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Current News
April 04, 2008
Two new staff members have joined us at MNCASA. Melia Garza joined MNCASA in early February. She has been an advocate at the HOPE Center in Faribault. Melia was very involved in the Rice County SMART team for the past two years. We are very pleased to have Melia on our team.
On April 14 Leah Lutz will also join the MNCASA/SVJI staff. Leah has most recently been the Executive Director of HOPE Center in Faribault. She has been in that position for five years and brought great new energy and success to that community based advocacy program. We know Leah will bring new ideas and energy with her to MNCASA.
Welcome Melia and Leah!
April 04, 2008
MNCASA is pleased to announce the winners of the 2008 AWARE awards presented by MNCASA at the AWARE event on April 3.
Representative Steve Smith
State Representative Steve Smith is an attorney who hails from Mound, Minnesota. He was first elected in 1990 and is in the midst of his ninth term. He is the vice-chair of the House Ethics Committee and serves as the Republican lead on the Public Safety and Civil Justice Committee. He is also a member of the Crime Victims Subcommittee, the Public Safety Finance Division, and the Ways and Means Committee.
In 2007 Representative Smith was instrumental in securing a significant funding increase for victim services, including sexual assault services the first increase in ten years. This year, despite the many pressures presented by a tough budget year, Representative Smith has worked diligently to protect this funding and we are grateful for his efforts.
MNCASA is pleased to present Representative Steve Smith with the 2008 AWARE Award in recognition of his commitment to supporting victims and survivors of sexual assault in Minnesota.
Senator Linda Higgins
State Senator Linda Higgins represents much of North Minneapolis as well as sections of the citys Northeast and Downtown areas. She was first elected in 1996 and is currently serving her fourth term. She is the chair of the Senate Finance-Public Safety Budget Division and also serves on the Finance, Finance-Judiciary Budget Division, Judiciary, and Health, Housing and Family Security Committees.
Senator Higgins has been a consistent supporter of sexual assault victims and survivors. Last year she was instrumental in securing the first funding increase in ten years for victim services, including sexual assault services. She has also served as author or co-author on several significant bills including those prohibiting use of polygraph exams on victims, preserving sexual assault counselor privilege, and addressing nonconsensual contact by massage professionals. This year she has signed onto a bill supporting appropriations for Preventing Sexual Violence Demo Grants.
MNCASA is pleased to recognize Senator Higgins with the 2008 AWARE Award and we applaud her continued willingness to speak out against sexual violence.
Ramsey County Commissioner Jim McDonough
A lifelong resident of the East Side of St. Paul, Ramsey County Commissioner Jim McDonough represents the Daytons Bluff, East Side, Hayden Heights, Hazel Park, Payne-Phalen, and Sunray-Battle Creek areas. He is active on many boards and committees including Criminal Justice, Emergency Medical Services, 911 Emergency Telephone, and Health Services. As the president-elect of the Minnesota Counties Association, Commissioner McDonough recently attended a National Association of Counties conference where he heard Cordelia Anderson speak about the personal, social and community costs of sexual violence and he was so inspired that he decided Ramsey County should prioritize the issue. He has since invited Cordelia Anderson as well as Patty Wetterling to make a presentation to the County Board on the normalization of sexual harm. He has also brought together department heads to address how sexual violence affects different policies and procedures in the county.
MNCASA is pleased to recognize Commissioner McDonough with the 2008 AWARE award for his willingness to take risks and transform systems in order to make the issue of sexual violence a top agenda item in Ramsey County.
Sara Burns and the V-Day Cast
V-Day is an international movement to stop violence against women and girls. Every year local groups put on performances in recognition of V-Days message. This year, director Sara Burns and a large group of volunteer actors organized a performance of A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer, featuring monologues addressing the movement to end sexual assault, written by V-Day founder Eve Ensler as well as other noted authors and activists. Their performance at the Paul and Sheila Wellstone Center for Community at St. Pauls Neighborhood House was filled with joy, anger, pain, remembrance, rebellion, and hope.
MNCASA is pleased to recognize director Sara and the performers with the 2008 AWARE award for their love of theater and their commitment to ending sexual violence. Their efforts over the past years have nothing to do with fulfilling grant goals or a job requirement; instead, this group is determined to make a difference both on stage and in the community.
Mrs. Minneapolis - Molly Nicholson
Molly Nicholson has been a volunteer for Sexual Offense Services of Ramsey County for many years. After earning her crown as Mrs. Minneapolis, Molly entered the 2008 Mrs. Minnesota International Pageant competition. She chose sexual violence as her platform issue and highlighted MNCASAs work. By speaking out about sexual assault Molly increased awareness at the Mrs. Minnesota competition and she continues to do so in her community in her role as Mrs. Minneapolis. In addition, Molly still serves as a crisis line volunteer at SOS and meets victims at Ramsey County hospitals.
MNCASA is thrilled that Molly put a spotlight on sexual assault as part of her reign as Mrs. Minneapolis. We are pleased to honor both her outreach and her volunteer efforts with the 2008 AWARE Award.
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