
May 2011

And the Television Academy Honors Go To... RAINN's Partners

Oprah producers
Ray Dotch, Rick
Segall, & Stacy Strazis
with KaDee Strickland

The Television Academy — the folks behind the Emmy Awards — this month honored programs that exemplify "Television with a Conscience." Of the eight winners of the Television Academy Honors, two were programs that worked closely with RAINN: The Oprah Show and ABC's Private Practice.

In recognition of the important role RAINN played in assisting the winning shows, the Television Academy invited Scott Berkowitz, RAINN's founder and president, and spokesperson Christina Ricci to present the award to The Oprah Show at the star-filled awards gala in Beverly Hills. Actor KaDee Strickland, a member of RAINN's National Leadership Council, presented the award to Private Practice.

KaDee Strickland Takes a Stand on The Hill

Scott Berkowitz, KaDee
Strickland, Rep. Maloney
& Debbie Smith

KaDee Strickland, the star of ABC's Private Practice, took to Capitol Hill this month to help persuade lawmakers to pass the SAFER Act, which will help eliminate the backlog of untested DNA evidence.

At a briefing for Congressional staff, Strickland joined Scott Berkowitz, RAINN's president, and Debbie Smith, after whom Congress named the landmark Debbie Smith Act, which has led to the testing of tens of thousands of rape kits.

Debbie Smith expressed her strong support for the SAFER Act and for ensuring that more money allocated for DNA is spent directly solving cases. "In today's economy we have been asked to more with less, causing us to have to find ways to work smarter. I believe the SAFER Act can do just that. SAFER requires no new money as we are asking to reallocate current DNA funding that's not being used for testing," said Smith.

Strickland and RAINN also met with Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), who expressed her support for the SAFER Act, and with Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY).

Want to help? Sign the petition to support the SAFER Act.

Congress Looks into Peace Corps Sexual Assaults

RAINN's Jennifer
Wilson Marsh

Testifying before a Congressional committee looking into cases of Americans who were raped while serving as Peace Corps volunteers, Jennifer Wilson Marsh, RAINN's hotline and affiliate service director, outlined practices that Peace Corps could adopt to better serve victims. Marsh also talked about the Memorandum of Understanding that RAINN and the Peace Corps have entered into, through which RAINN will provide feedback and advice to the Peace Corps.

Several survivors of sexual assault also testified at the hearing chaired by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), as did Peace Corps director Aaron Williams. Williams discussed his hiring of a dedicated victim advocate and other steps the organization is taking to address safety and care of volunteers. In a meeting with RAINN executives following the hearing, Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) said that he will soon introduce legislation requiring the Peace Corps to adopt best practices in serving victims.

Watch Marsh's full testimony.

RAINN in the News

ABC News
"He's putting in hours and money, he helped raise more than $120,000 — he matched donations and, [if you] give enough he would even mow your lawn."
—ABC World News correspondent, John Berman, in an interview discussing Mick Foley's work with RAINN

The Huffington Post
"Today, only about 6% of rapists ever spend a day in jail. That is why I am supporting the SAFER Act of 2011. The act would create a national registry to track untested forensic evidence from sexual assault cases and set forth best practices for the use of DNA evidence in rape cases, thus establishing better standards for the tracking, storage and use of DNA evidence in sexual assault cases."
—KaDee Strickland in The Huffington Post on why she supports the SAFER Act.

HLN
"Survivors, both my former employer at WWE, my current employer TNA, which was kind of a crazy thing, wrestling fans and Tori Amos fans. All kind of chipping in to create something that is really quite astounding."
—Mick Foley, on CNN'sHeadline News talking about his #10forRAINN campaign. Huffington Post also featured Foley as its Greatest Person Of The Day.

