2 minute read
SISTAH Teen Mentoring Initiative
Turning Dreams Into Reality
Karen has worked hard to defy the odds that seem to hover over her life, family and home. She was determined to be the first person in her family to go to college, but was struggling with her high school classes. She lacked the guidance, motivation and support from her family that so many children receive during their adolescent years.
Fortunately, one of Karen's teachers recommended the Dreams Realized through Education and Mentoring (DREAM) program at Vista Maria. It was at her first DREAM session that Karen met Lisa, a DREAM mentor. Lisa tutored Karen and helped with her homework. They talked about normal teen issues like boys, friends, what Karen wanted to study when she went to college, and her future aspirations. Karen finally had the life support and motivation she needed to overcome the odds.
Karen is a shining example of how Vista Maria's Village of Hope programs are helping at-risk youth overcome barriers to their future success. When complete, the Village of Hope initiative will allow Vista Maria to expand essential programs and services to hundreds more at-risk children and families from our surrounding communities each year. Programs, like DREAM, provide youth with a foundation of support that carries them into adulthood. With essential programs and supportive services firmly in place, the cycle of poverty, that so many of our children are trapped in, will finally be broken.
Girls discover that they have value and that life has worth. Vista Maria becomes a place where girls can take their greatest fears and turn them into their greatest strengths.
FACT: Girls ages 12 to 24 are at the greatest risk for experiencing a sexual assault (U.S. Department of Justice 2001)
Additional Statistics:
20% of high school girls ages 14-18 report being hit, slapped, shoved or forced into sexual activity by a dating partner (Journal of the American Medical Association, 2001). According to recent studies, violence against girls is a serious concern as it now affects 1 in 3 girls in the United
States. The violence can in the form of physical, sexual, or verbal abuse. For girls, their perpetrator is more likely to be someone they know, feel close to or even love, including a boyfriend or family member. Girls aged 16 to 19 are four times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault (National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) designed by the U.S. Department of Justice (2000). The National College Women Sexual Victimization Study estimated that between 1 in 4 and 1 in 5 college women experience completed or attempted rape during their college years (Fisher 2000).
RESOURCES Therapists and Hotlines:
Laura Sanders, LS, LMSW, ACSW, Trauma Therapist
http://laura-sanders.com/therapy or contact the office at 734-662-3509 Parenting Matters, 800-531-5151 National Sexual Assault Hotline, (800) 656-HOPE
Additional Resources:
Center for Disease Control, Sexual Assault Information
http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/sexualviolence/together/index.html
Prevent-abuse-now.com
http://www.prevent-abuse-now.com
State of Michigan, Dating Violence Facts
http://www.michigan.gov/datingviolence/0,1607,7-233-46553-169367--,00.html
State of Michigan, Dating Violence Brochure
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdch/Dating_Violence_brochure_2_175591_7.pdf
State of Michigan, Safe Dating Information
http://www.michigan.gov/som/0,1607,7-192-29941_30586_240-2893--,00.html
Date Safe Project
http://www.datesafeproject.org
