Time Magazine's 2017 Person of the Year is . . . us -- the Silence Breakers. It is all of us who have stood up to those who have abused their power either by reporting, pressing charges, or speaking to the press; all of us who said #MeToo; all of us who have supported those brave souls that have come out of the shadows and shed light on the harassment, abuse, and misconduct that happened behind closed doors; and even all of us who have yet to raise our voices loud enough to be heard by anyone but our own tortured souls.

Join us on January 12, 2018 as we celebrate the Silence Breakers, share a meal and resources with one another, and hear from experts about how we can support each other and the Silence Breakers among us.

The schedule:

12pm-12:30pm Catered Lunch and Resource Sharing

12:30-3pm Panel discussion, including:

Legal expert to speak about the judicial process involved in speaking up -- Nina Balsam, J.D., has been representing survivors and Silence Breakers for over 40 years as an attorney, Legal Advocacy Projects Director for Missouri Coalition against Domestic Violence, Director of Restorative Justice for the Center for Women in Transition, as an Administrator for the Missouri Restorative Justice Coalition, Program Director of University of Missouri Extension and as a principle member of the SLEVAWN Court Watch Project

Media Representative/Journalist to share tips on keeping healthy boundaries during interviews with the press -- Lindsay Toler, journalist and writer of the cover story for the current edition of the Riverfront Times. In addition, Lindsay has written for Associated Press' London bureau, The Dallas Morning News, The Seattle Times, and St. Louis Magazine. She has also been a fervent civic activist, as well as a SART and Domestic Violence hotline volunteer.

Victim Advocacy/Treatment Center Senior Staff to talk about what a “trauma-informed” organization means and what trauma-informed advocacy, support, and treatment looks like in our community
-- Susan Kidder, MS, Executive Director of Safe Connections. Susan has been the chair of St. Louis Children’s Services Coalition and a member of the United Way of Greater St. Louis Women’s Leadership Society Cabinet, the Better Business Bureau’s Nonprofit Advisory Council, St. Louis Ending Violence Against Women Network, St. Louis Youth Violence Prevention Collaborative and the St. Louis Forum

Trauma Therapist will speak about treating trauma and cultural factors for minorities who Break the Silence -- Dr. Gladys Smith, Licensed Professional Counselor and Trauma-Informed Yoga Instructor. In addition to being a dynamic therapist, Dr. Smith has presented at National conferences and to general audiences speaking on the topics of Addiction. women and addiction, trauma, sexual assault, military concerns, eating disorders, and mental health.

Policy Maker will talk about how the community can support survivors through policy change, supporting concerned elected officials, and knowing what their rights are — Alderwoman Megan Green -- Megan Ellyia Green is the 15th Ward Alderwoman who has been a champion for women experiencing domestic violence, sexual assault, and sexual harassment. Since been elected, she has passed legislation to ensure that victims of domestic violence and sexual assault cannot be evicted under our nuisance property laws and have access to two weeks of unpaid leave. As a survivor herself, Alderwoman Green recently broke her silence in her #MeToo post, chronicling her experiences as a young child, adolescent, and adult.

Our Featured Silence Breakers, Cari and Dottie Hill -- Cari Hill is a college student at Loyola University in Chicago where she is pursuing her M.S. Social Work and M.J. Children's Law & Policy. She works as an educator for the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago. In the future, Cari looks forward to continuing her work as a child advocate and breaking the silence that surrounds childhood trauma. Cari broke the silence of abuse when she was a young teen. She and her mother, Dottie, walked through the process of reporting, pressing charges, prosecuting and speaking publicly about Cari's abuser. Cari and Dottie were featured in a segment on Fox 2 News and Cari has been a keynote speaker for an awareness event through Safe Connections.

Law enforcement representative -- Lieutenant Alana Hauck -- Lieutenant Hauck is a 23 year veteran of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. As the Commander of Sex Crimes, Child Abuse and the Domestic Violence Units she is a tenacious advocate for victims of abuse and sexual assault. Lt. Hauck speaks on behalf of the department at numerous events addressing issues of sexual assault, child abuse and domestic violence and also serves as a LGBT liaison for the department. She is a member of the St. Louis Family Violence Council and works closely with numerous advocacy agencies and the St. Louis City’s Circuit Attorney’s Special Victim’s Unit.

Tickets are only $25 and proceeds will go to Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network (RAINN).

Please NOTE -- In order to have an accurate catering count for lunch, tickets will NOT be available at the door for this event. Ticket sales will end January 10.

Supporting the Silence Breakers: A Panel Discussion and Resource Fair

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