The Washington Post
"According to Department of Justice statistics, an estimated six out of 10 rape charges are never reported to police. The criticism of rape victims following a report is often a major deterrent for victims."
—Scott Berkowitz talking to The Washington Post about the rape charges against IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

The Hill
"Gone were the armies of staff and handlers who regularly accompany Hollywood types on Capitol Hill. Ditto for the sky-high heels and little dresses...Strickland was here to lobby for funds to address the nationwide backlog of rape evidence kits that have yet to be tested for DNA."
—The Hill discussing KaDee Strickland's visit to advocate for the SAFER Act

Make It Better
"The painful truth is that 1 in 6 women will be victims of sexual assault in their lifetime — and young women are most at risk. According to RAINN, girls ages 16 to 19 are four times more likely than the general population to be victims of sexual assault."
—Marjie Killeen in Make It Better.

Lawmakers Making a Difference

Congresswoman
Lucille Roybal-Allard

"Throughout my career, I have fought to increase protections for survivors of sexual violence and to ensure that we hold perpetrators accountable. I am continuing that mission by building support for the SAFER Act, a vital step in our efforts to reduce the backlog of untested rape kits. I commend Private Practice actress KaDee Strickland and RAINN for their work on behalf of victims of sexual violence and look forward to working with them to advance the SAFER Act."
—Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA)

Congressman
Aaron Schock

"RAINN is an essential social service agency in our nation without which many victims of rape, abuse and incest would fall through the cracks in society. Your dedication means victims of these horrific crimes will continue to have a strong advocate on their side. No victim should ever have to go through such an experience with no one to turn to for help. I co-sponsored the SAFER Act because I believe it will reduce the DNA backlog while also empowering victims to monitor the progress of the forensic evidence in their own case online. I look forward to continuing to work with RAINN to raise awareness and help further prevent such heinous violent acts from occurring in the first place."

—Congressman Aaron Schock (R-IL)

More News

Mick Foley Smashes his #10forRAINN Goal

Mick Foley

Mick Foley turned to Twitter last month to announce his campaign to raise $10,000 for the National Sexual Assault Hotline. Five weeks later, following news coverage around the world and thousands of retweets, Foley had smashed through his goal — 12 times over.

Foley ended the campaign with an eBay auction of wrestling memorabilia, including his prized Mr. Socko. Foley's friends also contributed items, including Smashing Pumpkins' frontman Billy Corgan, who auctioned off his signed guitar.

The #10forRAINN campaign is over, but it's not too late to give.

Watch Mick Foley's feature on ABCs World News.

Shopping for a Summer Wardrobe?

Will you be shopping for new summer clothes and accessories before your big summer vacation? Make your purchases before heading to the beach at RAINNs shopping mall. Choose from 300 major retailers like Amazon, Target, Uncommon Goods and Bloomingdales. The stores will donate part of your purchase to RAINN, and it won't cost you a cent.

Avoid the lines and benefit RAINN — start shopping now!

Watson's Rx for RAINN

Katherine Hull
and Julie Weil

How can filling a prescription make a difference in another woman's life? With Watson Pharmaceuticals' new I Am Generess program, the company will donate $5 to RAINN each time you fill, or refill, a prescription for its new drug.

Spotlight on the Speakers Bureau: Donnajean

Donnajean

"I am grateful and humbled to be a part of the RAINN Speakers Bureau because I want to make a difference in the healing of this world. I have spoken at three events in my community through my work with the Speakers Bureau, and I have found that sharing my story is the greatest way to open doors and minds to those who are struggling. By speaking out I can help others realize that they are not alone, and that they did nothing to deserve what they lived through — and most importantly, that survival is possible."

Learn More About Becoming A Member of RAINN's Speakers Bureau

Volunteer Spotlight: Smriti Sindhi

Smriti Sindhi

"Working with RAINN and these survivors has completely signified for me that therapy and helping people affected by these tragedies is what I will continue doing through my life in some form. These survivors have more strength than many other people have and I want everyone to know that. They have the same right as everyone to be loved and cared for. The best thing about RAINN is that people are being helped all over the United States. I feel like I am making a change in more than just the area in which I live."

Learn More About Volunteering for RAINN

Now Appearing on YouTube: the RAINN Channel

YouTube allows RAINN supporters to learn more about our work and how we directly support those in need. You can view videos and public service announcements featuring celebrities such as KaDee Strickland and Mick Foley, on RAINN's YouTube Channel.

You can connect with RAINN by subscribing to RAINN01 or adding us as a friend.

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