Miss-Delectable
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2004
- Messages
- 17,160
- Reaction score
- 7
Inside Bay Area - Deaf-Hope leader honored with humanitarian award
Julie Rems-Smario has found her calling in helping deaf women who have been abused.
"If violence is happening to them, then violence is happening against me," she said.
She founded Deaf-Hope with seven other women in 2003, to end domestic violence and sexual assault against deaf women and children through empowerment, education and services.
The executive director was honored for her efforts with a Femtor Award by the eWomenNetwork Foundation International in early June.
The Femtor/Humanitarian of the Year award is given annually to the woman who embodies the spirit of what it means to be a "wise and trusted woman providing knowledge, inspiration and practical information to other women."
Rems-Smario, a Castro Valley mother of three, said she felt frustrated seeing deaf women continually falling through the cracks in the court and social services systems. Deaf-Hope provides competent service providers to help deaf women communicate in their language.
"We focus on supporting the survivor to be able to rely on their own instincts again, and providing emotional support to make sure they are going in the right direction," she said. Deaf-Hope also provides technical assistance such as video phone face-to-face interaction and legal advocacy to women throughout the state. The organization provides all of its services for free. With the eWomen Network's awards of a laptop, television and other needed supplies for the completely private, grant-supported organization, it will be able to support more women.
Deaf-Hope serves 350 survivors of domestic violence a year. It is partnered with the Alameda County Family Justice Center in Oakland and also has a program for art therapy for children.
Amber Hodson, who works with Rems-Smario, said that before Deaf-Hope, many survivors had to go to hearing organizations, felt isolated and had a hard time continuing services.
"Julie has committed so much of her life to doing this," Hodson said. "She's so selfless and keeps giving without any thought of compensation. It's really about the survivor."
Deaf-Hope is the only organization of its kind in California and one of two such groups in the country. Rems-Smario plans to keep pushing her empowerment philosophy and says that among the items on her wish list is a shelter for the women, for which the group is running a capital fundraising campaign.
"We have a beautiful language and culture," Rems-Smario said. "But we also have a system that is oppressive to us and has deafness as a medical model when we have our own cultural and political life."
For more information, visit DeafHope | Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services for Women and Children or call by TTY/voice, (510) 267-8800. The organization is at 470 27th St.. in Oakland.
Julie Rems-Smario has found her calling in helping deaf women who have been abused.
"If violence is happening to them, then violence is happening against me," she said.
She founded Deaf-Hope with seven other women in 2003, to end domestic violence and sexual assault against deaf women and children through empowerment, education and services.
The executive director was honored for her efforts with a Femtor Award by the eWomenNetwork Foundation International in early June.
The Femtor/Humanitarian of the Year award is given annually to the woman who embodies the spirit of what it means to be a "wise and trusted woman providing knowledge, inspiration and practical information to other women."
Rems-Smario, a Castro Valley mother of three, said she felt frustrated seeing deaf women continually falling through the cracks in the court and social services systems. Deaf-Hope provides competent service providers to help deaf women communicate in their language.
"We focus on supporting the survivor to be able to rely on their own instincts again, and providing emotional support to make sure they are going in the right direction," she said. Deaf-Hope also provides technical assistance such as video phone face-to-face interaction and legal advocacy to women throughout the state. The organization provides all of its services for free. With the eWomen Network's awards of a laptop, television and other needed supplies for the completely private, grant-supported organization, it will be able to support more women.
Deaf-Hope serves 350 survivors of domestic violence a year. It is partnered with the Alameda County Family Justice Center in Oakland and also has a program for art therapy for children.
Amber Hodson, who works with Rems-Smario, said that before Deaf-Hope, many survivors had to go to hearing organizations, felt isolated and had a hard time continuing services.
"Julie has committed so much of her life to doing this," Hodson said. "She's so selfless and keeps giving without any thought of compensation. It's really about the survivor."
Deaf-Hope is the only organization of its kind in California and one of two such groups in the country. Rems-Smario plans to keep pushing her empowerment philosophy and says that among the items on her wish list is a shelter for the women, for which the group is running a capital fundraising campaign.
"We have a beautiful language and culture," Rems-Smario said. "But we also have a system that is oppressive to us and has deafness as a medical model when we have our own cultural and political life."
For more information, visit DeafHope | Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services for Women and Children or call by TTY/voice, (510) 267-8800. The organization is at 470 27th St.. in Oakland.