Earlier this week we promised an introduction to SARA and I’m ecstatic that the time has finally come to share this information with you. I’m not quite sure where to start this post because there’s a lot of information coming your way. So how about we just get started and see where we end up? Ready . . . GO . . .
I have a personal history with abuse. As a female growing up with the abuse happening during some of my most impressionable years, I hate to say that it shaped who I am today, but I definitely wouldn’t be the same person I am now if I grew up any differently. I’ve finally gotten to a point in my life where I can say that I’ve dealt with my past as best as I know how and there isn’t a single Law & Order: SVU episode that doesn’t anger me for all the right reasons. Keep all this in the back of your mind for a minute while I tell you a different part of the story.
We had logo bags made for the shop (Thank you, Stephanie of Flip Flop Embroidery Shop!). When they finally arrived and I was unpacking the box I was running some of my ideas by employees and customers.
At first I thought about giving the bags away with a purchase over a certain amount. Then I thought we could sell them and offer a reward of some kind to encourage folks to bring them back consistently. Susan schooled me on what the co-op does with the chips and the charity options. And then a voice spoke up and said “Have you heard of SARA?”
For the next few moments we had a customer share her personal story of abuse with us and then educated us on SARA. “SARA saved my life,” is exactly what she said and immediately I thought, “how is SARA not more well-known?” There’s a disgusting statistic of “1 in 3″ for those that are unaware and it stands for both of the following: “1 in 3 women in the world will be raped, beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in her life” AND “up to 1 in 3 victims of sexual assault and at least 1 in 3 victims of family violence and abuse is male.” With it being THAT frequent, SARA needs to be known and available and shared and supported.
So we’re going to do our part and hope that you’ll help us spread the love instead of the hate . . . after all . . . that’s what us hippies are known for, isn’t it? Next time you’re in the shop, pick up a bag – spend the $2 for a super-cute bag that you can use for everything and know that 50% of the proceeds will be going straight to SARA. If you’d like more information, stop by the shop and take a look at the literature we have on hand. If you feel moved to make a donation, we have the address to send them to or you can always bring your donation by the shop and we’ll deliver it all for you as often as we need to. Right now, SARA is non-profit and operated by just 2 women. They need help. They need funding. They need us. All of us.
If you need more, Teresa has given us permission to post her contact information here along with the hotline that you will hopefully never need to use:
Teresa C. Berry, LPC LMFT CMT
Executive Director of SARA, Inc.
540-345-7273 (office)
540-981-9352 (hotline)
