Walk a Mile In Their Shoes | A Blog About Sexual Assault Awareness by Kat Whitmoyer

On Saturday, March 30th, 2019, St. John Fisher College’s Fisher Feminist Alliance brought back the popular event “Walk a Mile in Their Shoes.” Walk a Mile in Their Shoes features a one-mile walk around the campus discussing statistics and the realities of sexual assault and domestic violence in the USA. In addition, diversity clubs gathered books by diverse authors (including Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Angie Thomas) to raffle of to those who attended the event in an effort to continue learning. The event began with an address and anecdote from Feminist Alliance’s President Kat Whitmoyer. Kat opened up the event by telling the audience about an experience she had the previous day helping a young woman get out of an abusive home. The anecdote served as a reminder that sexual assault and domestic violence statistics are not just numbers. The statistics represent real people, living in our neighborhoods, living with their abusers, thinking there is no way out.

The event featured local author and Rochester native Liz Ferro as the guest speaker. Liz held the audience captive with her amazing life story. After circling through abusive homes in the Rochester foster care system, Liz was finally adopted but her trouble would not stop there. She shared with the audience the year of sexual abuse she endured from her neighbor. For me, the truly heartbreaking part of this story was the shame her mother made her feel for being assaulted. She asked a nine-year-old Liz why she did it and why she wrote it down. Most powerfully, she asked if everything Liz had written about it was true. Putting this story into context, it was the seventies, kids did not have access to pornography the way we do today. There was no possible way for Liz to know about these things if they had not happened to her.

While Liz’s story would understandably be too much for some people to handle, she did not let what happened to her define her. Liz took all of her pent up anxiety, fear, and frustration and put that energy into running. Liz has run numerous marathons, ultramarathons, and is now running the non-for- profit organization “Girl’s With Sole.” “Girl’s With Sole” creates free workout classes and lessons for girls who have experienced sexual assault and domestic violence. The organization provides the girls with sneakers and any other equipment they may need to reproduce the workouts she creates for them. For Liz,  it is extremely important to maintain physical activity to remain sane and she is giving that message to girls across the country.

If you are interested in Liz’s work, check out your local Barnes & Noble to pick up a copy of her books or check her out online at girlswithsole.org

 

 

Never forget that with the right supports and motivation, you can do anything you set your mind to despite your circumstances

About Katlin (Kat) Whitmoyer

Katlin (Kat) Whitmoyer is a fourth year Psychology major at St. John Fisher College. Katlin was born in Hamilton, NY and grew up just outside of Rome, NY. She plans to graduate in May 2019 with a B.S in Psychology  and minors in English, Sustainability, and Women & Gender Studies. We are pleased to have Katlin on board as 540WMain’s first college intern hire. Katlin is 540WMain’s Community Research Intern.

 

Girls With Sole Book Launch!

Thursday, November 15, 2018

6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

The James Douglas Studio

2530 Superior Avenue E

#401

Cleveland, Ohio

                              

Live music by Third Floor Underground and DJ FrediMak

Free Food

Cash Bar

Join us to celebrate and launch this wildly empowering new book!

 
Book Launch for Facebook
ARTAPPROVED Book Cover

Girls With Sole ROCKS

What if I told you that you could positively change the course of a girl’s life forever? That because of you, she no longer feels lost, alone, or incapable? Because of your support, she believes in herself and her abilities for the first time?

You have this power, and that girl is waiting for you!

Girls With Sole Founder/CEO, Liz Ferro, is participating in the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon on June 3, 2018 to raise awareness and funds for Girls With Sole programming.

Why Alcatraz? Because it’s known as “The Rock,” and the girls we serve everyday are truly rockstars! No matter what obstacle they need to overcome, they use the tools for resilience that Girls With Sole provides. 

The Alcatraz Triathlon represents a symbolic celebration of all that the girls we serve have endured and are capable of.

At Girls With Sole, we utilize free fitness and wellness programs to empower the minds, bodies, and souls of girls aged 9 to 18 who are at-risk or have experienced abuse of any kind. Our award-winning program teaches girls healthy behaviors, positive body image and self-esteem, teamwork, and leadership skills that translate into all parts of their lives.

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Girls With Sole programming has touched the lives of over 1,000 girls in the Cleveland area, but you can help us reach even more girls who are waiting to discover their inner champion. You can be their rock! How?

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Please donate today to help more girls achieve their greatest potential in fitness and in life! Please be a rock for these amazing girls who inspire me every day!

With YOUR support we can lay down a new-found, solid as a ROCK foundation of strength, courage, optimism, resilience, health, pride and empowerment!

Thank you for your help…you ROCK!

Sincerely,

Liz Ferro, Founder & CEO of Girls With Sole

Be an #Upstander for Girls With Sole

In a sea of bystanders – please be an #Upstander by helping Girls With Sole! We need everyone to watch, like and share this video. 

If enough buzz is created before October 31, Girls With Sole can hit the leaderboard and become eligible for a 25K grant from @Starbucks. 

PLEASE HELP US change lives with only a minute of your time and a little space on your Facebook wall. 🙂 

Thank you!

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