Family Justice Center Sonoma County (FJCSC)

Just a few of the dedicated staff and partners of the FJCSC wearing their denim in honor of Denim Day 2021 today! We believe survivors. #denimday2021

Repost from @iamempwr: Levels of oppression & privilege are impactful in our society, and this includes in our relationships. We cannot talk about intimate partner relationships without acknowledging the ways perpetrators take advantage of existing systems of oppression to further control & abuse their partners. ... If you have experienced this, we believe you. Your identities should never be weaponized against you. You are heard and held in this space.

We are hard at work putting the final pieces together for our first-ever virtual fundraiser and silent auction, "Hope Is Not Cancelled" tonight! Join us at 5:00 p.m. either on Facebook Live or at our event website https://fjcsonomacounty.cbo.io to be a Hope-Giver to those we serve in our community. See you soon!

The Family Justice Center Sonoma County is delighted to announce that Marsha Lucien has been selected as the new Executive Director for the Family Justice Center of Sonoma County, effective December 1, 2020. District Attorney Ravitch stated I am thrilled that we have found someone with the enthusiasm and the depth of experience and knowledge that Marsha brings to this position. Ms. Lucien holds a Master of Business Administration and a BS in Business Administration. She w...as formerly a Division Director for Volunteers of America Northern California/Northern Nevada from 2012 until accepting this position. She has also worked with non-profit organizations serving the veteran community and served as a probation officer with the counties of Solano and Alameda. Ms. Lucien has extensive experience in trauma informed care, administration of collaborative programs, fundraising and grant writing. Caroline Fowler, the President of the Family Justice Center Foundation Board stated The board is very excited to welcome Marsha as our new Executive Director and look forward to working with her to continue and grow the services provided at the Family Justice Center. The Family Justice Center is holding a Virtual Fundraiser, Hope is Not Cancelled on December 11, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. during which Ms. Lucien will be virtually introduced to the community. To sign up to participate in the event and silent auction go to: https://fjcsonomacounty.cbo.io starting December 7, 2020.

This #GivingTuesday we ask that you would consider giving to the Family Justice Center Sonoma County. Experts around the world are calling domestic violence the "Pandemic within the Pandemic", and we can testify that we have certainly experienced this to be true. Our services are needed now more than ever to provide a lifeline of safety, hope, and healing to victims of domestic violence, child abuse, elder abuse, and sexual assault who aren't safe at home. Whether you are able to give $5 or $500, each cent given will go directly to support our clients. Thank YOU for being a hope-giver this season! https://www.facebook.com/donate/291335015606603/

A repost from poet @rupikaur_ that says it perfectly. page 55 from home body people who have survived abusive relationships often get asked:... But why didn’t you just leave!? or I can’t believe you stayed so long what these questioners don’t understand is that abuse changes the brain. it impacts a person’s psyche and their ability to make decisions. it changes their perspective. when a person is attacked physically. verbally. or mentally by their partner their free will breaks down. they are robbed of their confidence and security. their reality warps. they can’t just leave. the abuser has convinced them into feeling eternally trapped. they believe their abuser when they say god i’d stop hurting you if you just.... this leaves the survivor feeling they have some control over the abusers behavior ... they don’t. there are layers and layers and layers to this. i’ve spent yearsssss trying to peel these layers back- yet year after year more layers show up. abuse is complicated. talking about it is hard. so when we’re having these conversations in our daily lives let’s do more listening - and less talking at survivors. #homebody

A repost from poet @rupikaur_ that says it perfectly. page 55 from home body people who have survived abusive relationships often get asked:... But why didn’t you just leave!? or I can’t believe you stayed so long what these questioners don’t understand is that abuse changes the brain. it impacts a person’s psyche and their ability to make decisions. it changes their perspective. when a person is attacked physically. verbally. or mentally by their partner their free will breaks down. they are robbed of their confidence and security. their reality warps. they can’t just leave. the abuser has convinced them into feeling eternally trapped. they believe their abuser when they say god i’d stop hurting you if you just.... this leaves the survivor feeling they have some control over the abusers behavior ... they don’t. there are layers and layers and layers to this. i’ve spent yearsssss trying to peel these layers back- yet year after year more layers show up. abuse is complicated. talking about it is hard. so when we’re having these conversations in our daily lives let’s do more listening - and less talking at survivors. #homebody

