Community Connections
The Places We Connect to That Help Us Change the Narrative
Thrilled to have been asked to add our culturally-informed curriculum in a format that will fit within the DV/SA certification training that should be updated by end of 2022! What a splendid way to get equip new advocates with the right way to productively approach and assist Black women in crisis.
As of the 2020 data of vital statistics, IDHHS serves 3.1 million Iowans annually. IDHHS has collaborated with us for the 2nd consecutive year for the STOP VAWA federal grant. This funding allows us to deliver FREE training to Centers of Trust and Centers of Must.
Children and Families of Iowa:
Domestic Violence Program Project
Children and Families of Iowa's (CFI) annual report for 2021-2022 reflects having served over 22K individuals in their combined departments, including DV (domestic violence) services. With a net that large across this state, as well as being the only DV shelter within Polk County, the treatment of Black women being impacted by CFire LLC's work is critical.
Therefore, CFI's leadership team agreeing to let us lead their efforts on improving their services to DV victim-survivors of color and their families is incredibly exciting. We will be doing equity work from policies and practices to mindsets and bias, as well as
This publication has a nearly 4K+ readership and is a staple of communication within the greater DSM area. It is read in Iowa, and other states nationally, as well as other countries. CFire LLC's monthly articles since 2021 to educate Black women and its community on what DV truly looks when it attacks our women. This collaboration provides access to inform our community directly while simultaneously expanding the knowledge of CFire LLC's work within it.
So excited to be collaborating with this organization to restructure a campaign for Make it Okay Campaign for the Black Iowan community! Executive Director, Jami Haberl, and her team recognize that we need to build the vehicle to reach our community.
The committee has been assembled and will soon begin its work to create the marketing strategy to provide to our project marketing expert to implement in early 2023.
Why am I collaborating in this manner? Social entrepreneurship, Beloved! When we make mental health support more accessible to the Black community, we increase direct support to DV victims in active crisis and survivors for long-term mental health issues caused by DV, as well as provide indirect support by helping heal folks who are or may become perpetrators.
Eleven24 and Owner, Tonjie Reese
Youth: Prevent DV, Learn Healthy Relationships
Many Black women start off as Black girls. How are we helping our Black girls understand healthy relationships? Through our partnership with Eleven24.org and their incredible program for doing just that. Who better to learn from than a Black woman? Our sister nonprofit pilot, Courageous Access, with this curriculum was well-received by the youth participants and easily applied to real-life circumstances. CFire LLC is looking to partner this curriculum its mission by getting it into our schools as a part of the education process, as well as partnering with the juvenile correctional system to help our youth utilize this information to choose healthy relationships and behavior - we want to see our Black girls given positive alternatives to the prison pipeline.
We were thrilled to have our first company-based initiatives be conducted here at Nationwide Insurance!
The speaking engagement commissioned by the All Women's Associate Resource Group made such an impact on the professional lives and personal wellbeing of women, that we were asked to create a workshop series to help participants find their passion, strengths, and allow those to direct their professional purpose. We tend to utilize other reasons and occupy careers for decades. Participation helped some women change that narrative, some earning thousands more annually in doing so!
The Claims Total Loss Department of 100+ associates and leaders needed to improve performance. We facilitated and ran a positive psychology initiative for 21 days. Positivity changed that narrative by improving performance and increasing employee wellbeing.
We conducted 1 in-house pilot and are happy to continue offering these should the opportunity to partner be presented again. We were thrilled to bring empowerment after DV to Black women dealing with homelessness, addiction, and other barriers that brought them to this setting.