Domestic Violence - (Silent Witness Exhibit, t-shirts, brochures, posters, small figures) 

Sedgwick County FCE had a wonderful exhibit about a year ago for 'Bullying'. They worked with the YWCA Women's Crisis Center in Wichita, which also has a set of the large silhouettes. Their figures are stored in body bags from the coroner. They don't loan their figures out as freely as Safehome does.

The Y had t-shirts made as part of an art therapy program. Drawings are done with textile paints by women in their program, and some were also done by children in abusive situations. The shirts are called 'clothesline project' and they are displayed on a line.

They also pass out flyers that describe the harm done to children who live in homes with domestic violence. Their  special brochure for church groups has also been very popular.

They ordered great posters from Randy Wiler, Head of the Kansas Bullying Program, and with the Leawood Police Department: 913/642-7700. There is a small charge for the posters. They also made some 8x10s, I think from the posters. I'm unsure how they were used.

They also made small silhouettes, about 10-12" high. Red, like the large exhibit. The designs depict the individual silhouettes of the women. They were made of foamcore, each with a small easel stand that might also have been made from foamcore. The stories they used may have been the same as on the large figures--women from around Kansas. You could do use stories of women killed as a result of domestic violence from your own area, or stories of children in your area killed by abuse. Darlene thinks that ALL of the centers MIGHT have their own sets of full-sized figures. See list below.

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Contacts/Mentors:

Jan Abbey, SAFEHOME; P.O. Box 4563, Overland Park, KS 66204 Call 913-432-9300 Ext. 11
jabbey@safehome-ks.org
Cost: $10 to use exhibit, $40 refundable deposit.
13 life-size women's silhouettes and a child's silhouette about 3 ft. high.

Becky Wondra, FCE, SCentral area, Sedgwick County  (She said she would be glad to talk to BPW members.)
She was the lead person putting together the FCE exhibit
316/722-0939
rlwondra@msn.com
1663 Murray
Wichita 67212

Darlene Luallen, Cmty. Outreach with the YWCA Women's Crisis Center (she may be a volunteer)
316/267-7233 preferred; or 316/682-8230 home. She is out of the Crisis Center office a lot, but you can leave a message.
                               
Jenell Smith is the FCE Advisor in the County Extension Office (She also would be glad to serve as a resource)
316/722-7721
jmsmith@oznet.ksu.edu

Randy Wiler, DARE Officer with the Leawood Police Dept. He is the source for posters.
913/642-7700
randyw@leawood.org
9617 Lee Blvd.
Leawood, KS 66206

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Web Site for Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence: http://www.kcsdv.org/map.html
(Business phones below were not confirmed if different from the Hotline. Business Addresses not confirmed. Hot lines were updated from the link above. 6/02.
        

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Verbal Abuse

In 1996, FCE had an excellent lesson on Verbal Abuse. It includes 2 pages of questions which lead participants through a variety of situations which help them recognize what verbal abuse is. It also includes a 20-minute audio tape that dramatically portrays the anger, hurt, defensiveness, passivity, aggression that are experienced in abusive situations. The Leader's Guide and the Handouts include excellent information for women to take home with them and for a leader to use in presenting a 60-90 minute workshop.

Reach Women in Non-traditional Situations

In 2000, 36 million women 18+years were not registered. A national effort is being made to get at least 1 million of those women voting in 2002. BPW/KS can help. Kansas Women Can Make a Difference!! Women COULD swing the elections our way if we put our minds, our efforts and a little money into it. Let me know what help you would like from me, and I'll try to help you. The national effort is targeting women in nontraditional situations. Examples are: shelters, half-way houses, government housing, new graduates, college students, immigrants, Mother-to-Mother groups (see attachment), etc. Even many 'traditional' women do not vote. I hear and read repeatedly that many people don't vote because they don't know enough about the people and issues. WE CAN HELP CHANGE THAT!!!  (As you present issues, it will be important to try and present, or at least be open to, several sides of issues for discussion. See my letter of request for Mother-to-Mother groups below.)
 

1. Educate - Sponsor workshops/discussions about issues. Try to find a location near your target audience. 

• Sponsor the Kansas for Children program (contact Darryln Johnson darryln@kac.org ) in your community
• Use the FCE Handout about Issues (available after September, or probably sooner by request to me)
•  Research and present your own issues

2. Register  - provide forms, get them filled out and signed, and even turn them in (In 2000 I walked my neighborhood with forms and got quite a few filled out. A few people wanted to send them in personally, but I mailed most of them.)
3. Vote in Advance - Provide the applications for Advance Voting Ballots. Again, get them filled out, and you mail them  or provide the addressed envelope, stamped and ready to go.
4. Practice Ballots - so they understand HOW to vote (not WHOM to vote for)
5. Provide for their needs - Consideration for workshops, and also for voting:

• Transportation
• Childcare

6. Collaborate where ever possible
7. Creatively think of places to meet with the women: 

• Senior Citizen facilities or other Cmty Center
• Churches (maybe)
• Social Studies/History classes or after-school meetings
• Student Council meetings
• SRS
• Elks and other Lodges
• Girl Scouts meetings, etc
• YMCA/YWCA facilities
• Business meeting room
• Club house at apartment complex

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Participate in the Electoral Process

• Support women candidates
• Support men who support the BPW/Kansas platform
• Pass out campaign literature
• Sponsor/Attend candidate forums
• Volunteer for your favorite candidate
• Keep track of candidate positions on issues (start a clipping file, etc.) The Legislative Ambassadors are going to try and help you with this.
• Get information about statewide candidates below:

Kansas Republican Party website: http://www.ksgop.org/links.html
Kansas Democratic Party: http://www.ksdp.org/

Dennis Moore: http://www.mooreforcongress.com
Pat Roberts: http://roberts.senate.gov/

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Pay Equity 

There is a printable form that you can hand to Senator Pat Roberts as he campaigns across the state. It was presented to him Saturday, June 22, at a talk he gave in Gardner about the Farm Policy. He quipped that BPW is "sowing seeds of equity" and said he would take a look at it. Wouldn't it be effective if BPW/Kansas handed the pledge to Roberts, and other campaigning Congressmen, where ever they speak during the next 8 weeks?  Download the Pay Equity Pledge from the BPW/USA webpage: 

http://www.bpwusa.org/Content/Policy/TookPledge.htm Print page 1 for the pledge only. Print pages 2-3 for the list of signers.

Pledge cards were mailed by BPW/USA to all candidates for U.S. Congress this November, 2002. Names will be added to the list as pledge cards are signed and returned by the candidates.