April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Columbia County Women's Resource Center would like to invite you to participate in our poetry contest titled.

                         "A River of Words"
     (Sexual Assault Awareness in the Workplace and Schools)

This contest will allow anyone who has been affected or knows someone who has been affected by date rape or any other form of sexual assault a chance to share their experiences, thoughts, feelings, words of healing and encouragement with all victims and survivors of this life-altering event.

We would like to thank you in advance for your participation in this event. Our staff counselor will be available to provide individual counseling and/or group support to anyone needing emotional support as a result of any issues that may surface for them. We also have advocates who can provide educational presentations about this and other subjects that affect our youth and our community.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Jovanna Freeman at our office number.


Poetry Contest Rules:
* Poems should be about how your life or the life of someone you know has been affected by Date Rape or any other form of Sexual Assault.
* Poems may be in any style.
* Each poet must submit work that she/he has created.
* Anonymous submissions will not be eligible for prizes.

Eligibility:
Contest will be open to all poets regardless of age, sex, race, ability, apperance, or sexual orientation.

Catergories:
Support - General
Support - Family
Support - Friends
Healing
Hope
Survival
Spirituality
Frustration
Anger
Fear
Self Love
Shame
Empowerment

Judging & Scoring:
* A panel of five judges will be selected.
* Judges will be scoring each poem on a scale of 0 - 10, with 10 being the highest or "perfect" score.
* Judges will be encouraged to use one decimal point in order to prevent a tie.
* Each poem will get five scores.
* The high and low scores will be dropped and the remaining three scores will be added together.

Deadline:
* Poetry must be submitted by April 21,2008.
* Contest winners will be announced on April 25, 2008.

Poems may be submitted to:
CCWRC
P.O. Box 22
Saint Helens, Or 97051

or

poetry@noexcuse4abuse.com

Prizes:
First Place Prize - $20.00 Bowling Gift Certificate & $25.00 Sunshine Pizza Gift Certificate.

Second Place Prize - $15.00 Burgerville Gift Certificate.

Third Place Prize - $10.00 Blockbuster Gift Certificate.