Avon Foundation For Women Awards m.powerment by mark. Grant To Bard College To Promote Healthy Dating Relationships

ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. —Bard College has received a $5,000 grant from the beauty and fashion boutique mark., as part of its m.powerment by mark. Healthy Relationship Peer Educator Program, which is managed by the Avon Foundation for Women through its Speak Out Against Domestic Violence initiative. Ashley Greene, ambassador for mark. brand, announced these new grants at a congressional briefing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on March 13, where she also presented new data from the “NO MORE Study: Teens and Young Adults,” funded by m.powerment by mark, that explored attitudes toward and experience with dating abuse, partner violence, and sexual assault among teens and young adults.

The grant will fund BRAVE at Bard College to promote healthy dating relationships among college-age women and men. This is the first year Bard College has received funding from the m.powerment program.

The grant is one of 25 m.powerment by mark Healthy Dating Relationship College Program grants totaling $125,000 awarded to colleges nationwide to fund programs focused on preventive education on dating abuse and violence, sexual assault, stalking and the promotion of healthy relationships, as well as offer local resources and provide referrals for community-based domestic violence experts. The grant also supports educator training, materials and support sessions about healthy relationships.

Women ages 16–24 experience the highest rates of partner violence and dating abuse, which affect millions of people and often result in physical and emotional injuries and even death. According to the National Dating Abuse Helpline, one in three girls who have been in a serious relationship say they have been concerned about being physically hurt by their partner. While strides have been made in the fight against this abuse, many victims will not get the support they need.

“We are proud that the Avon Foundation for Women and m.powerment by mark. share our mission and have chosen to support our program. With these funds we will be able to broaden our educational outreach, hire speakers and educators we could not have otherwise hired, attend trainings and workshops to assist with training, advertise our services in order to reach our entire college community, and purchase educational tools for the use of trainings and educational programming, ” said Rebecca Stacy, LCSW, director of BRAVE at Bard College.

BRAVE is a professionally directed student-service organization whose members provide anonymous and confidential crisis intervention, supportive counseling, advocacy, and ongoing education to the Bard community. Although BRAVE staff members receive particular training in issues relating to sexual assault, sexual harassment, relationship violence, and sexuality, BRAVE counselors also receive training in eating disorders, depression and suicide, sexual orientation, loneliness, isolation, anxiety, and social and academic issues. BRAVE services are available on a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week basis.

For more information on BRAVE at Bard College please contact Rebecca Stacy, LCSW at 845-758-7557 or [email protected].

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Avon Foundation for Women and Speak Out Against Domestic Violence
The Avon Foundation for Women launched Speak Out Against Domestic Violence in 2004 to support domestic violence awareness, education, and prevention programs aimed at reducing domestic and gender violence, as well as direct services for victims and their families. Through the end of 2012, the Avon Foundation for Women has donated $33 million in the United States to support domestic violence programs, services, and education. Globally, Avon supports efforts to end violence against women in nearly 50 countries by raising funds through special product sales and raising awareness through events and with educational information disseminated by more than 6 million global Avon Representatives. Visit www.avonfoundation.org for more information.

To learn more about the Avon Foundation for Women, call 1-866-505-AVON or visit www.avonfoundation.org, where you can access information about Speak Out Against Domestic Violence.

Press Contact:
Karyn Margolis
Avon Foundation for Women
(212) 282-5666
[email protected]

mark.
mark. is an expertly edited beauty and fashion boutique that is constantly launching fresh, on-trend products. Inspired by the hottest runway looks of the season, mark. offers young women must-have trend items. If you live for the rush of a great find, meet mark. For more information, visit www.meetmark.com.

For more information on m.powerment by mark., visit www.meetmark.com/mpowerment.

For more information about relationship abuse, please visit www.breakthecycle.org. To receive immediate help, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−SAFE (7233) or the National Dating Abuse Helpline 1-866-331-9474

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This event was last updated on 04-15-2013

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