Reunion Online

This is the moment. The moment to unite and declare NO MORE. NO MORE fear or ignorance of the issues. NO MORE blaming survivors. NO MORE standing by and doing nothing. NO MORE silence. NO MORE violence. NO MORE excuses.

Just a few short weeks ago, Memphis revealed its astounding backlog of 12,000 untested rape kits. And Memphis is just the latest in a long list of cities uncovering rape kit backlogs—first New York and Los Angeles, then Detroit and Houston, now Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas, Mobile, Phoenix and San Antonio. This is the moment to ENDTHEBACKLOG.

Joyful Heart’s Heal the Healers program was a wake up call for me. The program offered education about vicarious trauma and self-care practices, but most importantly, Heal the Healers gave me the space to realize that our minds and bodies can only take so much. The wake up call has lasted.

With joyful and one-of-a-kind Heartshop products ranging from accessories to gourmet treats, you’re sure to find the perfect gift for anyone on your list—and you can feel great knowing that proceeds support our work.

Recent news headlines this summer have been full of harrowing cases of sexual assault and domestic violence, reminding us that there is so much yet to be done. Help us turn headlines into action.

We have so much to look forward to and so much work to do. We hope you will join us on our journey in the new year. A donation today means not only a deduction on your 2012 taxes, but more importantly, a meaningful contribution to continue Joyful Heart’s work to help heal and empower survivors of violence and abuse.

2013 is just around the corner and we know now, more than ever, how necessary and important our work is. Thanks to supporters like you, in 2013 we will continue to heal and empower survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse and the professionals who serve them. We will extend and grow our reach and we will respond to new community needs.

Sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse are heavy and complex issues. But the greater the number of people willing to lift, the lighter the load becomes for each individual to carry.

 I often find myself in awe, but somehow not totally surprised, that turning towards the issues sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse is often so hopeful, so joyful. Maybe you sometimes find yourself thinking the same. It's often inexplicable, or at the very least, difficult to put into words as to why this is. And it can certainly be a strange thing to feel—and to write at this very moment—but it's true. And last Wednesday evening was no exception.