Empowering Others to Leave Domestic Violence
C.L. Valens is a domestic violence survivor. After many years, she finally summoned the confidence and courage to leave her abuser. Writing is a way that has helped her heal.
“Domestic Violence Survivor Handbook, Steps to Freedom”, is an informative, practical guide to leave domestic violence. This educational tool can help reduce the anxiety of not knowing what to do next. You may purchase it on Amazon Kindle as an eBook or hard copy version. It is also available on Kobo and Nook as an eBook.
“During the many years, I was with my abuser; I suffered verbal, financial, emotional, psychological, physical, property damage, technological and sexual abuse. Stalking me was his way of letting me know he could still get to me, to hurt me. This book can help educate everyone about the steps needed to get away from domestic violence. It includes some of the services available to survivors. It gives insight into some of the things that I went through, so people will know that a survivor wrote it.”~C.L. Valens
She has made a commitment to help survivors with their journey to freedom, health and happiness.
C.L. is available to speak at your churches, networking events, conferences, medical offices and businesses. Hear her story of empowerment and healing.
Domestic violence touches families all over the world. It does not matter the religion, race, social-economic status, or gender.
You may contact her at [email protected].
A percentage of all her book sales and speaking engagements will be donated to Innov-E Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit.
Domestic Violence and Homelessness
“Domestic and sexual violence is a leading cause of homelessness for women and children, and the need for safe and affordable housing is one of the most pressing concerns for survivors of violence and abuse.”*
“This video provides an understanding of the connections between domestic and sexual violence and safe, affordable housing, and provides tools for advocates working at this intersection”**:
The Intersection of Homelessness and Domestic Violence
Nobody should have to choose between living in abuse and being homeless. We all can do our part to bring awareness to helping those of us who flee abuse. Many survivors have young children. Many have not worked outside of the home. Many stay because being homeless is not an option for them.
Click here for PDF download of infographic*
*Source http://safehousingpartnerships.org/intersection
**Source http://www.nrcdv.org/
The role of stigma in domestic violence
“We can all work together to raise awareness and reduce domestic violence.”
C.L. Valens, Innov-E Foundation’s Executive Director, was featured recently in internationally known Healing Stigma’s blog: The role of stigma in domestic violence: How one survivor left an abusive marriage & is now helping others.
Trigger warning: “I was slowly dying inside, crying every day, and my health was failing.”
“….the man behind the smile was a brutally different person.”
As a survivor of domestic violence, CL’s mission in life is to help other survivors heal from abuse and take their life back. Her book, “Domestic Violence Survivor Handbook, Steps to Freedom” is the just the beginning of CL’s many ways she is helping victims become survivors.
#spousalabuse #domesticviolence #stopthestigma #domesticabuse
Mental Health and Domestic Violence
Feeling his hands around my neck saying, “I am going to kill you b….”, living in fear, knowing I might not see the next day! That is how I felt many years. When I finally got away, I did not realize how scared I was of my abuser. Just the thought of him made me tremble to my inner core. Seeing him, made my legs so weak I could not walk.
Standing against a wall after getting a temporary restraining order, trying not to pass out, I realized that this was the end of my abuse and the beginning of a new life. I was making a statement that I would no longer tolerate abuse of any kind. I was scared, not knowing the next move, I realized that no matter what happened I had to get away and never look back. Appearing in court with him was more than my body and mind could handle. After the first arrest for stalking, with the restraining order in place, the court accepted my plea not to appear with my abuser in court again. For that, I am grateful.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and that was a reminder for me to realize how much I have healed both mentally and physically. PTSD is something I will live with the rest of my life, but fortunately, I have learned ways to cope with it. I found many ways to heal alternatively and I want to help others learn those ways and become survivors, leaving the victim mentally behind.
One way that was healing for me was to write, “Domestic Violence Survivor Handbook, Steps to Freedom“. If you are a victim of abuse and trying to find your way to freedom, please check out my book.
What can I do to help Haiti?
That question was on my mind after the last disaster. Visiting with one of our volunteers, she mentioned that her mother wanted to make dresses for girls and maybe she could help girls in Haiti.
Now a few months later the lady, who is almost 100 years old, has made and sent 100 dresses to Jérémie, Haiti; in collaboration with the Haitian Health Foundation.
Our nonprofit, Innov-e Foundation Inc, was at the same time raising funds for Haiti.
Online Shopping can Support Innov-E Foundation
Did you know your online shopping can support Innov-E Foundation Inc.?
By signing up with our new fundraising partner, Ziggedy, you will generate donations to Innov-E Foundation Inc. every time you shop online from stores like Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Nordstrom, at no additional cost to you!
How does it work?
