By Jillian Hanesworth, iVIP Coordinator

Ģ����ý was awarded a grant from the Department of Justice’s Office of Violence against Women in October 2018. The purpose of this grant is to enhance victim services, implement prevention and education programs and develop and strengthen the campus response to sexual assault, domestic violence (DV), dating violence and stalking on campus.

This grant also allowed for the formation of iVIP, as well as the Trocaire Coordinated Crisis Response Team that is comprised of Trocaire faculty and staff and representatives from community organizations including Crisis Services, Haven House, Pride Center of Western New York, and the Buffalo and Lancaster police departments. iVIP programming is expected to begin in October 2019.

The grant is housed under the Wellness Center within Student Affairs and managed by Jillian Hanesworth, who came to Trocaire in December 2018 after working as a social worker and advocate for intimate partner violence survivors for five years. Rebecca Maess is the current graduate assistant for the grant—she is in her second year of the Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration master’s program at SUNY Buffalo State College.

DV can be defined as “a pattern of behaviors in which one partner in an intimate relationship uses fear and intimidation to gain and maintain power and control over the other.” During DV Awareness Month 2019, Haven House, Crisis Services and the Pride Center of WNY will each host an activity for students, faculty and staff. Some of the activities include: Purple Letters, an opportunity for participants to write a short letter or words of encouragement to a DV survivor receiving services from Haven House; a mini self-defense lesson; and the “Purple Pinky Project,”-n activity where participants paint their pinky nails purple in solidarity with DV survivors.

iVIP is hoping that these activities will generate interest in the program, as well as educate the campus community on interpersonal violence, red flags and prevention. Program dates are currently being finalized and will be announced soon.

In addition to educating the campus community, iVIP is hoping that the DV Awareness Month activities will help familiarize the campus with both on and off-campus resources. Although Trocaire is a very safe campus, the iVIP team does understand that many incidences of violence go unreported. In the event that a student, faculty, or staff member is experiencing DV, or knows of someone who is experiencing DV, iVIP wants to insure that they know all of their reporting and advocacy options.

Off-campus resources include:

• National Sexual Assault Hotline (1-800-656-4673)
• National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233)
• (716-884-6000)
• (716-834-3131)
• (716-852-7743)

On-campus resources include:

• Resource table located in the library
• Tracy Rozewicz, Title IX Coordinator
• Jennifer Ehlinger-Saj, Director of the Wellness Center and (confidential resource on campus)
• Jillian Hanesworth, iVIP coordinator (located in room 129).

If you are interested in learning more about iVIP or joining the iVIP team, which is open to all faculty, staff, students and community organizations, please email Jillian Hanesworth.

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is the area representative for ATHENA International, a nonprofit that seeks to support, develop, and honor women leaders. The ATHENA Awards^® are celebrated annually around the world in more than 500 communities and 8 countries. Since 1989, the Partnership has been honored to produce the annual ATHENA Awards^® Luncheon, at which finalists for the ATHENA Leadership Award® and the ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award^® are honored.

Trocaire was proud to have representation within the class of 2019 finalists with Director of Marketing and PR Emily Burns Perryman being named a finalist for the young professional category Athena award. While she didn’t take home this year’s honor, she was humbled to have been recognized along with such talented, driven, and amazing women making a difference in the Western New York and Buffalo community.

Emily was asked this question by the Partnership: “What is your advice to a woman just getting her career started?”

“Be strong, diplomatic and kind, and be thoughtful about the way you treat and interact with people. Be open to new ideas and opportunities; appreciate diversity of thought and perspective. Seek out mentors, but don’t be afraid to provide knowledge and insight to those who can learn from what you have to share.”

 

For more details on all of this year’s finalists and winners, check out more info .

You can also check out a photo gallery from the event .

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Ģ����ý is a sponsor of this year’s event, which is “an afternoon of fashion, food and friends, benefiting the women and girls in our community.” On Nov. 2, attendees will enjoy lunch, a runway show featuring pieces from some of Buffalo’s local, women-owned boutiques and a silent auction featuring unique items and experiences.

The mission of WNY Women’s Foundation is “to create a culture of possibility so each woman and girl can live, grow and lead to her fullest potential. We believe that when women and girls are secure, entire communities are stronger.”

Trocaire Nursing students Michelle Reardon, Nora Durham and Safra Bacchus have signed on to participate in the runway show, which this year bears the theme “What’s YOUR Superpower?” Check out Michelle’s and Nora’s answers below!

