Transitioning Times

LUNAFEST®, the fundraising film festival dedicated to promoting awareness about women's issues, highlighting women filmmakers, and bringing women together in their communities, will be hosted by Transitions of PA at The Campus Theatre in Lewisburg on April 25, 2018.    This unique film festival highlights women as leaders in society, illustrated through nine short films by women filmmakers. The films range from animation to fictional drama and cover topics such as women’s health, body image, relationships, cultural diversity, and breaking barriers. All proceeds from LUNAFEST will benefit Transitions of PA and Chicken & Egg Pictures, a nonprofit organization that supports women nonfiction filmmakers whose artful and innovative storytelling catalyzes social change. Thus far, LUNAFEST, which is created and funded by LUNA®, The Whole Nutrition Bar for Women®, has raised more than $3 Million for nonprofit organizations across the US and Canada. The event begins a

Transitions and many other centers in the United States have been working with Verizon for several years.  Verizon has provided centers with cell phones for victim’s of domestic violence through their HopeLine Phone Program. Each cell phone has fifty hours of talk time and three thousand text messages available.  In the middle of February, we were informed the program will be ending on December 31, 2018, because of a decrease in phone donations, and phone trade-ins.  The HopeLine Phone numbers will be disconnected, and the phones will be deactivated. Verizon will still continue to support and create awareness for Domestic Violence victims/survivors. If anyone would like to recycle a cell phone, The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence has a program to recycle up to three phones or electronics at a time to help keep electronics out of the landfill.  Their website is: www.ncadv.org and click on Donate tab. Written By: Alesha L., Group Facilitation Specialist

Dear Mom and Dad: Stopping child sexual abuse before it happens is one of the best responses to child sexual abuse, but it is also one of the most difficult conversations to have with parents.  As a prevention educator, I puzzle over why some parents unwittingly fail their children in regards to taking the necessary measures to protect them from child sexual abuse.  Admittedly, child sexual abuse makes us feel sick inside.  It fills our hearts with dread and our minds with confusion.  It is downright scary to contemplate that one of our friends or trusted family members may be a potential predator.  It is all too easy to tell ourselves that this happens to other people and in other families since nobody in our circles would dream of doing such a thing.  If only this were true.  A father told me last week that he did not want to destroy his first-grader’s innocence.  “Why does she need to know about such things?  I do not want her to be afraid of people.  She is already shy

On March 23, 2013, in Huntingdon County, Hollie Ayer’s estranged husband shot and killed her two-year-old son and then himself.  Hollie had a final protection order against her husband, but it did not require him to turn in his guns.  Last year, 57 Pennsylvanians were shot in domestic violence incidents.  That is over half of all of domestic violence victims who were killed.  People issued final protection from Abuse orders (PFA) from judges should not have access to their guns.  This seems like a pretty clear concept.  However, PA allows this to happen and our legislators have the opportunity to change this. Domestic Violence Victim Services organizations like Transitions are hoping that the PA Senate will make some common sense changes to laws that have long been opposed by the “gun lobby.” Our Senators are considering how to keep victims of abuse and their children safe.  How the process works in Harrisburg and in Washington, D.C., is that the “gun lobby” rates elected officia

Transitions is proud to participate in the First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania’s (FCFP) 6 th Annual Raise the Region®.  This 30-hour event assists communities support the fundraising efforts of local nonprofits.  FCFP, in partnership with Blaise Alexander Family Dealerships, launches the event on Wednesday, March 14, 2018, at 6:00 p.m. The public can visit www.raisetheregion.org between 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 14 th  and midnight on Thursday, March 15 th and select to support Transitions. Gifts will be stretched by a generous contribution from Blaise Alexander Family Dealerships.  Donation(s) can also help raise additional support for Transitions by qualifying us for monetary prizes.  All gifts are tax-deductible and will help make Transitions’ mission possible. You can visit our website, www.transitionsofpa.org , or visit www.raisetheregion.org . Thank you for your generous support!