CHAPTER CO-CHAIRS:  Mary Johnson         

                                         ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

                                         Emily Cahn    

                                         ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )         

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

TWO SPECIAL EVENTS INSPIRED BY THE WOMEN OF COURAGE AND INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

March 13  A special Breakfast with Nobel Prize Winner Lehma Ghowee from Liberoa. $50 See MORE

March 15  Meet the 2013 Women of Courage--FREE -- at the Joan Kroc Center.  See MORE

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

At the AWIU Annual Meeting for 2013 on January 26, Mary was inspired by the speaker Teri Reese.  Teri a retired naval diver who had worked with the navy underwater diving team has been working with One Billion Rising    One Billion rising advocating non violence against women is celebrating for the 15th year in a row on February 14, 2013.

See our menu for One Bill Rising Here 

Here is what Mary Johnson did to advocate for both AWIU Advocacy Agenda of Healing Women from Violence and One Billion Rising on February 9, 2013.  Mary's memo is addressed to Kathleen Hunt, AWIU President who was responsible for the annual meeting and it's speaker Teri Reese.

I just wanted you to know something you started in San Diego by asking me to write this little release (and Thank You for that!)

Last night, as almost every Thursday night, I went to The Salvation Army's Centre City Corps in downtown San Diego to feed the homeless.  After the dinner, we stay for a "group" meeting with the men and boys who help us feed. They tell us what they have done to help another or others in the previous week.  I should mention, the boys are teens (12-18)  are in a drug- or alcohol-addiction treatment program at the McAlister and most have been mandated there by the courts. The men are recently released prisoners from the Lighthouse Program, men coming out of prison with drug- or alcohol-addictions.

When I spoke, I told them about One Billion Women and I said that I recognized that some of them there may have gone to prison for crimes against women, but that next Thursday I challenged them 1. to write to their mothers, grandmothers, sisters and/or aunts to tell them they love them and what the person has meant in their lives.  Secondly I challenged them to do something kind for a woman they don't know next Thursday on the 14th whether it was to buy a cup of coffee for a homeless woman, give her a pair of socks, help take someone to a doctor's appt.  On Thursday, I will ask them to report what they've done.

Afterwards one big, black gentleman came up,  hugged me and thanked me for what I shared. He hasn't spoken to his Mother in 16 years, and he promised me he was going to call her today to tell her he loved her!

So, see, none of this would have happened had you not told me about the One Billion Women movement and had I not been able to share it with these men. I will also remind my "partner" Dick Lewis of the San Diego Chargers organization to see if the team's players can't also be challenged to do something to help end domestic violence on the 14th.

Thank you!

Mary Johnson

MARCH 29 MEETING 3:00 PM:

SPEAKER:

Michael Corbin, Deputy Assistant Seretary of State, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs for Iraq Issues

Chapter Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Go here to read the San Diego Chapter Blog for information about Chapter activities.