Greater Rochester Organization Raising Awareness About Relationships

ROCHESTER, MI – An organization called Turning Point is educating adolescents about healthy relationships and healthy behaviors. Its prevention education programs expose young adults to tools and attitude shifts that can stop sexual assault, dating violence and domestic abuse.

“We are so proud to support Turning Point programs, which address the root causes of violence and enhance the quality of life for present and future generations,” said Amy Whipple, co-founder of 100 Women Who Care of Greater Rochester, an innovative charity group that asks members to make a $100 commitment to a chosen charity, quarterly. Sensing the urgency of educating at-risk groups before they end up in crisis situations, 100 Women Who Care of Greater Rochester donated $24,500 to Turning Point in the form of 245 checks—written by 245 individual women, for $100 each.

“We are trying to end the use of violence as a means of oppressing and controlling others. And we are giving people power over their lives,” Leslie Sheidler said in a press release. Sheidler presented a funding plea to 100 Women Who Care and who serves on the Turning Point board of directors.

“It is appropriate that this donation from compassionate women is empowering other women who are seeking a safe environment—whether they are living on a college campus, at home with an abusive partner, or in a shelter following escape," she said. "We need victims of assault to know that there are options. And we need to prevent young people from becoming victims or perpetrators of such crimes.”

Turning Point’s mission is to provide programs and resources that enable victims/survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault to regain control of their lives. The organization is dedicated to the development and promotion of model programs that address the root causes of violence, and to the enhancement of the quality of life for present and future generations. The donation from 100 Women Who Care is earmarked specifically for education and prevention programs and will allow the hiring of an additional school educator.

“These prevention and education programs work,” said Karan Bates-Gasior, development director for Turning Point. “A male college student who had Turning Point prevention workshops during his high-school years shared this story. While at a college fraternity party, he saw a man taking a very intoxicated girl upstairs. Thanks to his own personal training, he knew how to be an active bystander. He had the courage to simply say, ‘Man, that is not cool. Don’t do that.’ And he is certain that he stopped a rape from happening.”

Last year, a single educator provided 406 school presentations that reached 6,300 students. There is currently a waiting list for schools to get Turning Point workshop presentations. An additional staff person will provide impactful and useful tools for prevention, particularly for high-school students who may be in uncertain personal relationships and may be bystanders to questionable behavior. With a focus on changing attitudes and stereotypes regarding gender socialization, dating secrets, sexual harassment, and victims living in silence, Turning Point offers resources at every turn.

“Youth are the most at-risk group for violence. This statistic is the result of a lack of information about interpersonal violence and sexual assault, where they can reach out for help and how they can become part of the solution to help their peers dealing with these issues. This program helps to change that,” said Sue Coats, CEO of Turning Point.

At the Aug. 17 meeting, each 100 Women group-member wrote a check directly to Turning Point, after hearing about their work and being moved to contribute. With 245 members, the group donated $24,500 that very night. “We are able to meet needs immediately. It’s an ‘ask and you shall receive’ giving model that is very direct and very efficient.” 100 Women seeks to support local charities with very direct and basic needs. The group takes pride in its no-frills approach to direct giving. They met (for the 13th time since their inception) in August, 2016.

The collective 100 Women Who Care will convene again on Wednesday, November 9, at 7 p.m. at St. John Fisher Parish in Auburn Hills, Mich., (located at 3665 E. Walton Blvd) to hold their 14th charitable giving meeting. To date, they have raised more than $231,000. The other winning charities thus far were: New Day Foundation; the Assistance League of Southeastern Michigan; CCRT—the Catholic Community Response Team in Pontiac; the Baldwin Center in Pontiac; Hands of Hope; SandCastles Grief Support; FaithWorks; Neighborhood House; God’s Helping Hands, Power Company Kids Club, Dutton Farm, and Blessings in a Backpack.

For more information on the 100 Women Who Care group or to sign a commitment form to join them, visit the website at: www.100womenwhocare-greaterrochester.org or contact Amy Whipple at amynwhipple@gmail.com or (586) 254-1560.

Photo via 100 Women Who Care