Austin 10/20, TFN Leadership Training, Lilith Fund Bowl-a-Thon, After Work Activism Group

Austin 10/20


This morning, bright and early, Social Work Council volunteered at the Austin 10/20 marathon. Our group helped unpack medals for the runners at the finish line. I only got to stay for about an hour and a half, but I did see the first 10 runners cross the finish line. Pretty exciting! I think Social Work Council should sign up for a race and train together (okay, maybe I just want/NEED a workout buddy/something to work out for.) COME ON, SWC!

TFN Leadership Training


I left volunteering at the marathon to go to The Texas Freedom Network's Leadership Training. I only got to stay for the first half, but it was extremely informative. They also provided binders full of information about civic engagement that I look forward to reading. THANK YOU, TFN!

Austin Chapter and Texas State Chapter Presidents 

Lilith Fund Bowl-a-Thon
I left the TFN training early to attend the Lilith Fund's Bowl-a-Thon! This was the big event I have been fundraising for the past several weeks. Thank you to everyone who donated. We had a rock star fundraiser on our team, but I am still inspired that I was able to raise $500 with your help! Thank you so much. (Our team raised over $3,500!)

This event was a blast. I got to chat with my favorite blogger, I met some of my thus far anonomyous Twitter friends, and I caught up with the Social Worker from Whole Woman's Health. Plus, I broke 100 when I bowled, woo hoo! I also left this event early to finish a paper, but I still had a great time!

Team OCCUPY BALL STREET

Part of the participants in the Lilith Fund Bowl-a-Thon Fundraiser

After Work Activism

Later in the evening I attended a focus group for some of my classmates Social Justice project. Their idea was to create an "After Work Activism" group for students who work and cannot participate in many activist events because of conflicts in their schedule.

We talked about some of our interests: the two that were repeated consistently were women's rights and education.

I'm so happy there was group consensus to focus our efforts on education. While I am very passionate about women's rights and reproductive health, I have been yearning to learn about a new social justice issue.

At the TFN training, I learned about the State Board of Education, an organization I'm still not very familiar with. All I know for sure is that they are a small group that holds a lot of unbalanced and unchecked authority- and that the 10 year re-election of this board is upcoming.

And so that's the group. We will pursue knowledge about the candidates for the board and help spread awareness. Because it is an After Work Activism group, the main goal will simply be to spread awareness through social media.

I am hoping to have the time to do enough research to write an op-ed on this topic, and of course share it here.

Interested? You do not have to be a UT student. This is a community group, not a student group. Check it out: After Work Activism Facebook Group

I am hoping to do more ground work on this issue with TFN, but if you don't have time for that, please heavily consider joining the new community group that can easily be worked into a busy schedule. The main focus is awareness, so even if you can't contribute, you should still join to learn and help make a positive change in your community (and state... and nation! REALLY!) just by being informed and VOTING.
SBOE District Map
Texas Tribune SBOE Election Bracket

Public Health Week, Empowerment Week, Take Back the Night, FD of the Year, VRJ Update, White House Forum, Lilith Fund

Public Health Week

me, Liz

Voices for Reproductive Justice helped table on Monday for Public Health Week. Several organizations tabled at this event. Students were to receive information from five tables of their choice and have representatives from those tables sign off. Then they got to make their own free t-shirt. Liz tabled for most of this, but it was a lot of fun for the short time I was able to help!

Don't worry if you didn't get to see this sweet birth control poster in person; VRJ will be toting it around whenever we table.

Social Work Council's 2nd Annual Empowerment Week


Social Work Council's 2nd Annual Empowerment Week was a huge success! We scheduled Gregory Plaza for four hours on Tuesday and Wednesday, but we handed out all of our goodies in just two hours each day.

Ana, Meredith, me, Angelica, Haley, and Krista on Day 1

Special thanks to Denise for painting our a-frame! I am bummed I didn't get a picture of Denise and Augie tabling on Day 2, but THANK YOU!

And another special thanks to ResistAttack for donating pepper spray, C.A.R.E program for donating female condoms and dental dams, Planned Parenthood/Voices for Reproductive Justice for donating male condoms, UT's Alcohol and Drug Peer Educators for handing out t-shirts and literature on knowing your limit, and UT's Senate of College Councils for funding our t-shirts. 

I can't wait to put this event on next year. Thank you Social Work Council for donating your time and for all of your hard work.

