As many of you are aware, Tree-Climbers.org began right here at Daily Kos. It started with the guttural cry of two victims/survivors of childhood sexual abuse (Read Rebecca's story here and Roxine's story here) and has blossomed into a fully functioning 501(c)(3) organization whose sole mission is to help other victims/survivors in their recovery.
Rebecca and Roxine attended every day of the Jerry Sandusky Trial, from jury selection to verdict and sentencing, and delivered to the brave young men who testified the words of this community via a hard-copy book entitled Bearing Witness: Messages of Support from Across the World.
We are now working on finalizing Bearing Witness: The Jerry Sandusky Trial and you can help. Please take a moment to review our Kickstarter campaign and consider making a pledge.
There are many ways you can help - some non-monetary
Please help us build momentum. Share this on your Facebook page, Like us on Facebook, tweet it to your followers, Follow us on Twitter, help us get the word out. And, if you're able, please consider making a pledge. As little as $15 can help us achieve our goal.
You will not be charged anything unless the project is fully funded, that's the way Kickstarter works.
We are going to self-publish this book, and every dime we raise off the sale of the books will go directly to the charity to fund future scholarships for survivors.
Thank you for your consideration and thanks to this community for all of the support you have given us.
To learn more about our vision, mission and value statements, follow below the jump:
Our Vision
A world that relieves victims of the stigma of child sexual abuse, and equips adults with the courage, knowledge and tools necessary to identify and report suspected child sexual abuse without fear of repercussion.
Our Mission
To support victims and survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA) and child sexual exploitation (CSE) in their recovery and empower them to use their voices to help other survivors. Tree Climbers is a 501(c)(3) national organization that focuses on both preventative and restorative education.
• Preventative – educating youth organizations, parents, administrators and children on what grooming looks like, the signs and symptoms that a child is being abused, and pedophiliac behaviors to look for in adults
• Restorative – educational scholarships for survivors empowering them to give back to other victims, break their silence and further the dialogue on how pedophiles operate
Our Values
At Tree Climbers we recognize that CSA survivors are both uniquely qualified and often passionate about using their own experiences to help other children. We also believe that victims can not only survivor, but THRIVE.
TRUSTWORTHINESS: We will be accountable as individuals and as members of this community for our ethical conduct and for compliance with applicable laws and Federal policies and directives.
HEALING: Child sexual abuse affects not only the victim but also families and surrounding communities. We will foster an environment of healing for all by identifying resources in their communities to help families recover.
RESPECT: We will respect the rights and dignity of others.
INTEGRITY: We will conduct ourselves with integrity in our dealings with and on behalf of the charity.
VOICE: We believe that everyone deserves to be heard. Too often victims of child sexual abuse feel that they aren’t seen, that no one will listen, and even if they do, that no one will believe them. At Tree Climbers our motto is thus: We See you, We Hear you, We Believe you
EXCELLENCE: We will conscientiously strive for excellence in our work.