Stay Safe This Summer With Tips from Our Community Education Team!

School is out, and summer is just over the horizon!

For many families, this means that kids start summer activities and spend time in new places. Here are some more tips for how to keep your family safe this summer:

1. Speak to your child about acceptable vs unacceptable touch, teach them the proper names for their anatomy, and make it clear that it is ALWAYS okay to tell if someone is doing something that makes them uncomfortable.
2. Know who your children spend time with and what they are doing. Ask about details of outings before they go and check in with your kids afterwards to make sure they can confidently describe the things they have done.
3. Meet and communicate with the adults that your child will be interacting with. This includes coaches, camp counselors, their friends’ parents, neighbors, or other caretakers. Be open about the fact that you have talked to your child about safety and that they are empowered to speak up when they are uncomfortable.
4. Try to limit the amount of time that your child spends in 1-on-1 situations with older youth and adults.
5. Look for programs that have a code of conduct that outlines policy for 1-on-1 interactions, prohibits contact outside of program activities, and lays out the physical contact expectations between staff and participants.

Getting involved in our communities is key to making them safer because when adults work together to protect kids, sexual violence is less likely to happen and more likely to be discovered if it does.

Sincerely,

Kaity Gray and Kiersten Kummerow Brown

Community Education Team

Team Updates:

Say Hi to Our New Team Members!

Barbara Quinto-Huarez is our new Bilingual Therapist!

Born in Lima, Peru, she has lived in Colorado for most of her life. Barbara has worked at The Blue Bench in various roles, starting as a case manager intern, then as a case manager, and later as an intern therapist.

Before this role, Barbara worked with adolescents in substance use treatment and as a renal social worker. A fun fact about her is that she is a huge Swiftie.  

Kim is our new On-Call Advocate!

Recently retired, this role allows her to stay engaged in meaningful work.

A career highlight for Kim was opening Compassion Road Academy, an innovative school in Denver Public Schools focused on supporting students with significant mental health challenges.

She enjoys spending time with her granddaughters, traveling, and attending festivals and live music events. 

A Big Win for The Blue Bench!

The Blue Bench was awarded the full requested amount for two VALE (Victim Assistance and Law Enforcement) funds!

This achievement highlights the excellent services The Blue Bench has consistently provided to survivors in the Denver Metro area. We received numerous compliments from VALE Board members.

Kudos to our Client Services staff for their outstanding work and to the Grants Team—Sarah Harris, Amanda Lavan, Becca Tiell-Krekeler, and Sue Gray—for their dedication during the application process.

These funds will support our budget and continue to fund Client Services staff across multiple departments.

Take Action Today:

Thank You for Your Hard Work and Support During the 2024 Legislative Session!

Check out a recap of successes and what's to come thanks to the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CCASA):

SB24-011, Online-Facilitated Misconduct & Remote Tracking

In response to a rising number of cases where technology has been used to facilitate sexual violence, this bill provides Coloradans greater protections and increases accountability for dating apps, electronic tracking devices, and sexual deep fakes. 

HB24-1420, Transfer to Colorado Crime Victim Services Fund

HB 1420 transfers $4 million from the general fund to the Colorado Crime Victim Services Fund, adding to an initial $2 million in the budget bill. This marks the second year Colorado has allocated General Fund dollars to victim services.

HB24-1349, Firearms & Ammunition Excise Tax

HB 1349 refers a measure to the November 2024 ballot asking voters to fund crime victims’ services, mental health services for veterans and at-risk youth, and school safety by enacting a 6.5% excise tax on the retail sales of all guns, gun precursor parts, and ammunition sold in the state.

HB24-1122, Protection Orders for Victims of Crimes

HB 1122 reduces barriers for survivors seeking a civil protection order. This bill improves survivor safety by updating language to recognize the range and pattern of behaviors in sexual and domestic violence, removing the harmful “imminent danger” standard, and modifying processes to make civil protection orders more accessible for survivors.

Join Our Team:

• Internships:
  • Now accepting applications for our Resource Team Internships:

    • Submit a resume and cover letter to Becca Tiell-Krekeler, Client Services Co-Director: Resources at rtiell@thebluebench.org 

       

• Open positions:
  • Bilingual Case Manager
  • Bilingual On-Call Advocate, Part-time
  • Community Educator, Part-time
  • Executive and Operations Assistant
  • Post-Conviction Victim Advocate

  • Therapist

     

• Volunteer opportunities: 
  • Hotline Advocate
  • Hospital Advocate
  • Office Assistant
  • Event Volunteer

Quote of the Month:

"Use your ears to listen to our experiences. Sure, we were once victims, but by finding the courage to speak out and change the world, we've become survivors, and we're worthy of your respect."

- Phil Saviano

Former SNAP N. E. Regional Director; delivered at Voice of the Faithful First National Conference in Boston, July 20, 2002