SAVE (Safe Alternatives to Violent Environments)

Join SAVE’s Community Education team this month to discuss consent as a healthy relationship skill! For many people, the holidays are a time to gather with others, which makes this time of year a great opportunity to practice embodying consent. We can embody consent in all of our relationships, whether familial, platonic, romantic, or sexual. So what is consent? Planned Parenthood defines consent as F.R.I.E.S.: ?? Freely Given: Everyone said yes without pressure, manipulation, or the influence of alcohol or drugs. ?? Reversible: Everyone can say "no" and change their minds at any time. ?? Informed: Everyone knows the full details of what they’re saying yes to. ?? Enthusiastic: Everyone wants to do it and is looking forward to doing it. ?? Specific: Nobody is pressured or expected to do other things just because they said yes to this one thing. Talking about and holding each other accountable to practice consent allows us to normalize it in all situations. Consent is necessary for all relationships (including familial or platonic), like when discussing potentially triggering topics, embracing each other, or trying a new activity. In romantic or sexual relationships, consent is required before being intimate. Now that we know what consent is, how do we practice it as a skill? We can embody consent by: ?Respecting others’ boundaries ?Asking others how they're doing and if they're okay ?Actively collaborating with others ?Listening to others ?Making sure there is genuine want and desire We invite you to share ways that you embody consent in the comments below! SAVE’s Community Education team is dedicated to fostering healthy relationships among community members. We offer presentations, youth support groups, and Art Empowerment Workshops on topics related to healthy relationship skills and violence prevention. Visit our website, https://lnkd.in/gb8dCEcz, and complete the Request Our Services Form to learn more about how we can best support your community! #savehealthyrelationshipskills Source: Planned Parenthood - www.plannedparenthood.org, “What is Sexual Consent?”

We are thrilled to announce the inaugural performance of The Vagina Monologues on Sunday, April 13, at Ohlone College. We invite you to take part in this impactful and significant stage play. If you are interested or know someone who may be interested in auditioning, auditions will be held on Friday, December 13, and Saturday, December 14, at SAVE. Throughout February and March, there will be weekly rehearsals at either SAVE or Fremont Library. Sign up here: bit.ly/SAVEAudition ? This production will be directed by the talented Jaime Rich, a seasoned teacher, professional speaker, and performer with over thirty years of experience. The play serves as a fundraiser for SAVE's vital services supporting survivors of intimate partner violence. Your involvement can truly make a difference in the lives of those who need it most. #vaginamonologues #audition #stopdomesticviolence

In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), join SAVE’s Community Education team for part two of discussing October’s healthy relationship skill: respect! We use Aretha Franklin’s rendition of “Respect” to discuss the connection between respect and the Domestic Violence Awareness Project’s theme Heal, Hold & Center for 2024’s DVAM. In the song “Respect,” Aretha Franklin sings “Find out what it means to me.” Building healthy relationships involves learning what positive values, such as respect, mean to your friends, family members, intimate partners, etc. To Franklin (and to SAVE), respect is reciprocal. In the song, and daily life, we:? ??Commit to respecting others? ??And expect the same in return.? ??(Hint: this is true for all healthy relationship skills; reciprocity is crucial!) The Domestic Violence Awareness Project extends the 2023 Heal, Hold & Center theme to this year’s DVAM. Through this theme, the Project bridges racial justice, especially for those who experience anti-Blackness and other oppressive structures, with justice for survivors of domestic violence. According to CNN and CBS News, Franklin’s rendition of “Respect” resonated with people during the 1960s Civil Rights and Women’s Rights Movements. The song is an example of how fostering a world of nonviolence begins with building healthy relationships and promoting the skills to do so (respect being one in particular ??). ??Supporting survivors of domestic violence and preventing violence in our communities is social justice work! We can choose to respect those around us and, ultimately, cultivate a culture of respect. Sources: 1. CNN: “How Aretha Franklin Energized Two Social Movements With One Hit Song” by Brandon Griggs, August 16, 2018 2. CBS: “How Aretha Franklin Turned "Respect" Into One Of The Most Powerful Female Anthems Of All Time” by Christina Capatides, August 16, 2018

