Bloom365: Healthy Relationships For All
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, “1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men have been a victim of domestic violence in their lifetime.” Can you imagine these statistics, but in a middle school classroom? Our youth, victims of dating abuse. Teen dating abuse is very relevant, but often overlooked or not spoken on. For one organization in the Valley they’re not only speaking up on behalf of our youth, but they’re also equipping them with the resources to create change.
Late last week, Blooming Point had their campaign kickoff. This provided them with the opportunity to not only bring awareness to teen dating abuse, but also present their vision for their teen resource center.
Founder of Bloom365, Donna Bartos stated, “Tonight’s event was the kickoff to our new Blooming Point Center, as well as our give, grow, bloom campaign to raise money to open this center for teens.”
Bloom365 Teen Board member Phoebe Wells added, “This blooming point and this space is not only created to be a resource center, but also a place to get educated. Our concept is to make that a safe place. Your home isn’t always a safe space, your abuser might be sitting next to you in the classroom at school, your environment may be pushing you to be quiet, or your cultural environment may be telling you it’s fine, but it’s not ok. This space is a safe space for anyone to come.”
Wells went on to share the importance of people uniting together to support the vision of Bloom365, ” It’s not just about educating people, but it’s about awareness .You can just speak out and it will inspire other people, and this is your chance to do that. We need to come together and help support a place like this that’s trying to make a difference.”
In light of the issues that surround domestic violence and our youth, Divorce Court TV Judge Lynn Toler expressed her eagerness to help make a true change. Toler shared, ” I was the least powerful person I knew with respect to this, because nothing I did was of any value. I dreamed of an opportunity to stop domestic violence but could not do it from my lofty position as a judge. What I dreamed of has come to fruition here. This is why I’m here. The power is in the root causes, the power is in the people, the power is in the ideas and the understanding, and the feeling and the desire. If you affect that, then you effect true change.
It’s time to make a change. Where does that start? As Bartos explained, “The only way we’re going to be sustainable as an organization and as a movement is if we train the next generations to do this peer to peer. Then we can scale, we can grow, and we can get to the tipping point moment, that we call the blooming point.“
Our youth are our future, and we have to do all we can to ensure that they prosper and lay a firm foundation for the generations to come. Teen dating violence is very relevant, and healthy relationships aren’t discussed enough amongst our youth. It’s time to equip teenagers with tools that will help them as they begin to date. This is only possible once we become aware and decide to take action. Blooming Point not only offers a safe haven for teens, but it also provides an informative resource center. We’re responsible for providing our youth with a positive outlet, and examples of what healthy relationships look like. In an age where everything is influenced by social media, let’s make resources such as Blooming Point just as accessible and relevant. If you would like to support the vision of Bloom365 or become involved, I encourage you to visit their website, bloom356.org. There you can find all of the information on the various ways you can volunteer and give. Let’s continue to help Bloom365 bring awareness to teen dating abuse.
