Dr. Ludy Green Guest Lecturer for Lura Bradfield Foundation

On October 17, 2008 Dr. Ludy Green spoke as the Guest Lecturer for the Lura Bradfield Foundation for their 12th Anniversary Lecture and Awards Presentation. The purpose of the event was to give awards to women and foundations focusing on women making a difference. Lura Colvin Bradford, 1905 - 1996, was a battered child and wife. Despite her personal trials, Ms. Bradford was an accomplished woman who attended George Washington University, American University, and the Department of Agriculture Graduate School. She was an active member in Ikebana International traveling many countries and dabbled in the arts. Ms. Bradford volunteered for St. Alban's Senior Center, St. Patrick's Episcopal Church E.C.W., the Florence Crittenton Foundation, and many other organizations. Ms. Bradford was careful with her investments in which the Lura Bradford Foundation was created to help benefit many other women to receive their educations and to help battered women, like her, to not be left behind as victims.

Dr. Green spoke to the Lura Bradford audience about the problems surrounding victims of domestic violence especially surrounding the prejudice running deeply through the workforce against "Stay At Home Moms" who attempt to find employment after managing their households. Dr. Green spoke about her dream to help women who have been working "non-traditionally" to find employment which would provide much more than a minimal salary for these women to help themselves and their children. Dr. Green spoke about her business model while reporting impressive results including 537 women to date that she has helped to place in positions earning $30,000 - $160,000 including a senior position in the United States Senate. Second Chance Employment Services helps women across all racial and economic barriers. Women do not have to be in a shelter or homeless in order for them to get relief from Second Chance and receive help in becoming employed.

Thank you Dr. Ludy Green and Second Chance Employment Services for helping to provide all at-risk women with the tools they need to reclaim their lives.

Victor Rivers: "I Am NOT A WOMAN"

Second Chance Employment Services would like to give a special Thank You to Victor Rivers for being our Guest Speaker at our 5th Annual Gala Last Kiss of Summer.

Mr. Rivers, an actor in many films such as The Mask of Zorro, Two for Texas, Blood In/Blood Out, Amistad, The Chain, The Distinguished Gentleman, Lara, Semi-Tough, One Good Cop, Fled, The Lost City, The Air I Breathe, many other movies, the stage, TV shows LIFE, Numb3rs, 24, Star Trek, Jag, Miami Vice, and CSI Miami.

Victor Rivers spoke to the attendees that Domestic Violence is not a "woman's issue", but an issue that effect's everyone. Mr. Rivers told us his harrowing childhood tale, growing up in a household of abuse against his mother, himself,and his siblings. Victor Rivers spoke about the reality of the blind eye the legal system lent him when he went for help. The legal system did not protect Victor's mother physically, financially, or especially her children by denying their mother her custodial rights to the children she cared for steadily. It was only through employment that Victor's mother was able to track down her kidnapped children and remain in her children's lives as their non-custodial parent. Victor's father abused the legal system to out maneuver Victor's mother due to his financial positing as the family bread winner and thereby his father gained sole custody of the very children that he abused physically, mentally, and emotionally. Sadly - this imbalance of representation and financial support to domestic violence victims continues to be perpetuated today in which many times the bread winning parent instead of the caretaker patent gains shared custody ("co-parenting") or sole custody.

Mr. Rivers credits his community in reaching out to him in his teenage years and not giving up on him to give him the strength and guidance to make more of his life than what he was left to deal with by his abusive father. Furthermore, Victor Rivers has also written a book detailing the trails of his family in A Private Family Matter: A Memoir written in both English and Spanish.

Thank you Victor Rivers for breaking the silence and making a stand to protect those who are subjugated in their domestic hell.