Expanding in Eau Claire

This week, I had the honor of talking to a group of women from around the Eau Claire area about Marsy’s Law for Wisconsin and how the new laws will help their ventures within their community.

 The welcome I received from Christine at her studio was amazing – local microgreens, fruit, cheese and crackers, while I brought the coffee and bagels. Christine, owner and new Eau Claire County Chair with Marsy’s Law for Wisconsin, gave us name tags and made introductions while we ate and laughed. For the meeting, I created a circle of chairs where we all could see each other and talk. New to this position but not new to speaking, I wanted to get to know these women because there was something special about the gathering.

My aim in these meetings is to help the grassroots people of Wisconsin understand why they should support the law and vote “YES” when it comes to the ballot; however, as an advocate myself, I love the personal stories that we interject into the space and then hearing the support for the stories that come out of it. Marsy’s Law is so much more than a bipartisan legislative action – it will change the lives of survivors and the face of the criminal justice system in Wisconsin. All these women work with different affected parts of the community and I could not have been more honored to be able to help empower them.

At the end of the meeting, there was more gained than volunteers and personal stories waiting to be written – there were new friendships forged because we are all here to fight for equal rights for victims.

Sincerely,

Kate

Victim and Witness Coordinator