Main fundraiser photo

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE YOUTH AWARENESS


Please read the whole thing, including my personal story. ** WARNING  SOME CONTENT MAY BE UPSETTING  DUE TO VIOLENCE **

Hi!  My name is Brieanna Norwood, I am Co-Founder/CEO of BriElen's D.R.E.A.M.S Corp. My partner Helen Marie and I took a leap of faith after meeting in a Domestic Violence group on fb, we are opening up a Non-Profit.  We are both single parents and have put our every last dime and resource into this organization, because it is something we believe in with all of our heart. 

YOUR DONATION WILL BE USED FOR :

"DOMESTIC VIOLENCE YOUTH AWARENESS WEEK"
A Nationwide Campaign we are launching this April 2017 in High Schools.  It consists of a 5 day educational and informative program that :  Brings awareness to the youth about Domestic Violence with discussion, hand-outs, workshops, activities, an assembly and interactive contests for the students and schools in the way of essays and Art.

WHAT EXACTLY WILL YOUR DONATION GO TOWARDS?

Your donation will be used for one/any/all of the following:
Promotional items:
*This includes a bag that each teen will receive with a purple ribbon to wear, stickers, book cover, a travel helpline/resources card, and other assorted items such as pens, pencils, etc.  

*Shirts to wear for them to show their support during the week in sizes S-XXL

*Banners and posters to be made to promote the campaign and hang up around the school campuses

PROGRAM COPIES/LITERATURE/LESSON PLANS:
*Copies of the program for the teachers/staff/faculty
*Worksheets and lesson plans for students
*Hand-outs (assorted) for all students
*Printed brochures/cards

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES :
*Interactive activities
*Assembly presentations and costs
*Workshops
*Contests for students and schools to enter

TRAVEL/TRANSPORTATION:
*Travel/transportation costs to bring this program to High Schools around America.

OTHER:
*Any fees we incur along the way that are only and directly related to our Non Profit and our Campaign.

WHO WE ARE
BriElens D. R. E. A. M. S.
*DOMESTIC VIOLENCE *RESISTANCE *EDUCATION *AWARENESS *MOVEMENT *SOLUTIONS
Hello! Welcome to BriElen’s D.R.E.A.M.S Corp. , an upcoming Non-Profit 501 (c)(3) organization, started in California. DREAMS is an acronym for DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RESISTANCE EDUCATION AWARENESS MOVEMENT FOR SOLUTIONS. We are co-founded by Brieanna Norwood and Helen Marie Cornelius . Both are survivors of extreme Domestic Violence, who were brought together by fate and a very large calling; TO CHANGE THE WORLD by finding solutions to Domestic Violence.
 
We are voicing a solution, hoping to bring about awareness and prevention. The key element is YOUTH. By educating the youth to recognize, avoid, and prevent Domestic Violence, we may bridge the gap for change. This year more than 10 million people will fall victim to DV, and of those, 85% will be aged 16 to 24. 1 in every 4 teenagers will be affected. It is imperative to reach every teen in America with the tools needed to combat these odds.
 
D.R.E.A.M.S will be launching a Nationwide campaign, “DOMESTIC VIOLENCE YOUTH AWARENESS WEEK.” We have strategically written, with the help of educators and professionals, a simple yet effective program to educate teens on Domestic Violence. Our aim is primarily U.S. high schools to start, and then eventually writing a program to suit even younger age groups. It is designed so that any educator or teacher at the school can easily follow the program steps and teach the material effectively. It consists of a step by step, 5 day short lesson plan, informational hand outs and resources guidebook, activities for the school, contests, promotional material, and an assembly. It is basic, yet will prove to show effective.
 
Breaking the cycles of abuse, starts with first breaking the silence. Although Domestic Violence has been given more heed recently, it is still a very hushed topic. Many are embarrassed or shamed to even discuss it, much less reveal it. We aim to change the trends of the mind set on Domestic Violence, by bringing awareness to every teen in the U.S. 
 
We will also be launching a petition, “BriElen’s Law”, which is to make it mandated for every public High School in the U.S. to participate in DOMESTIC VIOLENCE YOUTH AWARENESS WEEK. Please look out for this in the near future and sign your name. Together we can beat Domestic Violence. It will not be overnight, but SOMEDAY we will see a significant change and drop in the astronomical numbers Domestic Violence has hold on us.
 

MY PERSONAL STORY
When I was 23, my boyfriend of 6 years attempted to murder me, and our son who was a toddler. I was never taught about abusive patterns, warning signs, nor did I know that there were resources and help. I felt isolated, and like I was the only one. I believed him time and time again when he'd apologize.

He was out on bail for kidnapping us, and I so FOOLISHLY fell for his pleas to please just let him visit with our son. I brought him over to his Mother's apartment one rainy morning in February. I carried my son up flights of stairs, and into the apartment. Before I could leave, I was grabbed by the back of the neck with the words "You're not going to like this".

I was beaten and bitten to an unrecognizable state, bleeding from even my ears. He broke every bone in my face. Destroyed one of my kidneys. Pulled flesh and knocked teeth from my mouth. Then he proceeded to strangle me. Three times. On the third time, I said my death prayers. I thought the misty light I'd awoken to was heaven, until I saw his face come into focus over me suddenly. I wouldn't die! Meanwhile, our son was stroking my hair to comfort me, covered in my blood. Begging "Dada stop it!" He then ripped my clothing off and left the room momentarily. He returned with a wooden bat in one hand, and a knife in the other.

It was pouring rain, he had covered the windows in foil too. We could not be heard nor seen. I had one option and only one. I figured it would kill me, but I had to save my son by drawing attention, and I didn't want to be murdered in front of him. So I jumped headfirst, naked, out the plate glass window. Nearly 30 ft. high. He caught me by the ankle, and tried pulling me back up inside. A huge shard of glass pierced my main artery on my left wrist, so now I was also bleeding to death in hoses of blood. Dozens of other shards penetrated my flesh, ripping it open. Then he just "let go".

I broke all of my ribs on impact, my vertebre, leg and elbow. Somehow I managed to get up and hop a chain linked fence, a dumpster, and run for my life down an alley towards a populated street for help. He caught me just before I made it there. Drug me by my hair across the asphalt, and started bashing my head into a carport pole. Two maitenance men heard commotion, and came running to my rescue. One stayed with me, and covered my nude body with a ripped shower curtain, the other I instructed to chase him, as my son was still up there. He held our son hostage by the throat, and eventually escaped. They closed off the roads, got dogs and helicopters, and eventually found him. My son was safe. For me, I was convulsing and going into shock. I was airlifted to a trauma center with no pulse.

Since then, I had to learn how to walk again. I've gone through so many stages of healing. Today, I suffer PTSD in the form of nightmares, pretty much nightly. Through the years, I have been getting stronger and stronger, and I found my voice again. Now, it is unstoppable, and will never be silenced again. I'm using it to fight back. To save lives.

We are just starting up, but have the strength to move mountains.  We need your help, of any donation, to make this a reality and start educating our children, which equals saving many of their lives! Maybe even your own childs!!  This is such a huge epedemic and serious matter!!  Not only will be forever greatful to you, but the youth, which is whom this is all for and about....to save the life of even ONE, is a priceless gift than that of money that goes toward saving lives and offering solutions.  THANK YOU.
dreamscorp.org

Or on facebook look up  @dreamscorp.org for our page.

Organizer

Brieanna Norwood
Organizer
Corona, CA

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