Comments

This is a comment sent in to our trainers Leila Rae Sommerfeld and Valerie Mainridge of Gresham, OR

Thank you again from our entire team! You and Valerie did such a fabulous job. Several of our volunteers commented at the end that your traiing was the best self-defense class they had ever taken - and several had attended classes in the past. you adapted your presentation to fit perfectly into our time constraints and skill level. You and Valerie brought such great energy and enthusiasm to our class. We especially appreciate you taking time on a Sunday. We feel empowered to continue to advocate for sexually exploited women in and around Portland.

We are so pleased to know you and your work. I hope this is only the beginning of our partnership.

The DVD is a great Help, our 19 cheerleaders were impressed, they talked things over..we got in a big circle and then we practiced all the hits/kicks/ and we had a black belt from our YMCA come in and he held their arm, they all got away, it was the most fun I've had in a long time, and I was proud of the girls for putting effort and concentration into what they were doing. I think they learned what they needed to learn.

I am wrapping up the semester and showed your story again. I talk to my students about finding a voice, being empowered etc. My goal is to get them to realized the power they have through the tools we learn in my class.

Anyway, after we got done talking about you and others who have found a voice, I let them log onto your website and encouraged to look at "Just Yell Fire", we had already talked about the video's origins and message. At the end of class a very quiet 8th grader who never really speaks out much came up to my desk.

"Do you know how fast they can send the video? I am going to be moving soon."

Maybe that doesn't have the impact for you that it had on me. I have no idea what her personal story is, but the really timid girl making such an inquiry made me wonder.

I don't know how long videos take to ship. But I happily gave her mine. She was stunned and looked at it and then me with a wide eye, then said thanks and walked back to her seat still looking at it.

It was a nice moment, just wanted to share.

Thanks for who you are and what you stand for.

I have been telling all of my daughter's mothers about the DVD and download. Thanks for getting the word out. Our young women need to know what to do in the real world and we as parents need to be reminded as well. I am so proud of the young women who were moved to make this DVD. It may very well save more lives than we will ever know.

My faith in humanity is restored once again. Stay pro-active girls.

I just finished reading about you in the latest Costco Connection magazine.

Thank you for showing how one person can team up with others to make a huge and wonderful difference.

Keep up the great job you are doing educating our youth, especially young women that they have the right for a life without violence of any form being used against them; and how to protect themselves.

Thank you.

I saw this video advertised in the In Touch magazine. What a wonderful idea.

I work in a junior high school with behaviour disorder kids, needless to say these girls don't live in the safest neighbourhoods. Although abductions happen everywhere, I worry that these girls I work with are at an increased risk of abduction, assault, etc.

Kudos to the ladies who thought of this, they are remarkable.

We are always looking for good, interesting and helpful programs to offer our patrons. We are lucky that we live in a low crime area, but it is true that crime has no boundaries, and it's always best to be prepared.

I wish my parents had been as safety minded. I was ninteen when I encountered a stalker at work. I had moved from home to attend college and worked part-time. This stalker harassed me at work, followed me to my apartment and charmed his way inside. He raped me. I didn't know to file a police report, go to the hospital to document the rape, or file a restraining order against this individual. The trauma of the rape and fear of how my father would react kept me from saying anything. Thank you, for preparing a DVD that shows self defense moves and safety issues.

I just used some of your organization's history in my end of course sum up for my word processing and computer tech classes. My overall message this year has been to encourage my middle school aged students to use the tools being learned to find their voice and to be heard.

After I send this email out I plan on purchasing your book to use in future classes.

Thank you for being such a great role model to my students who are told by society and by education in general to sit down and be quiet far too often.

Sincerely,

Calvin

Matheson Junior High

I saw you on the Montel Williams show the other day. Wow, what a blessing you two are. I sure wish that I could have seen something like that when I was in my early teens. I have a 12 year old daughter and a 14 year old son. Thank you so much for your time and ambition. I am sure there will be many lives saved through watching this. Thank you!!!