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Ledger Dispatch article, Friday, March 12, 2010 :
Where Were Her Parents? - A Mother's Letter
Where were her parents? I hear that a lot when I hear about kids getting into trouble. I have even said that exact same thing. Where was I the night my teenage daughter was raped? I was sitting on my couch watching a movie. I was safe in my home, not even thinking that in a few short days my daughter's life and the lives of my family would be changed forever. That night my daughter had gone to a dance with her friends. All of them were 17 and 18 years old. The plan was to get ready at our house, go to the dance, then everyone would spend the night at another girls house. Little did I know they actually planned on attending a "party."
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Operation Care participates in many awareness campaigns throughout the year. Some of those include:

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month!
Sexual Assault Awareness Month / Denim Days / Human Ribbon

April is also Child Abuse Prevention Month, and Crime Victims' Rights Week is April 18 - 24, 2010

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. “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 21st.”

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Why Denim?

Californians across the state are urged to break the dress code and the silence Wednesday, April 21st by wearing jeans to participate in Denim Day California.  Denim Day is being sponsored by Operation Care and the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA).  Denim Day California campaign began in 1999 with CALCASA and Peace Over Violence, previously LACAAW, Los Angeles Commission on Assaults Against Women, as part of an international protest of an Italian High Court decision to overturn a rape conviction because the victim was wearing jeans.  The Italian Supreme Court dismissed charges against a 45-year-old rape suspect because his 18-year old victim was wearing jeans at the time of the attack.  The Court stated in its decision that “It is common knowledge...that jeans cannot even be partly removed without the effective help of the person wearing them...and it is impossible if the victim is struggling with all her might.”  The judgment sparked a worldwide outcry from those who understand coercion, threats and violence go along with the act of rape.  The unpopular verdict became an international symbol of myth-based injustice for sexual assault victims.

Skinny Jeans....

And NOW... Austrailian Jury rules SKINNY JEANS "Too tight to remove by yourself"

JUST THIS YEAR (May 2010), an Australian jury voted to acquit 23-year-old Nicholas Gonzales of rape. The reasoning behind this acquittal is outrageous.  The jury, prompted by the defense lawyer, refused to believe that the alleged victim's skinny jeans could have been removed without "collaboration."

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Human Ribbon to Raise Awareness
Amador County – This April,, a teal-colored Human Ribbon will be making the rounds throughout Amador County encouraging community to take action toward building healthy and respectful relationships. Watch for her in Jackson, Sutter Creek, Pine Grove, Pioneer, Ione, Plymouth, and other locations throughout the county. The Human Ribbon will be accompanied by an advocate from Operation Care to answer questions and ask people to take action and speak out against sexual violence. They will be handing out teal ribbons to tie on the car antenna to show your support.

April is nationally recognized as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The FBI and the Journal of Traumatic Stress estimate that one-in-three women, one in four girls, one in six boys and one in eleven men will be victims of sexual assault at least once in their lives.  In Amador County alone, 29 rapes were reported to Law Enforcement in 2008. This does not account for the rapes that went unreported primarily due to the survivor’s fear about what other people might think. Operation Care provides hospital response, advocacy, accompaniment, and peer counseling for survivors. Last year, advocacy, crisis intervention and peer counseling was provided for 30 sexual assault victims.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month is a great time to join others in Amador County, the state and the nation to Decide to End Sexual Violence.  Don’t be quiet. Speak Out. Take Action. Build healthy relationships—not just in romantic or sexual relationships, but also as friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, and community members. How we interact with each other, and creating an atmosphere of support about the fact that sexual violence exists, are the next steps toward healthy respectful relationships and communities.  We can all do something to end sexual violence! By taking action, healing can begin, justice is possible, and an end to fear can be imagined.  When we collectively Decide to End Sexual Violence, we will have taken the first step toward a future without sexual violence together. 

For more information call Operation Care at (209) 223-2897. If you or someone you know needs help, call 911 or call the 24-hour crisis line at (209) 223-2600 or (800) 675-3392 to talk to a counselor. 

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October
Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Take the PLEDGE Against Domestic Violence

2009 Press Release - Purple People Tell their Stories - 30 life-sized purple silhouettes of women, children, men, and even a dog....
2009 STORIES (English)
2009 STORIES (Spanish)

2008 Purple People - Lifesize silouettes of women, men and children, and their real stories: Ledger-Dispatch article 9/30/08 ... 2008 STORIES (pdf)

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Tie a Purple Ribbon

October -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.

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.

February
February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness & Prevention Month.

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.

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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