HELPLINE IS SOCIALIZING FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
Improving the Lives of Girls & Women
Delaware, OH– HelpLine of Delaware and Morrow Counties, Inc. (HelpLine) and Youth to Youth is excited to highlight a program made possible by the Women’s Fund of Central Ohio that is socializing for social change. Thank Goodness I’m Female (TGIF) tackles relational aggression amongst girls within the Buckeye Valley and Westerville school districts. A teen led and developed approach, this initiative changes attitudes and behaviors that support or justify female bullying amongst girls.
Buckeye Valley High School student Abbey Fields implemented a youth-developed survey on female bullying, which indicated “…89% of female students surveyed have felt excluded, had a rumor spread about them…” This pervasive form of bullying is impacting thousands of girls throughout the state.
The initiative is gaining momentum and just received Ohio Department of Education’s 2011 Asset Builder Award to School-based Youth Group award. The ultimate goal of the TGIF project among Genoa and Buckeye Valley Middle Schools’ girls is to catalyze long term social transformation through open dialogue, skill building, a social-norm campaign, and social networking “Youtube-like” videos to change aggressive attitudes as well as behaviors among girls.
HelpLine and Youth to Youth are hosting “Socializing for Social Change”, an evening of information and discussion with special guest speaker Debra Penzone from Charles Penzone Salons – we expect over 100 people to attend. The community awareness event will be held on December 5, 2011 from 5:45 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Delaware County Board of Developmental Disabilities – 7991 Columbus Pike, Lewis Center, Ohio 43035. Parking is in the back of the building.
Dinner will be provided starting at 5:45 p.m. and the program itself will start at 6:30 p.m. in the East Wing, Room 165.
The event will consist of youth-led and developed presentations about relational aggression (female bullying) & the TGIF programs’ accomplishments and future plans. The evening also includes a chance to engage in cross-generational sharing with TGIF students, interactive activities and a special guest speaker.
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About HelpLine
HelpLine of Delaware and Morrow Counties, Inc. is a private, non-profit organization that provides a 24-hour crisis support hotline, information and referral to direct services and advocacy, and serves as the area’s only volunteer center. Committed to empowering people through knowledge, support and resources, HelpLine facilitates stability and self-sufficiency through linkage to services, crisis management, and mental health related & violence prevention education in Delaware and Morrow County communities.
HelpLine is a contract provider of the Delaware-Morrow Mental Health & Recovery
Services Board and partially funded by the Council for Older Adults. A United Way
Agency, HelpLine is accredited by the American Association of Suicidology, National
Alliance of Information & Referral Systems and certified by the Ohio Department of
Mental Health. For more information, please visit: www.HelpLinedelmor.org.
Contacts:
Sue Hanson, Executive Director
740.363.1835, ext. 107
E-mail: shanson@helplinedelmor.org