The FJCSC joins with so many in our community today who honor and grieve the loss of Art Ibleto, Sonoma County’s very own Pasta King. Art was a loyal and dedicated supporter of our mission in both word and deed. When we first opened our doors, Art was there to provide his famous pasta and warm presence. We are so grateful for the memories and legacy he leaves behind. Pasta King, you will be missed.

Today is the first day of Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. As we head into the holiday season in this uniquely devastating and challenging year, please take a moment to help those in need. According to the National Law Center on Homelessness and Prevention, the top five causes of homelessness among unaccompanied individuals is (1) lack of affordable housing, (2) unemployment, (3) poverty, (4) mental illness and the lack of needed services, and (5) substance abuse and the lack of needed services. For women in particular, however, domestic violence is a leading cause. The Homeless Outreach Team at the Family Justice Center of Sonoma County has had a significant increase in demand since the pandemic started. If you want to address these issues locally, consider donating to us at www.fjcsc.org

People often ask, why didn’t she just leave?. This is never a helpful question. There are so many reasons that victims don’t immediately leave the relationship, but a very common reason is that they are expertly aware of how dangerous it is for them to leave. The first 3 months after leaving an abusive relationship is actually the most dangerous time for a victim. Maybe the question we need to ask is, what are we doing as a society to promote safety in those first 3 months?. If you are in this position, call us. Trained advocates can help you to safety plan.

[Español abajo] Every Friday in October is Wear Purple Day for Domestic Violence Awareness Month at the FJC. Enjoy these photos of some FJC staff and VOICES members, and look for a collage at the end of the month of everyone who participated! Ayer fue Día de vestir de morado para la Concientizacíon la Violencia Domèstica. Disfruten de estas Doris de algunos miembros del personal del FJC y miembros de VOICES. Al final del mes, habrà un collage de fotos con todos los que pa...rticuparon cada viernes. #dvam #domesticviolenceawarenessmonth

Did you know that 21-60% of domestic violence victims lose their jobs due to reasons stemming from the abuse?Financial abuse is common form of control used in relationships with domestic violence. These are just a few examples of financial abuse. In America, victims of intimate partner violence lose a total of 8 million days of paid work each year. If you are experiencing financial abuse in your intimate relationship, we are here to help. Call us at (707) 565-8255 between Monday and Friday from 8:30-4:30, or the YWCA’s 24/7 Domestic Violence Hotline at (707) 546-1234.

You (yes, you!) are invited to the FJC Sonoma County’s first ever Survivor Open Mic Night & Candlelit Vigil tomorrow evening, hosted by our FJC VOICES of Sonoma County advocacy group. Our virtual gathering will be held from 6:00-7:15 p.m. This event is open to both survivors of intimate partner violence and the community. What to bring: Yourself! A candle... You’re welcome to bring piece of creative expression to share (poem, short story, song, art, etc.), but you can also just sit back and soak it all in. Please message us or email Kelsey at [email protected] to receive the Zoom link!

Reminder about our Restorative Yoga for Survivors TODAY! Please message us or e-mail Kelsey at [email protected] to receive the Zoom link. See you there!

