CENTER FOR EMPOWERMENT
The following oral histories were conducted with clients of Middlesex County’s Center for Empowerment, who provides local sexual violence counseling, advocacy, and prevention education in Middlesex County, NJ.
Cheyenne Garstad is a survivor of sexual violence who has received services from The Center for Empowerment and now currently works for The Center For Empowerment.
South Brunswick resident Mariam Ali speaks candidly about their experiences and how they found the Center for Empowerment after they were the victim of sexual assault in 2018. They discuss how they stay connected with the project and the importance that the arts have played in their life.
Somerset resident Laura Foley describes growing up in Massachusetts and New Jersey. She speaks straightforwardly about the abusive relationships that have been a part of her life.
Natalie Dawkins was a flight attendant for over twenty years. She describes her family and her love of flying and how, after being sexually assaulted by a coworker, she had to renegotiate these relationships.
When Brett Kavanaugh’s sexual misconduct case became public, Amanda Lazaro was triggered into confronting her own past experiences. After posting her story on Facebook, she found the Center for Empowerment and has been working through the Center’s workshops, programs, and one-on-one sessions. She is hopeful about her future.
Former music teacher and retired church musical director Steven Russell has learned a lot about how to advocate for himself over his lifetime. His involvement with the Male Survivors of Sexual Violence group at the Center for Empowerment has helped him cope with sexual assault that happened over thirty years ago.