Domestic violence and other family safety issues were the topics of a recent family strengthening program hosted by the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization.
IRCO’s community room was filled with women, children and men for "Unmask the Silence," a program geared toward raising awareness of domestic violence, which crosses all ethnic and socio-economic lines.
Escaping domestic violence is always difficult, but it is especially so for immigrant and refugee victims who face significant barriers of language, immigrant status, lack of resources no job skills and lack of legal representation.
Judge Keith Meisenheimer of the Multnomah County Family Law Court and Mary Li, Multnomah County School and Community Partnerships program manager, were keynote speakers, addressing how the community can support victims of sexual and family violence. Although, as the judge pointed out, prevention is better than intervention, and intervention is preferable to judicial action.
Another speaker was a survivor of domestic violence who spoke out about what she had experienced and the process that eventually took her to a place of relative safety, in the hope that her story would help others who need to make decisions to protect their safety.
The following day, Saturday, Oct. 25, the IRCO gym was again filled with families, this time to learn about about lead poisoning. Free blood tests to determine exposure to lead were performed on pregnant women and children between 6 months and 6 years.
Workshops were presented and translated into several languages. In addition, each family who had a child tested received a free lead-safe toy for each child and a free dust kit to test for lead in their home. The Josiah Hill III Clinic also provided a free lunch to participants.
A total of 59 children and pregnant women were tested by the clinic for lead poisoning. Of those, only two returned with positive readings, both young children. The parents were then counseled on the next steps.
The Portland Observer
November 12, 2008
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Family Safety Issues Tackled Addressing lead poisoning, domestic violence