Take Back the Night


I attended my first Take Back the Night on Tuesday. What a powerful experience. Voices Against Violence did a great job coordinating this event. I don't think I would do the event any justice by recapping it in a blog. All I can do is highly encourage you to attend next year.

Angelica, Ruth, Krista, me, and Haley

UT's Senate Financial Director of the Year


Well, the second Senate General Assembly I miss all year, and I am awarded Financial Director of the Year! I really did not think there was a shot in hell I would be nominated by my fellow FD's for this honorable award. When I knew I couldn't attend, I sent Bhargav (the Senate FD) an e-mail asking him to congratulate the winner. The next morning I received this e-mail:

SO STOKED. I went to pick up my award on Friday. 

me, Bhargav

Thank you Bhargav and Carisa for not only giving me a certificate, but a special inspirational photo that I can keep forever. 

Voices for Reproductive Justice


Voices for Reproductive Justice will be tabling on Gregory Plaza this Tuesday, April 10th. Please drop by  for free condom goodie bags, to register to vote, and/or to sign up for our org!

VRJ is also in the works of setting up a pub crawl for the end of April. We will be promoting free STI testing taking place at Planned Parenthood clinics on April 30th.


White House Forum


I received another exciting piece of news this week: I was accepted to the White House Young American Series hosted at UT this Tuesday, April 10th! If you didn't apply but are interested, the event will be live streaming. I don't believe the link has been released yet, but I will post it here as soon as I find out.

Lilith Fund Bowl-a-Thon Fundraiser


If you've been following my blog, you know my original goal for this fundraiser was $100. But with your help, I've raised $486!!! Please help me hit the $500 mark- I only need $14 more! DONATE HERE.

Here's a little more about Lilith - the fund has been around for 10 years.  Its first challenge was to raise $10,000 to begin assisting low-income folks with abortion funding.  Last year, Lilith gave away $80,000 to over 1,000 patients - so the average grant is around $75.  Once clients have an appointment with a clinic and know how much money they need, they call the hotline.  A volunteer responds to their call, provides financial counseling, and ultimately determines the amount of money they can grant to the client.  They work with clinics across Texas from El Paso to Beaumont, as far north as Killeen and south into the RGV.  The TEA Fund is Lilith's "sister" fund for North Texas. 


Other Links

"Like" UT Social Work Council

"Like" UT Voices for Reproductive Justice

RSVP to the War on Women Rally April 28th at the Capitol.

Check out the We Are Women March website.

Follow me on Twitter

SOCIAL WORK COUNCIL'S EMPOWERMENT WEEK!

I've been working tirelessly along with my peers to bring UT a great Social Work Council Empowerment Week!

Join us on Gregory Plaza Tuesday, April 3rd, and Wednesday, April 4th from 10am-2pm for Empowerment Week. Both days will include the same events. This year, SWC's Empowerment Week focuses on Safety: Personal, Sexual, and Alcohol. Free t-shirts at the event! Personal Safety: ResistAttack has donated 100 pepper sprays that we will be giving out for free. Around 90% of sexual assaults occur between people that know each other. Although pepper spray cannot change the intent of an attacker, it is our hope that carrying this bottle will empower you. Being attacked is NEVER your fault. To speak with someone about relationship violence, sexual violence, or stalking anonymously, call UT 24-hour Telephone Counseling at 512-471-2255 or go to the Counseling and Mental Health Center on the 5th floor of the Student Services Building (SSB). If we are out of pepper spray when you drop by, please visit our personal fundraising page through ResistAttack to purchase your own. 25% of the proceeds will go towards Social Work Council's mission to empower UT students. If you don't want to purchase anything, you can still make a donation by clicking the "Donate" button. Sexual Safety: UT's Voices for Reproductive Justice teams up with SWC to hand out condom goodie bags. Special thanks to C.A.R.E. Program for donating female condoms and dental dams! Come out to learn more about how female condoms can work for you and your partner.

Learn more about female condoms by watching this video!

Alcohol Safety: UT's Alcohol and Drug Peer Educators join us on April 3rd to distribute free t-shirts and literature on knowing your limit. The literature will be available both days.

Special thanks to UT Senate of College Councils.

Other Links

"Like" UT Social Work Council

"Like" UT Voices for Reproductive Justice

"Like" ResistAttack


"Like" UT HealthyHorns

"Like" UT Senate of College Councils


Follow me on Twitter