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Atikal Foundation - Raw Beauty

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Atikal Foundation - Raw Beauty
Google Maps 12138 Central Avenue, #333
20721 Bowie
Prince George County
Maryland USA
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Website
Contact Person: Kita Williams
Phone: 301-386-0012
Fax: 301-560-2377
WHO WE ARE
Raw Beauty is a program of Atikal Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to improving outreach and services to underserved and underemployed communities in Prince George's County, Maryland.
The Atikal Foundation promotes programs and activities like Raw Beauty that lead to economic self-sufficiency, community involvement and personal empowerment through strategies that encourage entrepreneurship, interdependence and improving quality of life.
Raw Beauty was launched in November 2009.

OUR MISSION
Raw Beauty’s mission is to empower survivors of domestic abuse to live in purpose through love, faith, laughter and artistic expressions. We host meetings, workshops, galas, and other events where survivors of domestic violence can help heal their past and find strength for the future.

LOVE, FAITH, AND LAUGHTER
The scars of domestic violence run far deeper than skin. Too often, survivors of domestic violence have increased difficulties with maintaining loving relationships and forging new ones; trusting in the future; and feeling joy. Our events are all conducted in a spirit that gives our participants the space and encouragement to love, believe and laugh – things that they might have been denied during the abuse. We establish a safe place where our members can confidently share their stories and trust in their fellow survivors’ and other participants’ capacity to listen and reach out with love. Finally, we encourage our members, as we do ourselves, to take comfort in faith and spiritual contemplation.

ARTISTIC EXPRESSION
We at Raw Beauty encourage artistic expression among our participants as a way of reconnecting them with the individual beauty. What we have found is that domestic violence survivors, having usually experienced both extensive trauma and a longing for personal development, can find great therapeutic benefit from artistic expression. Our experience is echoed by a statement from the American Art Therapy Association: “Through creating art and reflecting on the art products and processes, people can increase awareness of self and others cope with symptoms, stress and traumatic experiences; enhance cognitive abilities; and enjoy the life-affirming pleasures of making art.”

In many of our events, we focus on fashion as a form of artistic expression that gives particular pride to our survivors. Teaching our members to place particular care in their appearance sends them the message that they are of value and are worthy of love, no matter what their abuser or others might have conveyed to them.

Fashion takes the stage most prominently during the annual celebratory benefit we hold for our members, which includes, among other fellowship activities, a long “pampering” session, as well as consultations with on-site fashion experts in the fields of fashion design, jewelry, cosmetics, and hairstyling. The culmination of this day is an artistic photo shoot involving our participants, and the photographs are used to produce an annual calendar highlighting our members. Last year, over 500 of these calendars were distributed. These calendars serve as a testament to all who see them that, despite domestic abuse, the possibilities of hope and healing still exist.

LIFE SKILLS & ENTREPRENEURSHIP
We believe that, in order to provide healing to our participants in the long run, we must give them the gift of self-sufficiency. If a survivor learns the knowledge and skills she needs to secure employment and financial stability, she cannot be forced into another potentially damaging relationship. At Atikal, we promote financial preparedness through partnerships with Capitol One Bank and other organizations, where we conduct workshops in the areas of:
? Identifying one’s passions and purpose
? Relating one’s passions and purpose to a business
? Communications skills
? Entrepreneurship 101
? Resume writing
? Principles of self-marketing

OUR FUTURE
As Raw Beauty continues its mission, we are seeking constructive and focused partnership with organizations that recognize the severity of domestic abuse and can join us in our fight. We believe that the tools and experiences we seek to give survivors of domestic violence are needed not just in the Prince George’s County metropolitan area, but nationwide.
Date added: 2011-06-28 15:55:55    Hits: 30