Parents and Children come together to prevent Child Sexual Abuse

On Wednesday April 21, 2010 the Georgia Avenue Collaborative and the DC Rape Crisis Center (DCRCC) brought together adults, teens and children to break the silence and learn about preventing childhood sexual abuse. Melinda Coles, Kamilyah Cooper, and Kristen Hoyles all of the DCRCC facilitated the workshops that were designed to inform and engage participants of all ages around abuse warning signs, prevention and getting help. The workshops were divided into three groups:

      Parents and adult caregivers learned how to recognize signs of child sexual abuse and practiced techniques for talking to their children.   

      Teens aged 13-19 focused on developing healthy romantic, friend and family relationships. 

      Children from pre-kindergarten through 2^nd grade were treated to a “Good touch.  Bad touch” puppet show and learned the importance of telling a grown-up if they receive a bad touch and that it’s never a child’s fault.

In addition, a representative from the Metropolitan Police Department Special Victims Unit set up a table and shared information and resources for victims of stalking and abuse.

Parents and kids from the Concerned Parents of Petworth, Community Academy Public Charter School and Truesdale EC “Girls on the Run” Program participated in the event.

A special thank you to the DCRCC for providing the pizza and drinks to the families and to the Community Academy Public Charter School for hosting the event!

Blacks Making History Past, Present and Future

This event took place at the Emery Recreation Center on Saturday March 20,2010. Participants enjoyed various genres of music for all ages including rap, folk, gospel, jazz and blues.  There were also many community-based organizatios on hand to share resources and information inlcuding: Unisom Health, Washington Wizards, The US Census, Metropolitan Police Department, DC Department of the Enviornment and many others.  
In Collaboration with Pep Rally for Peace in the Streets, Rashad Prodcutions and ANC 4D.

2009 DC Family Education Expo.
The Georgia Avenue Collaborative hosted a table at the 2^nd Annual DC Family Education Expo on Saturday September 12, 2009.  The purpose of this event was to give parents tools and information to be more involved in their child(ren)s education.  For more information about this event, please visit their website at: http://www.dcfamilyeducationexpo.org/ 

Stop the Violence/Back to School Block Party
On Saturday September 19,2010 we hosted our second annual back to school event.  Parents and youth were able to come a enjoy free music, food, health screenings and gather resources and information to assist them with their education and preventing violence.  Many organizations were on hand to provide useful information to the community includinig: WEAVE, DHS, DC Department of Employment Services and others.   

Crossing the Lines Weekend Retreat -"Challenging the basis of Turf Beefs: A Call for Unity."
This weekend retreat of 20 young men from various Ward 1 and Ward 4 neighborhoods and their adult mentors took place Friday October 16, 2009 through Sunday October 19, 2009 Harper's Ferry, WV.  The goal of the event was to help the youth understand the history and dynamics of so-called "turf beefs" as well as to challenge and inspire them to take leadership roles in their communities.  The weekend gathering served as the starting point for designing and implementing a life-enhancing, enrichment program that will give youth a sense of belonging in their communities.  This event was result of a partnership with the following organizations that have been working along with us to prevent youth violence and establish a coordinated approach to safety and de-escalation:
      Adams Morgan Youth Assistance League
      Time Dollar Youth Court
    Mentoring Works 2, Inc.
    Columbia Heights/Shaw Family Support Collaborative

The Georgia Avenue Collaborative and 4th District MPD partner to host the 11th Annual Community Cookout.
The 11^th Annual Community Cookout took place on the field at Macfarland Middle School on Friday June 19, 2009.  The event featured music, food and activities for youth and families.  WPGC 95.5 FM was on hand to give away prizes and mingle with attendees. This event was not just about fun, but to also expose participants to other community-based organizations doing work in their neighborhood.  Residents had access to health screenings, resources and services from various organizations including: the Department of Employment Services; The Mary’s Center; The DC Metropolitan Police Department; The Woman’s Collective; Latin American Youth Center Youth Build Public Charter School; DC Healthy Families; Unity Health Care; Career Technical Institute and many others.  See pictures of the event here.

 A special thanks to Office Chante Brodie, Community Outreach Coordinator from the 4^th District MPD and to Office Catering for the donation of hot dogs and hamburgers.


Georgia Avenue Family Night.
As a part of Child Abuse Awareness Month, the Collaborative co-sponsored the Family Night event along with the DC Rape Crisis Center on April 1, 2009.  This event was designed to increase the awareness of sexual violence in the community.  The activities were split up into three separate, age appropriate groups: a workshop for parents, a puppet show for young children and a discussion group for teens.  The parents' workshop focused on defining sexual abuse as well as recognizing the signs and what to do if their child has been abused.  The children were treated to a "good touch, bad touch" puppet show and the teens discussed sexuality, violence and intimidation in relationships and how to talk with their parents if they or a friend needs help.  All the participants received resources on how to access the various services at the DC Rape Crisis Center.