Featured Organization - April May Foundation

The Alarming Statistics:

1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her life time. –RAINN

Girls ages 16 – 19 are four times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault. - RAINN

Effects of rape:

Victims of sexual assault are:

73 times more likely to suffer from depression

6 times more likely to suffer from PSTD

13 times more likely to abuse alcohol.

26 times more likely to abuse drugs.

4 times more likely to contemplate suicide. – RAINN

To combat these alarming statistics, April May Foundation, a non-profit organization that campaigns for women and girls whose lives have been adversely affected by sexual assault and sexual abuse is doing its part. The name was derived from the parable "April showers bring May flowers" which is a metaphor for new beginnings. April represents women whose abuse left them lost and broken. May speaks to women who reclaimed their lives and are now survivors!

The organization was born after the founder befriended a 13 year-old young lady who was 8 months pregnant with her first-born child, who was also her brother. Following the birth of her son, the unresolved issues of her molestation became evident through her promiscuity, numerous volatile relationships and decapitated self-esteem. The victim’s family dismissed the abuse and forced her into silence, and welcomed the father back into their life. The family’s choice to ignore the issue resulted in a costly consequence of the father molesting his youngest child and sibling.

After seeing the devastation to one family brought on by the molestation and silence, there was an overwhelming desire to assist the thousands of other women and young girls who have such stories. AprilMay uses art inspired projects to generate broader attention for the fight against the sexual victimization of females. The bold art projects are used for community outreach, education, awareness, and fundraising to achieve three major objectives:

- increase social consciousness

- dispel the stigma surrounding sexual violence

-end the silence of sexual assault and sexual abuse

Teal ribbons, which represents sexual assault awareness as synonymous as the pink ribbon is for breast cancer will be made.

For more about the organization, visit http://www.aprilmay.org/

If you’re an artist and want to participate in their Art of Peace project which is a collection of anonymous artwork created by sexual assault/abuse survivors or supporters of the cause to assist in the fight against sexual violence against women, visit http://www.aprilmay.org/#!aop

If you are interested in The 8 April 2012 project, which is a live documentary of courageous women, some of whom will relinquish their anonymity to share the most intimate details of their abuse, the aftermath, and how they overcame their pain to become survivors, visit http://www.aprilmay.org/#!events These powerful stories with the life size portraits of survivors on display for the entire world to see will touch souls. It's not too late to join this powerful awareness campaign!