Michelle Reardon

My Superpower: Persistence and drive

Bio:  I am a single mother who works hard to support my son Hunter and advance my education so I am able to continue to support him. I work full time in the day and I am a fourth semester Nursing student at Ģ����ý who is set to graduate this December. At school I am also the Student Association President and the Student Nursing Association Secretary.

Nora Durham

My Superpower: Fun-loving. I try to always bring some sort of positive energy to the table, and make light of certain situations. It’s very uplifting to know that as a future nurse I have the potential to make a difference in the lives of others, and I couldn’t see myself doing anything else.

Bio: I am an aspiring nurse who plans on graduating from Ģ����ý with my Nursing degree in December 2018. While attending Trocaire I have done work study through the Admissions office, and I am proud to say that I am also currently co-president of the Student Nursing Association. I really enjoy representing my school, and I am honored for every opportunity I can to do so. While going to school part-time, I also work as a nursing assistant at St. Joseph Campus, and do home care for a sweet and caring elderly woman.

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BUFFALO, NEW YORK – Sept, 25, 2018 – Ģ����ý announced today that the United States Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) has awarded the college a grant in the amount of $299,639 to implement a program to combat sexual violence against students.

The OVW supports institutions of higher education in implementing comprehensive, coordinated responses to violent crimes through partnerships with victim services providers and justice agencies. The grants to 57 schools across the country are intended to reduce sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking on campus.

Unlike other higher education institutions with students residing on campus, Trocaire offers a unique commuter college environment and student population for which to implement an OVW campus grant project, with strong potential to be replicated at other non-traditional, commuter or two-year institutions.

“Our number one priority as an institution of higher education is to do everything that we can to protect and create a safe environment for our students, faculty and staff,” said Trocaire President Bassam M. Deeb. “As a commuter school, our students are not experiencing sexual abuse or violence in dormitories or at other campus residential housing. However, it is our hope the unique program we have created will assist students who may be facing violence in their lives. By having faculty and staff involvement, a broad safety net can be created for students who have experienced these issues or who would benefit from awareness and preventative education. This grant will help us fulfill our mission to serve students, helping them through the challenges they might face on the path to graduation.”

Trocaire has identified the majority of its student population as at-risk for experiencing crimes of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking as they are predominantly female. Over half of Trocaire’s students are part-time and 40% are single mothers. Given this combination of circumstances, Trocaire students may experience domestic violence in their homes at a greater rate than students living in dormitories or other campus living facilities.

As part of its program, Trocaire will hire a full-time project coordinator to organize and support a coordinated community response team consisting of college staff and representatives from and the Buffalo and Lancaster Police departments. The college will also develop and deliver mandatory education on sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking for new students and transfer students as well as ongoing bystander intervention and prevention programming and education.

For more information about the awards by the Department of Justice OVW, visit

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has officially been designated a “Breastfeeding Friendly Worksite” by the .

The college was recently recognized along with the 17 other designees, all leading Erie County employers, at a Healthy Baby Festival at Delaware Park, which provided resources and educational information to Western New York families.

To achieve this designation, each organization shared their policies and procedures for review, a site visit was made to inspect physical locations and setup of lactation rooms and additional technical assistance was made available.

“’A Breastfeeding Friendly Worksite’ not only benefits the mother and the baby but benefits employers as well,” the ECDOH said in a release. “Studies have shown breastfeeding can result in lower absenteeism, higher morale and productivity, reduced employee turnover and lower healthcare costs.”

In the release, Erie County Commissioner of Health Dr. Gale Burstein said that breastfeeding reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and provides infants a protective effect against “illnesses, ear infections, gastrointestinal diseases, and allergies including asthma, eczema and atopic dermatitis.”

However, nursing women returning to the workforce can encounter numerous barriers to breastfeeding, such as a lack of flexibility in their schedule, lack of appropriate accommodations to pump or store breast milk and concerns about support and understanding from employer and colleagues.

Trocaire’s Mother’s Room is located in Room 336 at the main Choate campus. It is equipped with a refrigerator and sink, comfortable seating, and privacy via a locking door and a “room in use” door hanger. The college’s additional locations on Transit Road (Room 102) and Seneca Street (Room 108) are equipped with similar rooms.

“We’re thrilled to be honored by Erie County for our efforts in such a crucial area: support for working moms,” said Marge Andrzejewski, supervisor of Auxiliary Services. “We wanted our nursing mothers—be they faculty, staff, students or visitors—to have a comfortable, secure location at their disposal, and that’s exactly what we’ve tried to create with our Mother’s Room.”

Breastfeeding Resources:

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