When you click through Ziggedy before you shop, an average of 2.5% (up to 30% depending on the retailer) of your purchase price will be donated to Innov-E Foundation Inc., without costing you one extra penny!
Getting started is easy and support Innov-E Foundation Inc. every time you shop online, please take a moment to create your Ziggedy account at: www.ziggedy.com/innovef/signup.
To learn more about Innov-E Foundation go to our website: Innov-e Foundation.
#innovef #specialneedsyouth #empoweringyouth #filmindustry #worldyouth #visualartsnonprofit #501c3nonprofit
Take Youth by the Hand and Lead Them
When you see a child, take them by the hand and lead them to a future they never imagined they could never had. At Innov-E Foundation, this is what we are endeavoring to do. It could be a teen in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, or anywhere else in the world or a child with special needs that might not even be able to communicate. All these children need an opportunity to find their niche in life or find a way to put some of their energy into a productive way by acting, writing, singing, photography, film producer or film director. We want to help children, no matter their financial, physical or mental capability to that chance.
We are in preliminary planning stages of holding an online and live art auction in South Florida and we need finances to do this. We are a new non-profit and we want to help artists from the Caribbean get exposure for their paintings as well as raise funds for our next project. Right now we need $6500. If you would like to help the future youth of our country and the world, take the time to go to our website and donate to Innov-E Foundation. Qualified donations are tax-deductible.
“The potential possibilities of any child are the most intriguing and stimulating in all creation.”
~Ray L. Wilbur, third president of Stanford University
Creativity, Film and Youth in Developing Nations
Out of the world’s total population, 85% live in developing nations. Sixty percent of those live in the Asian region, while the birth rate in developing nations is presenting a negative growth rate. Yet 66% of the youth in the world live in countries that show a per capita income of less than one thousand (USD$1,000) dollars per year!
One would ask, “What do world youth desire?” A report for the United Nations Economic and Social Affairs reveals that they want opportunities to develop a sense of independence, competence and participation in society. However, there exists an estimated one billion illiterates in the world and women account for 66% (UN Report on Global Situations of Youth); such situations has led to studies on depression and suicide in developing nations by the W.H.O. that reveal that 75% of all suicides are committed by females.
Innov-E Foundation sought to identify a consensus of actions to be implemented worldwide in order to better environment, enhance competencies and secure active participation in society and it appears that it must include:
- Creation of safe and supporting environment
- Provide Information
- Build Skills
- Provide Counseling
To contribute to the process of nurturing creativity as a basis to the building of skills, and having learned that 50% of the world population have a mobile phone and that an increasing percentage of that total is of “smart phones”, providing video and photographic capabilities, Innov-E will provide specific information on creative use of audiovisual capabilities of mobile devices; encourage skill building in movie creation as a vehicle of expression and facilitate counseling to developing nations and special needs youth. In such pursuit we endeavor to identify best practices of leading institutions that share the same interest for the youth. One of these is the Sconniewood Film Festival in Wisconsin, which claims that: “Making films in America is one of the most creative outlets young people enjoy today. We believe the process of writing, vision planning, organizing people, project management, art direction, and carrying a project to the end can enhance the positive traits that empower young leaders to become successful. After the work is completed, students will then see how it all comes alive during the festival.”
In 2015, Innov-E Foundation is organizing the first “Developing Nations and Special Needs Youth Film Festival” and to that end, creating lasting opportunities for the talents to be discovered, Innov-E is opening up for contributions for the Film Scholarship Fund. Today, inspiring creative use of mobile devices has progressed from short films to feature films such as “Olive” by Hooman Khalili.
Thus, we invite you to help us bridge the gap, by promoting the waves of creativity in youth and build a better present and future for us all. Please contribute to Innov-E Foundation today. You will be so happy you did! Thank You!
The Leaders of Tomorrow
Our future depends on the positive impact we have on our youth today. At Innov-E Foundation we are striving to provide opportunities in the film making industry with youth in developing countries that may never have had a hope that they could do what they desired or dreamed of doing. Click to go to our website to learn more about Innov-E Foundation.
With so many youth now with special needs we are including these ‘special people’. If youth cannot speak but can write; cannot write but can sing; cannot sing but can dance, why not give them the chance to do what they love to do. Opening a new world to them could be the one thing that helps them socially, whether it’s to start speaking, interacting with others or whatever the situation.
The key is to creating an atmosphere of hope and creativity, helping youth throughout the world do what they would love to do, directing, acting, or producing films.
Won’t you join us in making an impact on the youth of today, the leaders of tomorrow by making a donation to Innov-E Foundation? Your qualifying donations are tax deductible.
“If we are to reach real peace in this world… we shall have to begin with children.” – Mahatma Gandhi
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