“I’ve learned that people will forget
what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget
how you made them feel.” These words spoken by Maya Angelou, clearly align with
the work of an advocate, as advocates help survivors validate their feelings,
discover their strengths, learn to choose for themselves, and work towards
change.
Entering into the first Saturday morning
of advocate training, I slowly became awakened to the role of advocacy and its
roots within empowerment. As advocates, we are in the unique position of being a
witness to individual stories, to listening with an open heart, and engaging in
a process where individual survivors begin to regain their own personal power.
The first training presentation, through
the National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI), quickly got a room of thirty trainees
to wake-up, clap, cheer, and be recognized for characteristics that define, and
give meaning to who they are. I was recognized as an oldest child, someone born
in a state other than Montana, and a woman. I was immediately engaged. I laughed,
waved, and smiled as if I were on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. It was clear that
the presentation was meant to recognize all of the diversity within the room,
while simultaneously creating space for unknown traits and experiences that piece
together to make our own individual story. It broke down stereotypes while
giving us the tools to understand our own biases and perceptions when we approach
others. They identified labels we make for ourselves and each other, illustrating
how we interact within and outside the caucuses in which we engage. Subsequent
presentations built off the NCBI presentation, forming a foundation of
invaluable knowledge needed to volunteer and provide services.
Advocacy training lasts more than two
weeks, which equals over forty hours spent within the YWCA’s center room. For
those forty hours, thirty trainees, including myself, had the chance to interact
and listen to numerous stories revolving around the issues of domestic violence
and sexual assault. The stories and training delve deeper into the issues, and
create a holistic picture of how domestic violence relates to other human
rights topics such as homelessness, culture assimilation, and mental
health. Throughout training, we learned
about the services provided within Missoula that aim to address these issues.
However, more importantly, we learned how to advocate for survivors that come
to us with varying experiences and stories.
When training concludes on October 3rd,
I am confident that I will have the necessary tools to become an engaged
advocate working to empower survivors and their children.
Posted by Jessica, YWCA Missoula Advocate Trainee
