Survivors of Violent Loss Network

Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down

This section of devoted to tips about our world that we can share with each other. Recently we sent out an announcement shared by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention about the upcoming movie Happenings and cautioned those of us who live with and work with Violent Death about it’s disturbing stories. Happenings were given a Thumbs Down. We want to invite you to send us examples of areas that you, and we know it is each of our own ideas, to share with each other. After violent death, moving in the world is different and helping support experiences that may help or hinder the emotional mine field supports our belief that “ Together we can…” learn to live with what has happened better. Feel free to send us your ideas for our consideration to post for others. Although posts are completely the ownership of the author, we reserve the right to post or not and to edit all suggestions.

Movie: Sweeny Todd-Thumbs Down

I love many movies that Johnnie Depp has starred in. So, when this movie musical, Sweeny Todd, was considered award worthy, I rented it. It wasn’t long into the movie before I stopped it and knew it wasn’t something I could enjoy. Too many bloody murderous scenes for me. So I give Sweeny Todd a Thumbs Down. C. Saindon

Movie: Winged Migration- Thumbs Up

This movie documentary has amazing photography and wonderful music with very little narration. It invites us to live the life of birds and shows how amazing they are. The movie is a study of the life of migrating birds, some that travel up to 3,000 miles twice a year. As with life, there are some tragic moments but the predominate time is spent in awe with these birds and how capable they are. So I give Winged Migration a Thumbs Up. C. Saindon

Book: Apples and Oranges- Thumbs Up

Written by Marie Brenner about her life with her brother, two only children in the same family. She writes about the distance and discord between them intertwined with moments only of joy. A writer for the New Yorker and Vanity Fair, her attempts to write other things didn’t work. She realized that she needed to write about the story of her and her brother after he committed suicide. New York Times Critic, Michiko Kakutani, gives the book an unqualified rave: “ Ms. Brenner uses the prism of her love and grief for her brother –and her bewilderment too- to create a haunting portrait.” This book gets my Thumbs Up.

10 Week Clinical Support Group Forming Soon

Mondays 5:30 - 7:30 PM

This group is open to anyone who has had a loved one die in a violent way.

We are currently taking reservations.

For more information or to reserve your place, please call 619-685-0005

Dear SVLP Community

This post is in response to a movie called “The Happening” that is currently showing in movie theaters. We would like to warn our community against seeing this movie due to its violent content and incessant graphic depictions of suicide and homicide. The American foundation for Suicide Prevention posted a warning about this movie last week. To read this warning, follow the link below:

https://email.alliant.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=29cefcb1b26a4bca8ac30e89d14be740&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.afsp.org%2findex.cfm%3ffuseaction%3dhome.viewPage%26page_ID%3d7293A51D-CF1C-2465-179A6B215F535F21

“Your Support Is Our Mission”

- The SVLP Clinical Team

Connie Saindon who was recently presented with the :

San Diego Psychiatric Society
Mental Health Awareness Award

In recognition of her commitment to and understanding of the mental health needs in the community.

The rest of the staff at SVLP is very glad to be a part of the work that Connie has been doing at Survivors of Violent Loss for over ten years. Congratulations Connie!

The Criminal Death Support Group will hold their next drop in meeting on June 23, 2008 from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m.

For friends and families of criminal death victims.
Those who have recently lost someone are welcome.

This is an opportunity to connect with other survivors, update each other on their current status, share lessons and tips, discuss topics such as unsolved cases, ways to deal with the media and so on.

This group is also a time to gain information on community resources and more.

Located at Survivors of Violent Loss
2333 First Avenue, Suite 204
San Diego, CA 92101

We  have several things currently in the works over here at Survivors of Violent Loss. Our website is in the process of getting updated and we have something called “Hope Gallery” that WE hope we will be able to share with you soon. Its always exciting when we think of new ways to encourage and connect with survivors. For today, we would like to share a healing image with you - we are working on putting together several other images like this to give people a place to just get away, if only for a moment. If you are interested in donating an image that you have photographed to the Hope Gallery, please email it to svlp@svlp.org. Credit will be given to the photographer.

May this give a reminder that there is some beauty in this world.

Criminal Death Support Group
a new peer lead drop-in group

Next meeting: April 28, 2008
From 7:30 - 9:00 p.m

For friends and families of criminal death victims.
Those who have recently lost someone are welcome.

This is an opportunity to connect with other survivors, update each other on their current status, share lessons and tips, discuss topics such as unsolved cases, ways to deal with the media and so on.

This group is also a time to gain information on community resources and more.

Located at Survivors of Violent Loss
2333 First Avenue, Suite 204
San Diego, CA 92101

Happy Wednesday.

This is Crime Victim’s week and the theme is “Justice for Victims, Justice for All.” You can read more about what’s been going on here: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/ncvrw/

We want to thank everyone for coming out to the River of Remembrance on Sunday, as well as the candlelight vigil. You can check out photos from both events in this online gallery, as well as purchase prints! We will be posting healing images in the future, so be sure to check back.
Crime Victim’s Week 2008 photos

If you have photos from the events that you would like to share, you can email them to cchow@svlp.org. We’ll try to post some on the blog. Have a great day!

In March, we had an event at the Crime Victim’s Oak Garden called “Justice Delayed, Justice Denied”, 10 a.m. to support survivor Cherry M. as she traveled to Hawaii to address a 33 year old case. A group marched outside the Attorney General’s office in Honolulu on the day, 33 years later that Dawn was killed.

In Hawaii, she was joined by of many supporters along with the family and friends of Dawn, who was killed by an identified suspect on March 14, thirty three years ago. Cherry says: “she saved my life”; I would have been killed too.” They were only 13. Justice delayed, justice denied was the motto for this trip.

At the time in which she traveled to Hawaii the case was sitting at the Attorney General’s Office in Honolulu awaiting a decision.

Our director Connie Saindon had the opportunity to travel to Hawaii with Cherry and to support the march.
She has some images that she would like to share with the friends of Survivors of Violent Loss.