HAVEN of Oakland County

04/12/22 • 35 min

3rd Act

In This Episode:

As Oakland County’s only comprehensive program for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, HAVEN provides shelter, counseling, advocacy and educational programming to nearly 30,000 people each year.
HAVEN has helped domestic violence and sexual assault victims and their families escape abuse and create safer lives for over 40 years.
Their survivor-centered services honor survivors as experts of their own experiences.
MiVida Burrus, Director of Development, has held key roles in fund development, grant writing and donor cultivation for area nonprofit organizations, municipalities and colleges.
Jasmine Valentine is in the marketing and development program at HAVEN.
We are pleased to have MiVida and Jasmine are join us today to has helped spread the word about the good works taking place 24 hours a day, seven days a week and to allow HAVEN to share more about their services and programs.
HAVEN received a perfect score, perfect assessment score from the Michigan domestic and sexual violence prevention and treatment board. It was a first perfect score and their 14 year history.
All their services are under one roof to better service their clients that can face up to 22 barriers to receiving services.
All of their services are free of charge and they always appreciate donations of any kind.

Quotes from This Episode:

"We operate on an empowerment. We do not tell survivors what to do. We empower them to make choices and decisions that are going to be positive for their own lives." ~MiVida Burrus

Links To Things We Talk About:

Episode Info:

This episode of the 3rd Act podcast is brought to you by WeAreThirdAct.com. Built on the pillars of illumination, compassion, and inspiration, it's your place to get involved, spotlights of non-profits, and 3rd Act Merch.

Join the 3rd Act Community to bring together connections, good stories, and a shared mission to help others.

If you like the 3rd Act podcast, visit our website to subscribe, listen to past episodes, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

In This Episode:

As Oakland County’s only comprehensive program for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, HAVEN provides shelter, counseling, advocacy and educational programming to nearly 30,000 people each year.
HAVEN has helped domestic violence and sexual assault victims and their families escape abuse and create safer lives for over 40 years.
Their survivor-centered services honor survivors as experts of their own experiences.
MiVida Burrus, Director of Development, has held key roles in fund development, grant writing and donor cultivation for area nonprofit organizations, municipalities and colleges.
Jasmine Valentine is in the marketing and development program at HAVEN.
We are pleased to have MiVida and Jasmine are join us today to has helped spread the word about the good works taking place 24 hours a day, seven days a week and to allow HAVEN to share more about their services and programs.
HAVEN received a perfect score, perfect assessment score from the Michigan domestic and sexual violence prevention and treatment board. It was a first perfect score and their 14 year history.
All their services are under one roof to better service their clients that can face up to 22 barriers to receiving services.
All of their services are free of charge and they always appreciate donations of any kind.

Quotes from This Episode:

"We operate on an empowerment. We do not tell survivors what to do. We empower them to make choices and decisions that are going to be positive for their own lives." ~MiVida Burrus

Links To Things We Talk About:

Episode Info:

Join the 3rd Act Community to bring together connections, good stories, and a shared mission to help others.

If you like the 3rd Act podcast, visit our website to subscribe, listen to past episodes, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Previous Episode

Gratitude through Cancer with Christina Costa

In This Episode:

In Christina's research and now her life she studies the practice of gratitude.
Gratitude practices are something that anyone, no matter what they are going through can implement. They are all accessible and all free. This doesn't mean that they are easy, but they can make an incredible impact.
Some examples include
- Doing a gratitude list when you wake up in the morning
- Writing letters to people you are grateful for and giving those letters to then in person or reading them on the phone
We talk about some of her thoughts, poems and observations in her book, Kiss Your Brain: Diagnosis Diaries
For Christina, she wanted to bring attention to the narrative of loving your body and brain even during the time she had the uninvited guest of cancer. Trying to articulate the difference between fighting brain cancer without fighting or blaming her brain.
Christina was a neuroscience undergraduate, and has always thought of herself as a "brain-nerd."
We talk about her Ted talk and what that experience was like for her.
Christina defines a neurodivergent person.
Christina shares the moving story of sharing her Ted Talk and her diagnosis with her middle school students.
We discuss why she wrote her book during her diagnosis, treatment, and recovery and the response she has seen from it. She also used some of the funds to help go towards research.

Quotes from This Episode:

Tragedy can kick you down and lift you up in the same breath. It can make friendships stronger. It can give you purpose. It can inspire, you can bring hope. It can strengthen faith and it can accelerate dreams. It can bring an unexplainable peace, a love for your body that you never knew. It can introduce you to the bravest people that walked this earth and the smartest people born to help you heal. And that's why I'm not scared. Thank you tragedy for what you've taught me. It's now time for you to go. - Christina
But when you hear the word cancer, you then hear warrior fighter. You can fight this, you can beat this. And when I started hearing that, of course, I've seen that all around me in commercials and advertising, but when people started to say it to me, it was really uncomfortable. It didn't sit right with me and thinking about how much I love the brain and how much I tell my students, the brain is amazing. I thought I don't want to fight my brain for the rest of my life. -Christina
I've learned in therapy is do focus on truths. On what I know is fact, I don't know what my life will be like in five years, 10 years or longer, but I do know I'm strong. I'm resilient. I can rise again. I have community behind me. -Christina

Links To Things We Talk About:

Episode Info:

Join the 3rd Act Community to bring together connections, good stories, and a shared mission to help others.

If you like the 3rd Act podcast, visit our website to subscribe, listen to past episodes, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Next Episode

The Good Eggs with Sandy Mals

In This Episode:

The Good Eggs Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that works hard to identify childhood support programs, organizations, and families facing challenges in order to provide care and assistance. Once an organization is 'EGGED," it will receive the help that is needed. “EGGINGS” can take various forms, such as offering jackets/hats/gloves, offering school supplies to a group of students, or even helping with local children’s events for those in need.
Sandy holds a Master of Arts degree from the University of Detroit Mercy and has taught morality, ethics, and social justice courses at a private high school in Michigan.
In addition to her teaching career, she has taught, developed, and implemented programs and curricula that are focused on helping children realize the importance of living altruistic lives centered on love.
The Good Eggs series is her contribution to supporting children as they learn about virtues, diversity, and service – essential concepts to integrate into their lives as they grow into Good Eggs!
Sandy is also the Founder and President of The Good Eggs Foundation, which is dedicated to helping children in need. The Foundation’s outreach can take many forms, including monetary assistance, educational resources, and basic needs. Part of the net proceeds from book purchases go directly to the Foundation. Improving quality of life at a local, state, national, and even a global level is key to helping others grow and succeed!
Sandy shares the story of how she came up with the Good Eggs children books.
We talk about how the foundation does "Eggings" and how they select the recipients and needs that they meet. Things like providing baby monitors, helping out families who have fallen on hard times, provided bedding for habitat for humanity, and about 30 more to date.
The foundation is primarily funded through book sales.
We discuss the animation projects for the Good Eggs on YouTube.

Quotes from This Episode:

"I wanted to put the books into action and I wanted the foundation to help kids since the books are for kids."

Links To Things We Talk About:

Episode Info:

Join the 3rd Act Community to bring together connections, good stories, and a shared mission to help others.

If you like the 3rd Act podcast, visit our website to subscribe, listen to past episodes, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter.