We met Thursday, October 18, 2012 at the Novell East Bay Café and enjoyed a wonderful lunch provided by the café. The speaker, Joan Shippen of the ChainBreaker Foundation, was very informative and an eye-opener for all.
Joan’s story, and that of ChainBreaker, began shortly after her marriage when she realized she wasn’t as happy as she once was. After her doctor diagnosed her with “boredom” she became an EMT and saw first-hand the need for a program to provide assistance and resources to victims of domestic violence and abuse.
She shared some of the national, and Utah County, statistics:
- 70% of all abuse can be prevented with proper intervention. The last 30% is associated with drugs &/or alcohol and requires other assistance.
- 1/3 all girls, and 1/6 of boys are sexually abused by the age of 18.
- Abuse is a form of addiction – the perpetrator is addicted to control, and often has anger management issues as well.
- There are several types of abuse including religious and ritual abuse happening right here in Utah County!
ChainBreaker has many wonderful resources for their “clients” including group therapy, mentors, financial advice, grief recovery, donations, and classes including computer classes and identifying potential abusers while dating.
If you would like to help the ChainBreaker Foundation, they are always in need of legal help and donations. For more information, go to chainbreakerfoundation.com
Photos:
Announcements:
- Carol Solomon is looking for information on disability resources for her stake’s disability committee. If you know of any, please contact her at carol_solomon@byu.edu
- The Noorda Theatre at UVU is presenting Androcles and the Lion from November 1st through the 17th
