As the Creative Projects Manager at 1in6, I wear a lot of hats. I manage our 1BlueString and Bristlecone Project awareness campaigns, maintain our social media, and coordinate special projects. A couple of years ago, I also took over the task of reading and responding to the feedback sent through the feedback forms located at the bottom of each 1in6 webpage. 

Of all of the duties I perform, reading and responding to feedback is easily one of the most rewarding. Through the form, individuals are able to share with us what they like about a given page, what they think could be improved, and many times, they also share their stories. 

We pay close attention to feedback, and we’ve made changes to areas of the website as a result of astute suggestions we’ve received. We also pay close attention to feedback even if it doesn’t contain a suggestion. We read each and every word. And sometimes, the most moving feedback messages we receive are the ones that contain only two words: thank you. 

Feedback forms that contain only these two words always give me pause. I think this is because the words are so simple, because it is such a common phrase, yet in the context of the work we are doing, they are so powerful. While we don’t always know what, exactly, we are being thanked for in these straightforward messages, we know from other, more specific responses what they may be communicating. Perhaps they are thanking us because they have been trying to understand the effects of what happened to them, and one or more of our pages gave them insight. Perhaps they are thanking us because they accessed our Online SupportLine or Online Peer SupportGroup, and found a place where they could speak freely and anonymously about their experience. Perhaps they are thanking us because they have a friend or a loved one who experienced abuse, and they are beginning to understand that person’s needs, and that their needs matter, too. Or perhaps they are thanking us because they are feeling, for the first time, that they are not alone. 

Whatever the reason, I always make sure to share these simple “thank you” messages with the team. They are a reminder that the work we are doing is making an impact. Thank you for that.

 - By Meredith Alling

Meredith Alling is the Creative Projects Manager at 1in6 and has a background in writing and the arts. She received a BA in Art History from the University of Michigan and worked in New York City for the artist Jeff Koons, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, and Art + Commerce before moving to Los Angeles and joining the team at 1in6. While living in New York, she volunteered as an event organizer for the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault and as a Rape Crisis and Domestic Violence ER Advocate for Beth Israel Hospital. As part of her work with Beth Israel Hospital, she won a contest for her essay “A Day In The Life Of… A Rape Crisis Advocate.”