News

Calendar of Events and Support Groups

Operation Care Newsletters

Community Education

News

Operation Care participates in many awareness campaigns throughout the year. Some of those include:

April
Sexual Assault Awareness Month / Denim Days
Child Abuse Prevention Month

October
Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Peace Begins at Home / Purple Ribbon Campaign

Don’t Be Quiet – Speak Out – Take Action
April

April is nationally recognized as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Throughout April, Operation Care and Amador County’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) Committee organize a series of events to help every member of our community decide to end sexual violence. The goal is to encourage everyone in Amador County to learn about sexual violence, how to help prevent it, and how to help survivors heal.

“We are inviting all employees of local non-profit organizations, civic government and other employers to help recognize April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month”, said Lynn Shield, Executive Director of Operation Care and spokesperson for the SAAM Committee. “We are asking employers to allow their staff to break the dress code and the silence by wearing jeans during the month of April, and especially on Denim Day, Wednesday April 19th.” In an effort to increase awareness, survivors of sexual assault have been invited to decorate jeans with sayings such as ‘break the silence’ and ‘speak out’, and the committee is asking local businesses and organizations to display these jeans during the month of April”.

[back to top]

Why Denim?
Wearing jeans during April is a symbol of protest of harmful attitudes about rape in response to an Italian Supreme Court decision to overturn a rape conviction because the victim wore jeans. The judge said that the victim would have had to help the perpetrator to remove the jeans, therefore it was not rape. “Even though this case was in Italy several years back, a National campaign was developed to bring awareness to the fact that coercion, threats and force are a part of the act of rape,” said Shield. “We have joined National efforts to ‘Decide to End Sexual Violence’.”

During the month of April, “Why Denim?” posters will be displayed throughout the county to increase public awareness, and denim pins will be distributed at various locations to wear on Denim Day.

[back to top]

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Tie a Purple Ribbon

October 2007-Amador County -- October is nationally recognized as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. During October, purple ribbons and posters declaring “Peace Begins at Home” will be distributed around Amador County by Operation Care. Baskets filled with purple ribbons to wear or to attach to your car antenna will also be placed at many local merchants and business offices.

The purple ribbon is a unifying symbol of courage, survival, honor, and dedication to ending domestic violence. In addition to the demonstration of support for all victims, the display of purple ribbons throughout the community conveys a powerful message that there’s no place for domestic violence in the homes, neighborhoods, workplaces, or schools of its citizens.

The slogan “Peace Begins at Home” is a reminder that domestic violence affects all members of a family, both adults and children” said Lynn Shield, Executive Director of Operation Care. “We encourage everyone to show support for healthy family relationships by wearing a purple ribbon or tying a purple ribbon to their car antenna during this month of awareness.”

Shield adds that domestic violence is the use or threat of using physical, emotional, verbal, or sexual abuse with the intent of controlling someone by instilling fear and using intimidation. The problems of domestic violence are not confined to any group or groups of people, but cross all economic, racial, sexual orientation, and social barriers.  There are several types of abuse:

• Physical Abuse: Verbal threats of violence, pushing, shoving, hitting, slapping, punching, pinching, biting, kicking, holding down, pinning against a wall, chocking, throwing objects, breaking objects, punching walls, driving recklessly to scare, blocking exits and using weapons.

• Emotional/Verbal Abuse: Name calling, threats, criticizing, yelling, humiliating, isolation, economic abuse (controlling finances, preventing victim from working), threatening to hurt children or pets, stalking.

• Sexual Abuse:  Unwanted touching, sexual name calling, false accusations of sexual infidelity, forced sex, unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease, HIV transmission.

Where to go for Help:

If you or someone you know needs help, dial 911 or call the 24-hour crisis line at 209-223-2600. Operation Care provides safe shelter for women, men, and children, as well as counseling, support services, crisis intervention, and education. For more information, to make a contribution, to volunteer your services, or to obtain purple ribbons for your group, office, or organization, please call 209-223-2897.

[back to top]

If you are in
immediate danger,
CALL 911

Our 24 Hour Hotline offers crisis counseling, information, support and referral for callers - Suicide, Depression, Loneliness, Life Stress, Substance Abuse, Parenting Issues, Teenage Crisis, Child Abuse, Information about Local Services.

Help us Help Others

Operation Care
(209) 223-2897
621 New York Ranch Road, Jackson CA 95642