Transitioning Times

I hope that you are well. I had the privilege to speak at a special event on Saturday. It was a “Walk for No More” event which is part of a national campaign to end domestic violence and sexual assault. I have a strong relationship with “Transitions” in Lewisburg and I thank Susan Mathias and Heather Shnyder for asking me to speak at the event. I have always believed that everyone has a role in working to end domestic violence and sexual assault. I feel that events like this provide a means of education for all of us. We realize that it is an issue. Do we have the courage and conviction to take a stand to make a difference? I have always approached this topic with the teams that I have been privileged to coach. The head coaches I worked with were open about the fact that we all have a role in taking care of each other. It goes beyond what we all think of when we consider these issues. It is a matter of humans watching out for and taking care of other humans. In my upbringing my Fathe...

I wish there was a light switch that made it clear when you were "done" being a victim and begin your work as an advocate. Alas, for many individuals who have "been there, done that," part of our journey involves joining the helpers: Becoming advocates ourselves. If you look around the state -- even the nation -- at the local domestic violence, sexual assault and comprehensive crime centers -- a large chunk of staff will tell you that once upon a time, they may have been the ones that filled our shelter beds or counseling office chairs. It's true. For many survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and other crimes, one of the biggest steps in healing is the act of paying it forward: giving back to the organization(s) that helped them heal, and using their experience (and expertise!) to ensure that they can help others escape. At Transitions, when you ask around, almost every staff member -- even if they aren't personally former victims -- have a...

In late 2017, the #MeToo movement catalyzed a change in our national conversation about sexual assault and harassment. The movement began when actress Alyssa Milano shared accusations of sexual assault and harassment against producer Harvey Weinstein. As other Hollywood mega-stars began to come forward with similar stories, #MeToo went viral. Twitter confirmed to CBS News that over 1.7 million tweets included the hashtag "#MeToo," with 85 countries that had at least 1,000 #MeToo tweets. Long before it became a hashtag, we are also aware that Tarana Burke began the #MeToo campaign in 1997, and we applaud her for her activism, her voice, encouraging others, especially women of color, to use their voices. This movement is shining a necessary light on an issue that has always been present for centuries. Historically, some people who have come forward regarding the violence perpetrated against them have had their voices elevated higher than others, particularly wealthy whit...

In light of October’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we wanted to focus on domestic violence and sexual assault on campuses. While sexual assault is a major issue on campus, many don’t realize that intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant issue among college students. Women aged 16-24 experience the highest per capita rate of intimate partner violence in the United States. This is just one of the many eye-opening facts that demonstrate the severity of domestic violence among young people in this country. The following are more statistics showing the frequency of domestic violence and sexual assault, specifically on college campuses. •       21% of college students report having experienced dating violence by a current partner. 33% experience dating violence by a previous partner. •       13% of college women report they were forced to have sex by a dating partner. •       Over 13% of col...

In support of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, The Mary Kay Foundation SM announced it is awarding $3 million in grants to 150 domestic violence shelters across the country. Transitions of PA has received a $20,000 unrestricted grant to support local survivors of domestic violence in Union, Snyder, and Northumberland Counties.   This year’s grant contribution brings the Foundation’s total investment in its shelter grant program to $50 million.       The Mary Kay Foundation was established in 1996 with the overarching purpose of supporting issues impacting women. In 2000, The Foundation expanded to include ending domestic violence as part of its mission. The Foundation is committed to funding the life-saving work of women’s shelters and the annual shelter grant program has helped finance critical needs including emergency shelter, transitional housing, counseling and legal aid. All of these resources support women and children as they seek refuge and r...

Transitions is a crisis center that provides advocacy, empowerment, and education to victims, survivors, families and communities to end patterns of violence and abuse. We are looking to build safer families and communities by combating domestic violence, sexual assault, and other serious crimes. Our services are primarily focused in Union County as well as other surrounding areas. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have been victims of some form of physical violence by an intimate partner within their lifetime. Our goal through this series of blog posts is to educate as well as bring awareness of the severity of these issues. These are some of the shocking nation-wide facts about how common domestic violence is. ·         Intimate partner violence accounts for 15% of all violent crimes ·         19% of domestic violence involves a weapon ·  ...

Navigating life is hard enough especially when you are doing so after moving on from an abusive relationship.  Often a survivor finds that the very last hold an abuser can claim is that of the bonds of matrimony.  Although divorce law has remained relatively true to the protection of property interests first, we have seen some evolution in the minimal requirements to break those marital ties when property is not at issue.  The two most often used grounds for divorce are the consensual divorce, where both parties agree to the dissolution of the marriage, and the separate and apart claim where both parties have lived their lives separated for a substantial period of time.  Both of these options come with caveats that often hinder a smooth transition into total freedom when one party refuses to agree just to be spiteful. Recently, an entirely new section was added to the divorce code which has proven to be uniquely essential to our clientele.  Section 3301(c)(...