Domestic Violence And Battered Women
Batterers use violence as an effective method for gaining and keeping control over another person. Domestic violence escalates and often begins with behaviors like threats, name calling, violence in the victim's presence (such as punching a fist through a wall), and/or damage to objects or pets. It may escalate to restraining, pushing, slapping, and/or pinching. The battering may include punching, kicking, biting, sexual assault, tripping, throwing. Finally, it may become life-threatening with serious behaviors such as choking, breaking bones, or the use of weapons. Sadly, the national dropout rate for battering programs is one out of two.
E-mail, call or write your state's Senators and Representatives and tell them that you support legislation aimed at ending domestic and family violence.
Visit the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence website at www.ncadv.org for information on how you can help.
Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799 SAFE to find local shelters and counseling.
Cancer Research
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. Nearly half of all men and a little over one-third of all women in the US will develop cancer during their lifetimes. Today, millions of people are living with cancer or have had cancer. The risk of developing most types of cancer can be reduced by changes in a person's lifestyle, for example, by quitting smoking and eating a better diet. The sooner a cancer is found and treatment begins, the better are the chances for living for many years.
Because cancer takes a toll on the person diagnosed as well as family and friends, the American Cancer Society offers support and service programs to try to lessen the impact. These programs cover a wide range of needs, from connecting patients with survivors to providing a place to stay when treatment facilities are far from home.
The aim of the Society's research program is to determine the causes of cancer and to support efforts to prevent and cure the disease. The American Cancer Society is the largest source of private, nonprofit cancer research funds in the US, second only to the federal government in total dollars spent. Beginning in 1946 with $1 million, the Society's research program has invested $2.5 billion in cancer research. The Society has funded 32 Nobel Prize winners early in their careers.
Visit the American Cancer Society website at www.cancer.org for information on how you can help.
