Austin, Lockhart, Georgetown, and Back

As I mentioned in an earlier post, it's been madness around these parts. The OOVC calendar is booked. We've had a wonderful reception everywhere we've been and had especially rewarding experiences at the Williamson County & Cities Health District (in Georgetown) and at Youth Advocacy (in South Austin). Photos to follow soon.

In Georgetown, Isidora Sanchez and I gave an immigrant rights presentation to a group of 15 pregnant women and their partners and at Youth Advocacy, to participants in YA's Creating Lasting Family Connections program. On Monday I drove down to Lockhart, Texas for the monthly Caldwell County Family Violence Task Force meeting at the Sirloin Stockade. Tuesday, to LifeWorks for the monthly Austin/Travis County Family Violence Task Force, where we discussed the relationship between justice and forgiveness.

This Saturday I have a Victims of Crime talk scheduled at St. Ignatius and over the next several weeks will be giving immigrant rights talks to various ESL classes across the Austin area. Must extend a huge thanks to our Outreach Assistant, Nhu Truong, for helping me put together those packets.

How can it be October is nearly over?!

BT

-- Don't forget the Texas Book Festival this weekend.

Austin-Travis County Health and Human Services Department Public Health Forum

PAPA has been invited to speak at a public health forum this evening. I'll be representing PAPA on the panel, telling folks a bit about the programs (asylum, detention, VAWA, family petitions, immigrant victims of crime, etc.) and services PAPA offers. The forum is open to the public (see poster), and I'll be available for questions afterwards -- so please feel free to come and speak with me, especially if you have questions you'd rather ask one-on-one.

BT

Fifth Annual Community and Professional Education Conference on Family Violence

Three representatives from our offices (Ingrid Grobey, Lora Llenado, and myself) attended the Caldwell County Family Violence Task Force annual conference in San Marcos yesterday. Items discussed included The Psychological Effects of Domestic Violence on Survivors, with Karen Wilson, Ed.D., and Law Enforcement Analysis of Family Violence Statements, with Captain Chris Bratton of the Round Rock Police Department.

Our calendar is extremely busy over the next few weeks and includes both immigrant and advocate trainings on PAPA programs and self-petitions under VAWA (Violence Against Women Act).

On other fronts, PAPA is the recipient of the prestigious 2006 Daniel Levy Award, so we're all gearing up for the award ceremony next week!

UT School of Social Work

Tomorrow I head over to the UT School of Social Work to give a talk to an undergraduate class on how immigration relates to social justice, to talk a bit about what PAPA does and stands for; and, Thursday, I'll be in San Marcos at the Fifth Annual Community and Professional Education Conference on Family Violence, sponsored by the Caldwell County Family Violence Task Force. If you are at either and have questions about PAPA or what we do, feel free to come and speak with me.

BT