The YWCA Greater Los Angeles Honors Survivors of Sexual Assault

Thursday March 19, 2009

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LOS ANGELES (April 17, 2009) - The YWCA Greater Los Angeles (YWCA/GLA) held its first annual "Survivor to Thriver" Awards Ceremony and "Step Into The Light" art exhibit on Thursday, April 16, 2009. 

 The "Survivor to Thriver" Awards Ceremony was created by the YWCA/GLA Sexual Assault Crisis Center to honor women who have overcome the adversity and pain caused by sexual abuse and to recognize them for the thrivers they have become today.

The "Step Into The Light" art exhibit, created by Desmonette Hazly, paired local volunteer artists with survivors of sexual abuse to portray their experience through art.

Jenni and her sister shared their stories with the audience and were both honored to receive such recognition. Jenni's portrait was created by 16-year-old Anthony Pittman and it represented her pain, her culture and her music.

Jenni expressed that going public with her experience was important as she knew it would help other women speak out. "It was my voice, not the voice of the recording artist, that came out and spoke about this incident. Because of that, many women have spoken too, and that is the greatest blessing of my career."

 "We created this award ceremony to recognize women affected by sexual abuse," said Alice Corona, program services specialist for YWCA Greater Los Angeles' Sexual Assault Crisis Services. "We want them to feel special and to be recognized for who they are today, not what happened to them."

 

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