Page 7 - DC CCN Newsletter

WHO COUNTS? EQUITY & INCLUSION FORUM
Does visibility and representation matter among underserved populations? This question and more were discussed at two recent diversity presentations held at Penn State Beaver offered by its Committee on Diversity, Inclusion, & Equity. In line with PSU Beaver’s Humanities Institute’s Who Counts? initiative, the presentations looked specifically at three underrepresented groups – women of color, individuals who identify as LGBTQ+, and survivors of domestic violence – who often are not counted in America.
On February 24, Charlene Woods, CCN Data Specialist, and Roxanne Davis, CCN Adult Counselor, co-chair and member (respectively) of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV) Women of
Color Caucus, presented on issues that specifically affect women of color that often lead to under- or mis-representation.
Separately, on March 5, Jeremy Armstrong, CCN Development & Outreach Coordinator, and Kari Greenwood, CCN Mobile Advocate, presented at Penn State Beaver on the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and the experiences of the LGBTQ+ community. Jeremy and Kari led the training as co-chair and member (respectively) of the PCADV Gender & Sexual Justice Caucus.
Jeremy and Kari’s presentation, which centered around the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals, aimed to foster an active and open discussion with students, faculty, staff, and community members about what
diversity, equity, and inclusion mean; why all three concepts are both important and necessary; and how not being counted or seen, and instead being underrepresented, misrepresented or simply invisible, directly affects the lives of LGBTQ+ individuals. To allow the audience to more concretely understand these impacts, a special guest speaker, who identifies as a transgender man, was invited and shared his very personal and moving story with the attendees.
We sincerely appreciate the opportunity offered by Penn State Beaver and the Committee on Diversity, Inclusion, & Equity, to discuss these very important issues related to visibility and inclusion among “minoritized” populations.
The Northern
STAR
7
EPENNY NOMINATED FOR AMERICAN HUMANE HERO DOG AWARD!
XCITING NEWS! Penny, CCN Canine Advocate and founder of the PAWS FOR EMPOWERMENT program, is
nominated for the 2020 American Humane Hero Dog Award in the “Therapy Dog” category!
The American Humane Hero Dog Awards® is a nationwide competition recognizing the heroes on both ends of the leash each year. The category finalists (e.g., Law Enforcement, Search & Rescue, Service, etc.) will be honored at the star-studded awards gala in Los Angeles, which will be broadcast nationwide on Hallmark Channel’s Hero Dog Awards® later this fall. Seven incredible canines (one winner from each category) will be featured, but only one canine will be awarded the 2020 American Hero Dog title!
The first round of voting continues through Thursday, May 7, 2020 at 3:00p EDT, and folks can vote once per day! Please bookmark the following link, vote every day, and help us make Penny a Hero Dog!
http://herodogawards.org/dog/ penny-2/
ABOUT PENNY
Penny’s story starts humbly, as a shelter dog, when she was adopted by the director of Crisis Center North, a domestic violence counseling center in Pittsburgh. One day, when coming to visit the Center with her owner, Penny’s destiny became clear. In the waiting room, a young boy stood dejected. He had faced abuse in his home and had been in counseling for months, but he would never open up. That changed when he saw Penny. He ran up to her, petting her, words flying from his mouth about how he didn’t like counseling and how it hurt him to talk about what had happened.
Penny stared at him with her kind eyes and listened. It was at this moment her owner had an idea: She told the boy that Penny loved counseling and asked if she could go with him for his session. The boy excitedly agreed, and after it was over, his counselor said that he had made more progress in that hour than he had before in six months. He had begun to heal. Penny had found her calling.
Since 2010, Penny, as a canine advocate, has impacted countless lives through animal assisted therapy for victims, as well as court work to help give victims the strength they need to confront their abusers and seek justice. Her work has been recognized state-wide and nationally as an innovative way to address trauma with victims of crime.
“When I think about how Penny started in a shelter, but ended up making such a difference, it gives me hope,” said one client. “If Penny can come so far, then I think I can too.”
Vote for Penny!