Please join us for the Third Annual Faith Walk for Charity
1 Mile Walk
2pm Sunday, October 5, 2008
Colt State Park, Bristol RI
Click here to register! Click here to donate!
All donations will be given to the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence (www.ricadv.org)
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| FWC 2007 (photo by Paul Cote) |
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| FWC 2006 (Photo by Paul Cote) |
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What do Jews, Muslims, and all manner of Christians have in common? They all think it's a good idea to help people in need.
Faith Walk for Charity exists in order to accentuate this common value. Every
year, Faith Walk for Charity draws together people from a wide
diversity of religious traditions to do something good together—to help
a chosen group of neighbors in need. An advisory board consisting of
leading clergy and lay people from a wide variety of faith groups meets
once annually to select a charitable cause and beneficiary to support.
Started in 2006, Faith Walk for Charity has drawn together in each of the last
two years nearly 200 Rhode Islanders from a wide variety of religious
traditions to walk one mile together—led by clergy from the Jewish,
Catholic, Muslim, Baptist, and Episcopal faiths.
Nearly $50,000 has been raised so far. In 2006, the cause was homelessness in Rhode Island, and all moneys donated went to Crossroads-RI. In 2007, the cause was the hungry in Rhode Island; all donations were given to the RI Community Food Bank.
This year, the cause is children who have been victims of domestic
violence. All donations will be given to the Rhode Island Coalition
Against Domestic Violence, and will be earmarked for programs and
services—like temporary shelter, counseling, and therapy—to support
children who have been victims or witnesses of domestic violence. To
learn more about the RI Coalition Against Domestic Violence, please
visit www. ricadv.org
About Child Victims of Domestic Violence
We
all want our children to think of "home" as a safe and secure place.
Child victims of domestic violence do not have this opportunity. Their
homes are confusing and violent realities that teach the wrong way to
deal with negative emotions and conflict. This often leads to a host of
future problems, like substance abuse and the perpetuation of more
violent behavior. Further, child victims of domestic violence
internalize negativity, which often leads to long term physical
ailments like ulcers, PTSD and depression.
Children learn from
watching their parents interact. Ideally, children observe and learn
that marriages are partnerships between two people based on respect and
love, not dominance and control. Child victims of domestic violence
witness abuse resulting from an imbalance of power. They therefore
develop misguided ideas about partnerships, which often leads to
unhealthy and violent relationships later in life.
Violence is
a learned behavior. To stop the cycle of violence, child victims of
domestic violence need help -- like temporary shelter, counseling, and
therapy -- to give them a chance to learn about healthy relationships. |
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