MOSAIC VERMONT INC

ADVOCACY AND HEALING: OUR SERVICES ARE INDIVIDUALIZED, RECOGNIZING THAT EVERY PERSON DESERVES CARE THAT RESONATES WITH THEIR UNIQUE NEEDS. OUR WORK THIS YEAR TOOK PLACE IN OUR MOSAIC OFFICE, HOSPITAL ROOMS DURING SEXUAL ASSAULT NURSE EXAMINER (SANE) EXAMS, IN SAFE PLACES OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND AT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, ON WALKS OUTSIDE, IN SCHOOL SUPPORT OFFICES AND CLASSROOMS, AT A FILM SCREENING AND THEATER PERFORMANCE, IN WORKPLACES, IN TITLE IX MEETINGS, IN COFFEE SHOPS, IN POLICE STATIONS AND COURT ROOMS, AND IN OUR HOMES ON THE HELPLINE AFTER HOURS. WE STOOD BY SURVIVORS AS THEY NAVIGATED COMPLEX LEGAL AND BUREAUCRATIC SYSTEMS, AND HELPED THEM REBUILD TRUST BY CREATING A SAFE SPACE TO EXPLORE COMPLEX EMOTIONS AND PROCESS TRAUMA. OUR ADVOCATES PROVIDED MORE THAN 2,300 DIRECT RESPONSES TO PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN IMPACTED BY SEXUAL HARM. WE BELIEVE THAT ADVOCACY IS ABOUT MORE THAN JUST ACUTE, CRISIS RESPONSE; IT'S ABOUT NURTURING LONG-TERM, DEEP-ROOTED GROWTH THAT ENGAGES THE WHOLE PERSON AND THEIR RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. BY UNDERSTANDING THAT ADVOCACY AND HEALING ARE INTERRELATED, WE PROVIDE A HOLISTIC APPROACH THAT HONORS THE COMPLEX LAYERS OF RECOVERING FROM HARM, SUPPORTING SURVIVORS AS WHOLE PEOPLE. WE EXTENDED OUR CARE BEYOND HELPLINES, COURTROOMS, AND HOSPITALS, AND HELPED SURVIVORS BUILD IMPORTANT SYSTEMS OF HEALING BY EDUCATING AND EQUIPPING THEIR FRIENDS, FAMILY MEMBERS, AND OTHERS WHO INTERACT WITH AND IMPACT THEM. THIS YEAR, WE WERE ESPECIALLY EXCITED TO MOVE FURTHER IN THIS DIRECTION WITH A WIDE RANGE OF PROGRAMMING, INCLUDING A HEALING ART SUPPORT GROUP SERIES; RECREATING YOUR MASK WORKSHOP; YONI PAINTING WORKSHOP; COMMUNITY QUILT WORKSHOP FOR FOSTER YOUTH; LGBTQIA+ PRIDE CELEBRATION; STORYTELLING EVENT; BOOK CLUB; TAKE BACK THE NIGHT; AND MULTIPLE WRITING WORKSHOPS.

EDUCATION, TRAINING AND YOUTH EMPOWERMENT: THIS YEAR, WE EXPANDED OUR EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN THE COMMUNITY, PROVIDING TOOLS TO PREVENT HARM AND FOSTER ENVIRONMENTS WHERE ADULTS AND YOUTH CAN ACTIVELY SHIFT CULTURE AND SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER. BY FOCUSING ON VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND PROMOTING COLLECTIVE WELL-BEING, WE EMPOWERED INDIVIDUALS FROM A BROAD AGE-RANGE TO TAKE ACTION IN CREATING SAFER, MORE RESILIENT COMMUNITIES. THIS YEAR WAS OUR FIRST FULL YEAR AS THE NEW HOME FOR THE CENTRAL VERMONT NEW DIRECTIONS COALITION (CVNDC), ALLOWING US TO IMPLEMENT ANTI VIOLENCE AND ADDICTION PREVENTION INITIATIVES IN NEW WAYS THROUGHOUT WASHINGTON COUNTY. BY ADDRESSING THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS, VIOLENCE, AND ADDICTION, WE'VE TAKEN A MORE HOLISTIC APPROACH TO TACKLING MULTIPLE CRISES SIMULTANEOUSLY. OUR YOUTH EMPOWERMENT WORK IS COMMITTED TO AFFIRMING YOUTH VOICE AND POWER. MORE THAN 1,200 YOUTH FROM 9 SCHOOLS PARTICIPATED IN PREVENTION PROGRAMS, INCLUDING THE TAKE BACK THE NIGHT MARCH AND SPEAK OUT, AND THE BRIGHT LIGHTS PROGRAM YOUTH PEER ADVOCACY TRAINING. FIFTEEN STUDENT LEADERS FROM FOUR SCHOOLS WORKED TOGETHER ON VIOLENCE PREVENTION IN SCHOOLS, AND 80 STUDENTS ACROSS WASHINGTON COUNTY PARTICIPATED IN SEXUAL VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND AWARENESS CLUBS. WE ALSO PROVIDED SEXUAL VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAMS LET'S TALK SEX, CONSENT AND COOKIES, COACHING BOYS INTO MEN, AND ALCOHOL AND CONSENT, FACILITATED A BIPOC ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND OFFERED SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION PROGRAMS CLEARING THE AIR: THE TRUTH ABOUT VAPING AND THE MACHINE OF THE BODY.