Repost from @amusedblog...one of our treasured members of FJC VOICES of Sonoma County, our survivor advocacy group. Community is such an amazing thing! It is a powerful thing. Community is more than knowing your neighbors, or mail person (though, that is a great place to start).... Community is collaboration. Community is having a collection of shared resources. Community is interdependent strength: a common unity. Community is uniting a group of people from various backgrounds and walks of life to come together for a common goal. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. As someone who has had to advocate for myself to escape an abusive relationship, and gone through a 16 month process (!!) of obtaining a five year restraining order, I can testify just how much community means to me. It takes a village, y’all. And I am so very thankful for it. ... Victims of domestic violence here in SoCo also have a need: to be understood, advocated for, and supported. As a proud member of the local chapter of VOICES, a national survivor advocacy group, I will be sharing domestic violence stats and resources this month. I will also be sharing my essays on the subject. If you, or someone you know is in a relationship that isn’t healthy, is dangerous, or toxic, please know that there is a community that is here to support and help you, myself included. My DMs are open, and I will always respect your privacy. Who keeps us safe? We keep us safe! #dvam #weareher #whyireported #domesticviolenceawarenessmonth #santarosalove #SoCoNaLove @fjcsonomacounty

[Español abajo] Healing and thriving after experiencing abuse IS possible, but it is not always a straight line. If you are feeling like you take 3 steps forward, 2 steps back, that is very normal when recovering from trauma. Be gentle with yourself and know you are not alone. If you are interested in receiving updates and invitations to ongoing healing events and activities at the Family Justice Center, please send us a message so that we can add you to our list! Sanar y pro...sperar después de sufrir un abuso ES posible, pero no siempre es una línea recta. Si sientes que das 3 pasos hacia adelante, 2 pasos hacia atrás, eso es muy normal cuando te vas recuperando de un trauma. Sé amable contigo mismo y recuerda que no estás solx. Si estás interesadx en recibir actualizaciones e invitaciones a eventos y actividades de sanación por el Centro de Justicia Familiar, envíenos un mensaje para agregarlx a nuestra lista. #dvam #domesticviolenceawarenessmonth See more

Trigger Warning: physical violence/domestic violence homicide. Advertencia de contenido: Homicidio / suicidio por violencia doméstica. [Español abajo] While this statistic is frightening, it is true. Your safety is our priority. If you are in a domestic violence situation, please call us Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30 at (707) 565-8255 or the YWCA 24/7 hotline at (707) 546-1234 to safety plan with a trained advocate.... Esta estadística es aterradora, y desafortunadamente verdadera. Su seguridad es nuestra prioridad. Si se encuentra en una situación de violencia doméstica, llámenos de lunes a viernes de 8:30am a 4:30pm al (707) 565-8255 o a la línea directa de la YWCA 24/7 al (707) 546-1234 para planificar su seguridad. #dvam #domesticviolenceawarenessmonth

Join us tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. for a 1 hour Domestic Violence 101 Webinar via Zoom. Open to the community! You can find us here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2638370281 Meeting ID: 263 837 0281 Passcode: fjc2020 ... One tap mobile +16699006833 See more

Trigger warning: Domestic Violence homicide/suicide. [Español abajo] In a tragic trend that only continues, 2019 found that 65% of all murder-suicides in our country involved an intimate partner. It is too early to meaningfully evaluate these statistics for 2020, but evidence points to a sharp increase in domestic violence murder-suicides this year. Domestic violence is serious and leads to death for far too many. We are committed to helping you through the services offered ...by our center and partners. Please, if you are living in fear, call or email us at (707) 565-8255 or [email protected]. For 24/7 assistance, contact our partner YWCA at their hotline (707) 546-1234. If it is an emergency, always call 911. You are not alone. We believe you. En una tendencia trágica que solo continúa, el 2019 encontró que el 65% de todos los asesinatos-suicidios en nuestro país involucraron a una pareja íntima. Es demasiado pronto para evaluar de manera significativa estas estadísticas para el 2020, pero la evidencia apunta a un fuerte aumento en los asesinatos-suicidios por violencia doméstica este año. La violencia doméstica es grave y lleva a la muerte a demasiadas personas. Estamos comprometidos a ayudar a través de los servicios que ofrecemos por el FJC. Por favor, si vive con miedo, llámenos o envíenos un correo electrónico al (707) 565-8255 o [email protected]. Para asistencia las 24 horas, los 7 días de la semana, comuníquese con nuestro socio YWCA en su línea directa: (707) 546-1234. Si es una emergencia, siempre llame al 911. No estas solx. Nosotros creemos en ti.