A Message from Paula Coughlin and Nancy Parrish: Good Community News & Opportunities, Summer Edition!

Protect Our Defenders would like to take a moment to share with you a sample of the good works and opportunities happening in our community right now.

BriGette is recognized: Protect Our Defenders Advisory Board member BriGette McCoy was just honored with the 2014 WNBA Atlanta Dream Inspiring Woman Award. The Atlanta Dream team called BriGette “a trailblazing woman who is making a significant impact in the community while creating a path for others to follow.” And this month, the Atlanta Veterans Affairs committee appointed BriGette as a new member of the committee. We thank BriGette for her continued service!

Opportunity for male survivors: Would you be interested in sharing feedback on the way sexual assaults of men are handled in the military? The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is conducting an independent, non-partisan review about how serving in the military may impact the decision of male service members to report sexual assaults. All conversations will be confidential—click here to learn more and participate.

A free retreat for women: On September 7-12, 2014 in Rhinebeck, New York, the Omega Institute is hosting a free retreat for women who are currently serving or who have served in the military. This women-only retreat focuses on the unique issues of women’s military service and builds a safe, supportive environment to explore the strengths, resilience, concerns, and vulnerabilities of women who have served.Protect Our Defenders is also offering a limited number of travel stipends for women in the New York area. Find out more here.

Supporting veterans: POD Advisory Board members like Terri Odom, a US Army and Navy veteran, are actively supporting survivors and veterans this summer. Terri will be speaking on July 29 at the Florida Sexual Crimes Investigators Association training conference for a wide audience of investigators and prosecutors of sexual violence as well as counselors and advocates for victims. She’s also volunteering at the VFW National Convention in St. Louis this month and is helping with the St. Louis Welcome Home Warrior Summit to be held in September.

The Monument Quilt: This August, survivors of sexual violence and advocates will be stitching hundreds of bright, red quilt squares to be displayed in community spaces across the country. The organizers of the Monument Quilt invite survivors to join them during their 12-city tour. “By stitching our stories together, we are creating and demanding public space to heal,” says Hannah Brancato, Co-Director of the project.

Justice Denied screening: On July 24, the documentary Justice Denied featuring social worker Geri Lynn Matthews and her husband Michael will be screened in Washington, DC at the National Association of Social Workers National Conference. Social workers across the country will have the chance to view the film and learn more about the issue of sexual assault of males in our military.

I hope the rest of your summer goes well. I’ll look forward to sharing more good community news and opportunities again this fall.

Warmly,

Paula Coughlin
Board of Directors, Protect Our Defenders

Nancy Parrish
Founder and President, Protect Our Defenders