VCU Institute for Women’s Health facilitates weekly brown bag speaker series in October
Thanks to Kevin Clay for this article content.
During the month of October, in recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the YWCA of Richmond and the VCU Institute for Women’s Health partner for the “Empowerment Through Education” event series.
During the brown bag lunch series running Thursdays from October 3, 2013 through October 24, 2013 at the YWCA’s downtown location, VCU faculty experts will discuss topics from domestic violence affecting teens to the aging and military populations. All events are free and open to the public with advance registration.
“We want to be part of the solution to stop domestic violence through providing education and creating awareness,” Linda Tissiere, YWCA of Richmond CEO, said. “Partnering with the VCU Institute for Women’s Health on this issue allows us to empower a wider audience to act — whether for themselves, for a friend or for a family member.”
The YWCA has been a leader in providing services to survivors of domestic violence in Greater Richmond and Chesterfield for over 40 years. Through providing therapeutic services to women, men and children in crisis, the YWCA served 2,554 survivors last year.
The collaboration with the VCU Institute for Women’s Health will bring awareness for the YWCA Domestic Violence Program to a new audience. There is no cost to participate in this program that includes counseling, access to a 24-hour hotline, emergency shelter, safety planning, legal assistance, and referrals to other services as needed.
“We are very pleased to be partnering with the YWCA to share information on the latest research and best practices in the area of domestic and sexual violence,” said Susan G. Kornstein, M.D., executive director, Institute for Women’s Health, and professor of psychiatry and obstetrics and gynecology in the VCU School of Medicine.
The lecture series culminates with a memorial, “Remember My Name,” the evening of Oct. 24 at Unity of Richmond featuring community advocate and survivor Lisette Johnson. Family members of victims will release paper lanterns honoring loved ones at the conclusion of the event.
A full schedule of events for Domestic Violence Awareness Month is below and registration is online at www.ywcarichmond.org/get-
Brown Bag Lunch Series: Teen Dating Violence
- Thursday, Oct. 3, 12-1:30 p.m
- YWCA of Richmond, 6 North Fifth St., Richmond, VA 23219.
- Featured speaker: Saba Masho, MD, MPH, DrPH, Associate Professor,
- VCU Department of Family Medicine & Population Health
Brown Bag Lunch Series: Violence Against Women & the Military
- Thursday, Oct. 10, 12-1:30 p.m.
- YWCA of Richmond, 6 North Fifth St., Richmond, VA 23219.
- Featured speaker: D. Gay Cutchin, MS, VCU Wilder School of
- Government & Public Affairs
Brown Bag Lunch Series: Domestic Violence in Later Life – It Matters To Us All
- Thursday, October 17, 12-1:30 p.m.
- YWCA of Richmond, 6 North Fifth St., Richmond, VA 23219.
- Featured speaker: Lisa Furr, M.A, VCU Center on Aging
Brown Bag Lunch Series: Intimate Partner Violence & Reproductive Coercion:
- Understanding the Connection
- Thursday, Oct. 24, 12-1:30 p.m.
- YWCA of Richmond, 6 North Fifth St., Richmond, VA 23219
- Featured speaker: Candace W. Burton, PhD, RN, FNE, Assistant Professor, VCU Department of Family & Community Health Nursing
Memorial Event: Remember My Name
- Thursday, Oct. 24, 6-8:30 p.m.
- Unity of Richmond at 800 Blanton Avenue, Richmond, VA 23221
- Join the YWCA of Richmond for its signature domestic violence memorial and awareness event with featured speaker Lisette Johnson, community advocate and survivor.
Toast to RVA for the YWCA
- Monday, Oct. 28, 5-11 p.m.
- Toast
- 7007 Three Chopt Rd, Richmond, VA 23226
- Coinciding with Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Toast hosts a special evening and gives back 10 percent of food sales to the YWCA of Richmond.
About the YWCA
The YWCA of Richmond has been helping women and children since 1887. The YWCA is a safe haven for those escaping violence and provides a head start for children’s education. Services are provided with a mission of caring for those most in need and through offering equal opportunities for women, children and families of all ages, races, and income levels. Connect at ywcarichmond.org, facebook.com/ywcarva or on Twitter at @ywcarva.
About VCU and the VCU Medical Center
Virginia Commonwealth University is a major, urban public research university with national and international rankings in sponsored research. Located in downtown Richmond, VCU enrolls nearly 31,000 students in 223 degree and certificate programs in the arts, sciences and humanities. Sixty-eight of the programs are unique in Virginia, many of them crossing the disciplines of VCU’s 13 schools and one college. MCV Hospitals and the health sciences schools of Virginia Commonwealth University comprise the VCU Medical Center, one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers. For more, see www.vcu.edu.
Established in 1999 with approval from the VCU Board of Visitors, the Institute for Women’s Health seeks to improve the health of women through research, clinical care, education, community outreach and leadership development. The institute was created to bring together these diverse activities, generate synergy within VCU and foster coordinated alliances with the greater community. Connect at www.womenshealth.vcu.edu.
