BE PART OF A RECORD-BREAKING DAY ON OCTOBER 22ND AND STOP ABUSE

Start Strong is a partnership of CAEPV Member Blue Shield of California Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. How fitting during October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month to start the largest-ever national initiative to reach out to 11-14 year olds to promote healthy relationships and prevent abusive ones. . before they start!

On October 22nd, we are on a national mission to define a healthy relationship. It’s urgent, and we need YOUR input. Too many people are finding themselves in violent, abusive and damaging relationships. By looking at what a healthy relationship is — how to have them, build them and keep them — we can end abuse.

Be a part of this RECORD BREAKING day. Start Strong’s goal is to get as many people as we can across the country (teens, adults, parents, grandparents, anyone and everyone!) to tell us what they think about healthy relationships.

Below are ways that you can participate on October 22nd. A few minutes of your time can make a lasting difference in someone’s life.

1- Help us spread the word by forwarding this email to your friends and family.
2- Go to http://www.startstrongteens.org/ and give us your relationship feedback. We need to know what you know.
3- IMPORTANT! Post a conversation starter to your Facebook (http://tinyurl.com/yfxr7yl or Twitter profile. This will have a major impact. For example:

(insert name) how do you start strong? Join the conversation http://tinyurl.com/tothestreets

(insert name) is on a mission to define a healthy relationship. Join the conversation http://tinyurl.com/tothestreets

(insert name) is wondering how do you define a healthy relationship. Tell us how to Start Strong before it ends wrong http://tinyurl.com/tothestreets

Thank you for doing your part to make sure that violence and abuse are never tolerated.

The Start Strong Community


Start Strong: Building Healthy Teen Relationships is the largest initiative ever funded to target 11-to-14-year-olds and rally entire communities to promote healthy relationships as the way to prevent teen dating violence and abuse. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Blue Shield of California Foundation are investing in communities across the country to discover the most promising pathways to stop dating violence and abuse before it starts.

Learn more about us at http://www.startstrongteens.org/.

Violently Ill - HR Executive Online Features Domestic Violence As A Workplace Issue

HR Executive Online has done a great article with accompanying information and resources on the impact of domestic violence on the workplace. I spent a lot of time talking with Jared Shelly, the journalist who wrote the piece and coordinated the “extras” and he worked very hard to make sure he had something that would really help their readers understand how domestic violence impacts the workplace, what companies are currently doing about it, and what interest HR Executives can do about it.

He chose an interesting title for his piece, “Violently Ill.” At first I was taken aback by the title. But as I thought about it, it made sense. Jared wanted his readers to understand that for victims of domestic violence, their work absences due to domestic violence can be because of the violent nature of the situation they are in at home.

Featured in the article are CAEPV Members State Farm Insurance Companies, Verizon Wireless, Blue Shield of California Foundation, and CIGNA (which not only provides EAP services for Verizon Wireless, but also has its own program).

While Macy’s is not a Corporate Alliance member, we are very happy to have member of Macy’s Employee Relations area on our board of directors.

Finally, I honor the State Farm employee who chose to share her story with Jared. She is amazing – and as she shares, she helps more employers and employees know that they are not alone and that this issue is “Everybody’s Business.”

Thanks to HR Exec Online for highlighting domestic violence as a workplace issue, thanks to Jared Shelly for working so hard to make sure he got the story and the resources out there, and thanks to the employers who are willing to do something about this and share their experiences with others!