Join SAVE’s Community Education team this Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) to discuss respect as October’s healthy relationship skill! We’ll begin by defining respect and providing examples of respect in healthy relationships. Tomorrow, we’ll discuss respect in the context of the Domestic Violence Awareness Project’s theme Heal, Hold & Center for 2024’s DVAM, and Aretha Franklin’s rendition of the song “Respect!” Love is Respect defines respect as allowing you to be (and to be loved for) your authentic self. You might find it beneficial to reflect on what actions make you feel respected and bring these to a conversation with your loved ones! To help you get started, Love is Respect suggests nine examples of respect in healthy relationships: ???“Talking openly and honestly with each other” ???“Listening to each other” ???“Valuing each other’s feelings and needs” ???“Compromising” (Involves discussing your feelings and needs to make joint decisions) ???“Speaking kindly to and about each other” ???“Giving each other space” ???“Supporting each other’s interests, hobbies, careers, etc.” ???“Building each other up” ???“Honoring each other’s boundaries, no matter what” ??We invite you to reflect on what respect means to you and share what you come up with in the comments below! We also acknowledge that communicating your needs and values with others can feel challenging. Leave a comment if this skill is something you would like us to discuss in a future post! SAVE’s Community Education team is dedicated to fostering healthy relationships among community members. We offer presentations, youth support groups, and Art Empowerment Workshops on topics related to healthy relationship skills and violence prevention. Visit our website, https://lnkd.in/gb8dCEcz, and complete the Request Our Services Form to learn more about how we can best support your community! Source: Love is Respect: www.loveisrespect.org, “What is Respect In A Healthy Relationship?”

SAVE is thrilled to be a part of the Gender-Based Violence and Homelessness Coalition Planning Committee here in Alameda County. The Family Violence Law Center is taking the lead on identifying a consultant who can assist us in bringing this project to life. If you or someone you know has expertise in this field and is interested in making an impact, please check out the RFP details below and spread the word! #RFP #ConsultingOpportunity #HomelessnessSupport #CommunityImpact #NonprofitWork

Absolutely loving this podcast featuring a SAVE (Safe Alternatives to Violent Environments) youth leader. What a joy to hear the next generation so ready and willing to take on the challenge of ending violence and abuse.

We are thrilled to partner with Phoebe Bain, our amazing volunteer and Empowerment Self-Defense Instructor, to present the upcoming Personal Safety Workshop in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This is a unique chance to explore the psychology behind our challenges in maintaining boundaries and to understand essential concepts such as biological threat responses, the myths surrounding stranger danger, adrenaline management, and self-care. The workshop is donation-based, and spaces are limited, so be sure to register below before we fill up! Register today: bit.ly/SAVEempowerment #empowerment #workshops #fremont #nonprofit #saveagainstdv #personalsafety #dvam2024

Join us for part three of Identifying and Communicating Emotions! Naming an emotion may help take power away from it and allow you to recognize it nonjudgmentally. Using a Feelings Wheel may aid in reflecting on which emotions you are experiencing (feel free to add any emotions to the wheel!). Approaching a conversation about emotions from a place of self-reflection and with the intent of fostering understanding allows for a healthy conversation. You may choose to: ??Speak from experience by using “I” statements ??Practice active listening ??Exhibit your engagement through your body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions. Let this serve as a reminder that your emotions are valid and important! We invite you to practice these skills and let us know what your experience is. SAVE’s Community Education team is dedicated to fostering healthy relationships among community members. We offer presentations, youth support groups, and Art Empowerment Workshops on emotions and other topics related to healthy relationship skills and violence prevention. Visit our website, https://lnkd.in/g9cpQB_P, and complete the Request Our Services Form to learn more about how we can best support your community!

Join us for part two of Identifying and Communicating Emotions! Utilizing strategies for self-regulation can be helpful either before or after you choose to communicate your emotions. You may find them helpful for identifying your emotions and/or lessening their intensity. Some strategies that we enjoy include: ?Journaling ?Mindful breathing ?Progressive Muscle Relaxation ?Guided Imagery ?Physical exercise, whatever that may look like for you. We invite you to brainstorm other strategies that you enjoy and to share them in the comments below! SAVE’s Community Education team is dedicated to fostering healthy relationships among community members. We offer presentations, youth support groups, and Art Empowerment Workshops on emotions and other topics related to healthy relationship skills and violence prevention. Visit our website, https://lnkd.in/g9cpQB_P, and complete the Request Our Services Form to learn more about how we can best support your community!

Join SAVE’s Community Education team in discussing skills that you can practice to build and maintain healthy relationships! For the next three days, we will talk about Identifying and Communicating Emotions. Identifying and communicating our emotions in a healthy way can foster feelings of safety and trust in our relationships. We each experience barriers caused by: ??What we have been taught about emotions, ??Our previous experiences with emotions ??Gender roles ??And more. These barriers may make it difficult to trust someone else with our emotions, and that is okay! Establishing a norm of communicating your emotions with your partner, friends, family members, etc., and supporting each other in doing so, may allow you to feel safe enough to share more and build deeper connections. We would like to note, however, that you are not responsible for identifying others’ emotions or their experiences with emotions. We welcome you to set boundaries when it comes to others’ emotions. SAVE’s Community Education team is dedicated to fostering healthy relationships among community members. We offer presentations, youth support groups, and Art Empowerment Workshops on emotions and other topics related to healthy relationship skills and violence prevention. Visit our website, https://lnkd.in/g9cpQB_P, and complete the Request Our Services Form to learn more about how we can best support your community!