March and April were both extremely busy for me, thus the no posting. So much has happened over the past few months, its hard to know where to begin. Its going to take multiple posts to explain it all, LOL! First, I’ll start with my joining ‘The Army of Angels’. Heres an explanation of “The Army”….
An army typically consisting of two or more officers, personnel, and a headquarters can be defined as any body of persons organized for any purpose. We are teachers, students, nurses, therapists, activists, advocates, non-profits organizations, lawyers, professionals, healers, and fans of Angela Shelton. Our army is made up of people of every gender across all boundaries of race, religion, and political standing - all committed to healing, awareness, strength and courage. Angela’s documentary helped start a grassroots movement of survivors and humanitarians who now work in a united effort to spread the word about the epidemic of abuse. Inspired and empowered by Angela Shelton to make dramatic shifts in our lives, we now work to make bigger strides forward and to help others do the same. Together we take action towards our own healing and are actively working towards leading joyful lives.
It started with Angela Shelton and continues through all of us! Her message has moved forward through dedicated people who have healed, who care about their communities, and who have loved ones who have been victims. 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys are sexually abused - that is millions of victims. There are in fact an estimated 39 million survivors of childhood sexual abuse living in America today. Abuse effects everyone in a community emotionally, financially, and spiritually. This is not a women’s issue - this involves all of us. One person and one voice makes a difference - put them together and we’re saving thousands of lives!
Some of the biggest voices in our world that are working at inspiring recovery, healing and living joyfully are those of the ARMY OF ANGELS. Angels are networking together, exchanging dreams and plans, and supporting each other in achieving the goal to break the silence and end the cycle of abuse in their lives and the lives of others. Its time to stop being victims, surpass being survivors, and to fight as soldiers against the epidemic of pain and suffering that stems from abuse & trauma!
The Joy Campaign
The Army of Angel’s Joy campaign has begun with the goal of creating massive social change through recovery and healing - healing that leads to living life joyfully.
After seeing how Angela’s powerful documentary, “Searching for Angela Shelton” has changed many lives we’d now like everyone to read her new book, Finding Angela Shelton. The book itself is a Call to Action for all survivors to end self-abuse, recover, and lead joyful lives. We’re getting it into the hands of millions because, in doing so, we’re spreading the message behind both the book and the documentary! We’re beginning to write our own stories, starting blogs, writing songs. Find your own way to tell your story and reach out to other survivors in order to heal yourself and help others do the same. Its all about changing your own patterns as individuals and living life joyfully. The more you do, the more of an example you are.
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So…I’ve been wanting to join in with something more widespread and more tangible than what either of my websites has the capacity for for quite sometime. I’d known for a long time that I wanted to unite with other’s in the fight to show the victims of our world that they’re worth the time it takes to heal - no matter where they’ve been and no matter their circumstances. In reference to *Finding Angela Shelton*, “No matter what their name is!” By joining the Army of Angels I’ve accomplished my goal and then some. In the past few months I’ve gone from a woman who longed to reach out survivors of trauma into one out of hundreds who unite and work together in order to collectively change our world. Its all about unity and Angela has been an amazing catalyst for that.
What drew me to Angela Shelton in the beginning was very much her humor and her authenticity. If theres one emotional factor thats gotten me through in the midst of my own abusive past it’s been laughter. Dark comedies are still my favorite movies because they’re what I can relate to the most. My siblings and I all share the same sarcastic, fun sense of humors. Its how we have survived together.
So here I was, wanting to do something I could see and be involved in beyond just a computer scrreen. I wanted to hear actual voices, meet people up close and personal. I thought about getting involved with Healing Through Creativity, but their main festival each year is in West Virginia. I thought about RAINN until I got an email over a year ago saying that there weren’t any training centers in my area. Then I stumbled across Angela Shelton’s Joy Campaign. One night I watched a video of Angela on www.angelashelton.com titled “Angela Shelton Speaks to Goddess Girls at a Juvenile Detention Center”. I cried watching that video, but more than anything else I laughed. I was over-joyed as I watched this woman reach out to these young girls. She wasn’t afraid to speak the truth to those who needed to hear it the most! Upon watching that video I was hooked into the Army of Angels.
I joined the Ohio Team’s Google Group on the 27th of January. The google groups are basically our private realms where we exchange files and ideas on what we can do to help spead the word about living joyfully after trauma. There wasn’t much activity there but I hoped that would change. I started posting my own files, ideas, and resources. I started posting weekly goals. Then on February 15th I got an invite to join the team leader’s group. So, in that way, I became the Ohio Team Leader for The Joy Campaign. I started talking to all these other women around the country who were reaching out to their local book stores, crisis centers, etc. They were talking to actual people beyond just the scope of their computer screens which is exactly what I was searching for. This was it!
If I could travel back in time to five years ago to tell the young woman that I was back then that someday she would be organizing rallies and speaking with local advocates about any type of “Joy Campaign”, she never in a million years would have believed me. But I spent Tuesday in Columbus, OH for the Franklin County Report IT rally that I helped to organize in order to give a voice to all victims of sexual
violence. I went and reported my uncle for abuse on Wednesday afternoon which is a huge step in my not living my life in fear anymore. None of this would have ever happened with out Angela Shelton, her documentary, and her powerful book, and especially not without all the incredibly advocates that have stepped up to follow in her footsteps!
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