August 2022 Newsletter

Thank you for making our Drea Kelly events so successful!   A Safe Place would like to thank all who joined us at The Unitarian Universalist Meeting House Wednesday, July 13th for our annual community summer event featuring our guest speaker, Drea Kelly. Drea is the former wife of R&B Singer, R. Kelly. She is a domestic violence survivor and advocate and more importantly a dancer, choreographer and actress. She gave an emotional and moving account of what it was like to leave her abuser 18 years ago with three small children with only $2500 and a duffle bag with their necessities. One of the biggest take aways from Drea’s story is that when you hear that someone is in an abusive relationship, think twice before saying “just leave”. It is more complicated than “just leaving” and often survivors need a place to go, resources, and financial assistance.    Drea joined us the following day on July 14th to once again share her powerful story, this time in the White Elephant Ballroom for our annual fundraising luncheon. This event is one of only a few major fundraisers that A Safe Place holds each year that helps us provide all survivor services completely free of charge. The day would not have been possible without all of our generous Sponsors, Donors, Events Committee, Volunteers, and Luncheon Chair, Kathy Orciuoli.     A Special THANK YOU to our Drea Kelly Luncheon Table Sponsors:   Linda Hoey/Marcia Anderson Jessie Brescher/Katie Glidden Deb Van Dyke/Roberta Reis Barbara Hajim/Kathy Penske Tracy Flannery/Joan Gulley Katie Grover Jane Loose Jane Carlin Kathy Orciuoli Nan Geschke Jeanne Cohane Karen Rainwater Deedie McCarthy Paula Swain

What A Safe Place has been up to…   Our staff team has been busy working on various projects, participating in trainings and meetings, and continuing to support survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Here are just a few of the things we have been up to in recent months:  A Safe Place’s Advocates, Tania Pereira and Frejae Burrows, attended the Massachusetts Women of Color Network’s 6th Annual Conference in Beverly, MA. This year’s theme was “We Belong Here”. Tania and Frejae were able to participate in workshops and network with other women of color working in the domestic and sexual violence field in Massachusetts. A Safe Place’s Bilingual Advocate, Adaluz Paz, was featured as a guest speaker for  El Mundo Boston Newspaper. Adaluz and Dr. Feliz Torres discussed domestic and sexual violence and its effect on mental health.  (The live show was conducted in Spanish but English subtitles are available on Youtube).

Check out this video created by Children’s Cove, the Cape and Islands Child Advocacy Center to bring awareness of child sexual exploitation happening in our communities. Please note that in 2021 they received an 86% increase in child sexual exploitation referrals from the Cape, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard. It happens here and it often happens in plain sight. Learn more, do more.   More information about Child Sexual Exploitation can be found on their website:  https://www.childrenscove.org/child-abuse/sexual-exploitation/

Meet our Summer High School Intern, Austin Durkin!   Austin is a long time summer visitor of Nantucket. He is a rising senior at Regis High School in Manhattan, NYC. Austin heads his school’s math team and competes with the debate team as well. Austin has worked with several domestic abuse and prevention education groups in New York and has served as a teen ambassador for the One Love Foundation, a national non-profit organization with the goal of ending relationship abuse. Austin takes advantage of the great bike paths and fishing spots on island when he is not working or volunteering. During his time with A Safe Place, Austin has been learning more about the work we do to support the Nantucket community. We’re happy to have you with us, Austin, and thank you for all you do!

A Safe Place held a personal care supply drive  for our clients and their families. We received an astounding number of supplies including diapers, shampoo, body wash, laundry detergent and so much more.Thank you to all that donated. We appreciate your generosity! Pictured to the left are staff members Suzanne Fronzuto and Iris Shore.