(DAVENPORT, Iowa) - Family Resources third annual Honor the Women program will feature a presentation from sexual violence prevention activist and National Story Slam Champion, Nancy Donoval, on Friday, Oct. 11, at the Quad Cities Waterfront Convention Center in Bettendorf. Proceeds from the luncheon help support the Family Resources Rape/Sexual Assault Counseling & Advocacy Program.
Donoval was 19 and a freshman in college when she was raped by a trusted friend after what started out as a night of fun and drinking. Now, more than 30 years later, Donoval travels the country, combining her experience as a rape survivor with her gift of storytelling to educate and engage others in open conversation about sexual violence in order to reduce the stigma of rape, inspire hope in survivors and their loved ones, and motivate social change.
"After every program, people come up and tell me their stories," said Donoval. "Sometimes I'm the first person they've told. And not just survivors, I hear stories from friends and family members, too. The fact is we all know someone who is a survivor whether we know we do or not," she said.
Nearly one in five women and one in 71 men reported experiencing rape at some time in their lives, according to a survey from the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. In a study of undergraduate women published in the Journal of American College Health, 19 percent have experienced attempted or completed sexual assault since entering college.
Donoval, who holds a master's degree in fine arts, was awarded the title of National Story Slam Champion in 2010 for an excerpt from her one-woman show "The Road to Shameless: A Survivor's True Story of Rape and Recovery." During her visit to the Quad Cities, high school and college students will have the opportunity to see the entire show free on Thursday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m. at Augustana College's Wallenberg Auditorium in Rock Island. Tickets for the Oct. 10 performance are available at area colleges and high schools. Parents are welcome to accompany students.
Tickets for the Honor the Women luncheon on Oct. 11 are $30. Doors open at 11 a.m. for a silent auction and social hour. Lunch and the presentation begin at noon. To register, visit famres.org, click on Details under Events, and find the registration at the bottom of the page.
Presenting sponsors for the luncheon are: Unity Point Health - Trinity, Quad Cities Investment Group, Northwest Bank & Trust, and Western Illinois University - Quad Cities. Honor sponsors are Sue Quail and Eastern Iowa Community College.
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About Family Resources
Family Resources is a nonprofit organization that provides a safe place for women, children and families. Adapting to the needs of communities across 13 counties in Iowa and Illinois, Family Resources provides solutions wherever there are gaps. Many clients have suffered physical and emotional trauma caused by domestic violence, physical or sexual abuse, or mental disorders. Family Resources helps heal and restore broken lives by providing a safe place in body, mind, and spirit, which leads to the building of a stronger community. For more information, go to www.famres.org.
