, STSM’s education staff conducts this public education campaign to promote awareness among adults under age 30, who make up approximately 80% of sexual assaults. From restaurants and bars in Five Points to USC baseball games, we are distributing Consent is Sexy flyers and other information to help spark important conversations about what consent is – and what it is not. Though we launch the campaign each April during Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), this lesson applies every day of the year. Join us in speaking out and teaching more young people what consent is and why it matters. For more information on the campaign and other prevention initiatives, contact Alexis Stratton at pec@stsm.org. Check out our SAAM blog series at www.stsm.org/blogs/stsm. STSM’s Amy Meldau (in red) attended the Creating Change conference in Atlanta and helped lead a workshop entitled, “Interpersonal Violence (IPV) Programs for LGBTQ-H Communities: Increasing Services in the Pacific Northwest & Stretching the Dollar to Build in the South.”
The talented cast and crew of The Vagina Monologues at USC raised $6,800 for STSM with three performances, a silent auction, and donations.
STSM Opens First Sumter Office
In 2011 STSM expanded advocacy services to survivors in Sumter County for the first time, partnering with Tuomey Hospital to train medical personnel and volunteers to be first responders to sexual assault cases. The arrangement was on a temporary basis, but in August 2012 our Board approved permanently adopting the county and hiring a full-time staff member to open STSM’s first satellite office. Sarah Collins, a Sumter native and recent graduate of Columbia International University, joined the agency in January and will be based in the town of Sumter starting this summer. A diverse county with both rural and urban characteristics, Sumter is a melting pot of families with generations of roots planted in the community, as well as citizens who call it home during their assignment at Shaw Air Force Base. The services STSM provides, including hospital accompaniment, follow-up counseling, and community education and awareness, must be easily accessible to all. In the coming year, STSM will begin providing education in middle and high schools, recruiting local volunteer advocates, and – perhaps most importantly – building community relationships so that together we can achieve our mission of preventing violence and helping survivors heal. For more information on our Sumter expansion, contact Sarah Collins at caps@stsm.org.
Community Advocate and Prevention Specialist Sarah Collins, left, will staff our new Sumter office. Ginny Waller met with Rep. David Weeks, right, of Sumter during SCCADVASA’s Legislative Action Day in February.
Ginny Waller received the 2013 Award for Nonprofit Leadership from the SC Association of Nonprofit Organizations (SCANPO).
WIS TV’s Taylor Kearns visited our office in Feb. to discuss possible impacts of sequestration.
STSM supports survivors in recovery from the trauma associated with sexual assault and abuse and educates the community to identify and prevent sexual violence.
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WE GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE FOLLOWING DONORS
*WALK A MILE SPONSOR
OUR DONORS
**GOLF TOURNAMENT SPONSOR
WHO CONTRIBUTED FROM JANUARY TO MARCH 2013.
CORPORATE PARTNERS___ $100 TO $499_________________ Nickelodeon Theatre
BlueCross BlueShield of SC Lexington Medical Center Palmetto Health* Stuart Andrews* Heyward Bannister Gloria Bell Gerardo Botello Brabham Fence Company* James Bradley SYSTEMTEC, Inc.** Cheryl & Leon Bullard DJ Carson George Cauthen* Duane Cooper Michael Couick Kristian Cross Cyberwoven Community Impact Fund Kirkman Finlay III* Otis Taylor Virginia & George Postic Allison Skipper Rush Smith* Melanie & Thomas Snipes Alexis Stratton
Stefanie Caraviello Leslie Clamp Pamela Dukes Elizabeth Dworjanyn Epsilon Sigma Alpha Service Sorority Linda Giddings Jack Griffeth Lisa Harmyk
MONTHLY DONORS_______
Debbie Billings & James Thrasher Jamie Early Mary Audrey Finazzo Shirley Kuiper Laura Lopez Alexis Stratton
$1,000 AND ABOVE_________
Jimmy & Patti Addison CDW** CHAMPS Software, Inc.** Eastminster Presbyterian Church Gregory Electric Company, Inc.*
The University of South Carolina School Alyssa Hasell of Law Pro Bono Program Matthew Melton The Vein Clinic* Claude Prevost Meghan Walker Ginny & Ed Waller Elizabeth Wolfe George Wolfe* Rhett Wolfe* Courtney Young & Ike Williams Michelle Zornes-Wells Victoria Randall Donna Rash Jordan Slice Patricia Spires Logan Wells
High Performance Technologies, Inc.** Forest Acres Police Dept.* Newberry County Norima Consulting** Spring Valley Rotary Club St. Martin's in-the-Fields Foundation St. Peter's Catholic Church VMware** Tanya Gee Jaime Harrison Katherine Hix
IN-KIND DONORS________
Ally & Eloise Bakeshop Chick-fil-A Five Points Cupcake Sarah Moran Nevarez Panera Bread Pizza Joint Glenda & Rhett Wolfe
UP TO $99________________
John Kassel Christopher Koon Elaine & Vincent Latten Sheryl McAlister Chimwemwe Munthali Victoria Baker Angela Baney Helen Bradberry Phaedra Branham
$500 TO $999_______________
Box** Jack Case** MobileIron**
Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP* Andrae Bright
Please make a secure online donation to STSM to support survivors of sexual assault and abuse and to help prevent sexual violence in our community, or mail your taxdeductible check to our temporary address: STSM 3710 Landmark Drive, Suite 301 Columbia, SC 29204
Connect with STSM!
(803) 790-8208 www.stsm.org
STSM supports survivors in recovery from the trauma associated with sexual assault and abuse and educates the community to identify and prevent sexual violence.
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