Sexual Trauma Awareness & Response (STAR)

Today's the day! Don't miss out on an unforgettable evening of inspiration and celebration with STAR. Join us at 6:30 pm at The Balcony Ballroom in Metairie, Louisiana for our 2024 Champions of Change Awards Gala. 🏆🤩 This gala is an opportunity to recognize and honor individuals and organizations that have dedicated themselves to creating positive change in the lives of survivors. Hope to see you there! Purchase tickets for yourself or a survivor here: https://ow.ly/PJOh50U0vwq ⭐

🚨 In upsetting news, survivor-serving agencies in New Orleans, like STAR, are losing nearly 1 million dollars in federal funding. These cuts directly impact critical services provided by our advocacy, legal, and counseling teams. Now more than ever, we need the support of our communities and leaders to continue serving survivors without any pause in our programs and services. Please consider donating to STAR, and other organizations who advocate to end sexual violence. You can also purchase tickets to support our upcoming Champions of Change Awards. https://lnkd.in/gajwgDvN We appreciate you! ⭐ Full article: https://ow.ly/AQWg50TVvFS

Meet our 2024 Exemplary Journalists honorees! 🏆⭐ Lorena O'Neil is a Paraguayan-American journalist who writes narrative features, in-depth profiles, and investigative news stories on health, culture, politics, and inequity. She is a Pulitzer Center fellow who publishes stories for The Louisiana Illuminator, Rolling Stone, and Elle. These organizations and individuals will be honored for their work to support sexual assault and trafficking survivors at our awards gala on November 6, 2024, in Metairie. 🎉Get tickets and more info here: https://ow.ly/uTlO50TOB9w

Meet our 2024 Exemplary Journalists honorees! 🏆⭐ David Hammer is the Chief Investigative Reporter at WWL Louisiana, the CBS affiliate in New Orleans. He's won 5 regional Emmy Awards and several national journalism prizes for his investigations of child sexual abuse, environmental disasters, government corruption, and more. He's a 1997 Harvard graduate and seventh-generation New Orleanian who seeks to hold leaders accountable and help improve his community. These organizations and individuals will be honored for their work to support sexual assault and trafficking survivors at our awards gala on November 6, 2024, in Metairie. 🎉Get tickets and more info here: https://ow.ly/uTlO50TOB9w

Meet our 2024 Champions of Change honorees! 🏆⭐ Stephen McEvoy is a survivor and advocate for childhood sexual abuse survivors. He bravely disclosed his trauma in 2018 and filed a lawsuit, raising awareness and supporting others in their healing journeys. His efforts contributed to the Louisiana Lookback Window's success at the legislature and court. These organizations and individuals will be honored for their work to support sexual assault and trafficking survivors at our awards gala on November 6, 2024, in Metairie. 🎉Get tickets and more info here: https://ow.ly/uTlO50TOB9w

Meet our 2024 Champions of Change honorees! 🏆⭐ Scott Sternberg is the Managing Partner at Sternberg, Naccari & White, LLC, a business-focused law firm with an active litigation practice. He often represents pro bono litigants, including many sexual assault survivors, and regularly advises public interest organizations, news media, and other businesses, individuals, and families across Louisiana. He is the Chair of the Pro Bono Project of New Orleans and has served on numerous boards, including the Louisiana State Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, the Louisiana Center for Law and Civic Education, and the LSU Law Board of Trustees, among others. These organizations and individuals will be honored for their work to support sexual assault and trafficking survivors at our awards gala on November 6, 2024, in Metairie. 🎉Get tickets and more info here: https://ow.ly/uTlO50TOB9w

Meet our 2024 Champions of Change honorees! 🏆⭐ Carrying forward the legacy of the first coordinated women's college in the United States, Newcomb Institute is a groundbreaking academic center in the heart of Tulane. It leads the way in gender equity research and women's empowerment by contributing evidence for social change and preparing the next generation of gender equity scholars and leaders. In collaboration with academic institutions, policymakers, and civil society organizations, Newcomb Institute advocates for policies and practices that promote gender equity and inclusivity in areas such as sexual and reproductive rights and gender-based violence. These organizations and individuals will be honored for their work to support sexual assault and trafficking survivors at our awards gala on November 6, 2024, in Metairie. 🎉Get tickets and more info here: https://ow.ly/uTlO50TOB9w

Meet our 2024 Champions of Change honorees! 🏆⭐ Mary Howell, a civil rights attorney in New Orleans for over 47 years, represents victims of police misconduct and civil rights violations and advocates for NOPD reforms. A Tulane Law graduate, she helped develop NOPD's EPIC program for ethical policing and provides pro bono assistance to a local researcher on initiatives to improve sexual assault investigations and accurate data collection and reporting. These organizations and individuals will be honored for their work to support sexual assault and trafficking survivors at our awards gala on November 6, 2024, in Metairie. 🎉Get tickets and more info here: https://ow.ly/uTlO50TOB9w

Meet our 2024 Champions of Change honorees! 🏆⭐ Councilmember Lesli Harris is a nationally recognized attorney and expert in intellectual property. As an elected official, she secured funding to clear New Orleans' backlog of untested sexual assault kits and to speed up the reopening of the City's DNA lab. She is an outspoken advocate for the creation of affordable housing. These organizations and individuals will be honored for their work to support sexual assault and trafficking survivors at our awards gala on November 6, 2024, in Metairie. 🎉Get tickets and more info here: https://ow.ly/uTlO50TOB9w

Meet our 2024 Champions of Change honorees! 🏆⭐ Kim Sport, an attorney, worked at the highest levels of the Louisiana Supreme Court as Executive Counsel to the Chief Justice. She is the past chairman of the Louisiana Domestic Violence Prevention Commission. Working with United Way SELA, she changed over 150 provisions of law protecting victims of abuse. She is the first and only non-physician member of the LA State Board of Medical Examiners where she holds the position of Vice-President. As an advocate for women and children, she received a commendation from the Louisiana Legislature for her “tireless service to her community and the State of Louisiana.” She was also the first Woman of Excellence Award recipient of Volunteerism & Civic Involvement from the Louisiana Legislative Women’s Caucus. These organizations and individuals will be honored for their work to support sexual assault and trafficking survivors at our awards gala on November 6, 2024, in Metairie. 🎉Get tickets and more info here: https://ow.ly/uTlO50TOB9w