Another beautiful day in Ruskin, Fl!
This morning, we made our way into Tampa to the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay for a morning of education and training. When we arrived, we received a tour of their wonderful facilities from one of their four Victim Advocates named Grace. We were able to tour their Sexual Assault Services which included a family waiting area, examination room, counseling room, and on-site closet filled with brand new clothes for victims. Following the tour, we were educated through a PowerPoint given by a second Victim Advocate named Roxana. During her presentation, Roxana gave an overview of the many services provided by the Crisis Center, as well as defining various power-based violence scenarios and how to identify a victim that may be experiencing a crisis. Our second presentation was given by Isabelle, a third Victim Advocate. Isabelle's presentation was actually a miniature training session taken from the Green Dot Bystander Initiative which encompasses further training on being a bystander and how to respond to situations by "distracting, directing, and delegating". During the training, we were given scenario situations and had to critically think through them in order to find the best way to diffuse the situation. The staff at the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay was so welcoming and helpful, and we had a successful morning of learning. Following the presentations, we ate a yummy packed lunch at the picnic tables outside the Crisis Center as we enjoyed the warm weather and sunshine! After lunch, we had a short service project to complete for the Crisis Center, which consisted of putting together folders and pamphlet information for volunteers, victims, and secondary victims.
When we arrived back at the Ruskin Campus, we had a few hours to catch some more rays, get some studying in (if necessary), or read a few chapters in a book. We all took advantage of this time to reflect on our morning as we snacked on the patio. Early in the evening, we set out on our second adventure of the day to the Learn to Fish recovery center, which was located in Bradenton. The Learn to Fish recovery center operates around the quote, "give a girl a fish, feed her for a day; teach a girl to fish, feed her for a lifetime". It is a faith-based, non-profit, residential recovery center for women and their children. The center empowers women and supports them in all aspects in order for them to fully recover from a lifetime of abuse and trauma. As usual, the first thing we did was get a tour of their facilities, and met some of the women and their adorable children that were at the home. Over many boxes of Little Caesar's Pizza, we were able to connect and share with the women as we traded stories of our pasts, and what we hoped for in our futures. The women were so encouraging of us and our goals, and we were inspired by their capacity to remain joyful and strong after all they had been through. We got so carried away talking with all of them, that it turned into a later night than we had expected. Overall, we were so grateful to have the chance to talk to the women and hear their stories personally.
We ended our night with a creative reflection time that involved the production of our very first Ruskin ABST scrapbook that we hope will become a tradition for the trips to come!
With love,
Dacey and Rachel
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