Submitted By: Scott Carpenter *Fresh Voices are blog posts focused on domestic or sexual violence contributed by community members who believe in Alexandra House’s mission to empower victims of domestic and sexual violence, and inspire social change through education, support and advocacy. Would you like to contribute to Fresh Voices? Email Liz Meyers for more information! By now many … Continue reading »
While out speaking to community groups, I often get the question, “Are men allowed to come help out at the shelter?” I love this question because it gives me the opportunity to talk about what men can do to help end gender-based violence.
The answer? YES, men are allowed to come into the shelter as volunteers! After completing our interview process (which all volunteers do), men can fulfill a number of positions, including serving meals, helping with facility and maintenance projects, and providing childcare. Some guys do this on their own while others participate as part of a group – through a work or church project, for example.
Many of the families staying at the shelter are recovering from violence inflicted by a male partner. A common tactic of a male abuser is to enforce extremely rigid gender roles in order to ensure his female partner has little choice or freedom in the relationship. He may act like “king of the castle”, treating her like a servant, demanding she keep food on the table, the kids quiet, and the house cleaned…with little or no help from him. When she cannot meet these impossibly high standards, he uses that as justification to berate and punish her. And if she does manage to meet all these expectations, he may attack her – verbally or physically – for neglecting him. There is no way to win. Continue reading »
Last night I attended the first of two theatre performances and art exhibitions created by students at Columbia Heights and Spring Lake Park High Schools. Let me just tell you right off the bat…it was awesome. Continue reading »
February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. According to the Centers for Disease Control, about one in four teens reports verbal, physical, emotional, or sexual violence each year. In that light, I sat down with Kiley Lentsch, a violence prevention advocate at Alexandra House, to learn a bit more about her work and what she sees as the most pressing issues for the teens she works with. Kiley has been with Alexandra House for 2.5 years and she recently received her MA in Criminal Justice. Here’s what she had to say… Continue reading »
