Laura Penney-Edwards, Author at Safe Passage

For many of us, our first meaningful relationships happen in our teenage years. Disturbingly, 1 in 3 teens experiencing physical, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner (that’s 1.5 million high school students nationwide each year) with clearly demonstrated negative long-lasting effects. It is essential that organizations like Safe Passage and caring adults in…

As we approach the month of March, we reflect on a year that has been full of grief, loss, change, discovery, and resilience. We have all navigated a new way of living as we continue to grapple with the multiple pandemics our community and country remain entrenched in: the pandemics of COVID, racism, white supremacy,…

Rainbow background with black text overlay: "In a tiny bar called the Stonewall Inn, LGBTQ people fought back against years of oppression. Today, the legacy of the Stonewall riots lives on around the world in every pride march and in every member of the LGBTQ community". From Stonewall Forever.

As we mark the 51st anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising this June — a month filled with protests demanding an end to police brutality against Black communities and uplifting Black Lives Matter — we recognize and honor the power of protest and organizing to create systemic social change. While this year’s Pride looks different than…

Black background with white text that reads "We know that when confronted with evidence of structural, institutional, cultural racism, that it is not enough to have feelings -- we must take action. The solutions require all of us and a concerted effort, especially among white people, to do better as community allies. This indeed is our call to action. #BlackLivesMatter"

I imagine that many of you, like me, feel outrage when faced with the reality of yet more killings of Black people by white police officers. If you were on social media, you no doubt saw the videos of the death of George Floyd, heard about the violent murders of Breonna Taylor, Ahmad Arbery, and…

The Board of Directors at Safe Passage takes very seriously our responsibility to support the mission of the organization as well as the health and well-being of our employees. We have immense gratitude and respect for the entire Safe Passage staff, who continually demonstrate their commitment to advancing the important work of Safe Passage. We…

Intersecting arrows on a graph going from left corners to right corners that demonstrate a decrease in social supports and an increase in escalation of violence. Arrows point to the side of the graph where a box says "high escalation of violence". Two vertical dotted lines intersect the arrows. On the left, the line says "when warning signs are visible" and further to the right the line says "when survivors call".

Since Covid-19 became a serious concern, we have learned a lot about our responsibility to physically distance ourselves, and to self-isolate in order to limit the spread. While it is an act of community care to encourage others to stay home, we also know that home is not always comfortable or safe. For people who…

Social isolation is not new for survivors living with abuse. As a tactic frequently used by people who abuse others, isolation is integral to almost every experience of domestic violence.

This is such an uncertain and frightening time. I’m writing to you about taking care of one another – our families, our neighbors, and friends – at a time when doing so is tremendously difficult. “Social distancing” has become the new normal for most of us as we deal with the growing threat of COVID-19.…

Parent and two children reading books in a blanket fort. Text over image reads "Take some time to slow down, connect, and read a book with a child in your life" #InternationalChildrensBookDay #BooksHelpUsToSlowDown

Today is International Children’s Book Day, and this year’s theme is “Books help us to slow down”. We encourage you to take some time today (or every day!) to slow down, connect, and read a book with a child in your life.

PRACTICING MINDFULNESS HELPS PEOPLE CONTROL THEIR BRAINS WITH GREATER EASE, ALLOWING THEM TO PUT AN END TO ANXIOUS OR TRAUMATIC THOUGHTS.

Meditation is really difficult. Have you ever tried? If not, here’s a quick exercise you can do right now. Note: mindfulness isn’t for everybody. So if you feel unsettled by the idea, skip this exercise!

Posts by Laura Penney-Edwards

#TDVAM2021: Supporting Teens is a Community Effort

Reflections on a Year of Pandemic

Pride 2020: Celebrations Change, Support for LBGTQ+ Survivors as Important as Ever

Board of Directors Statement on the Proposed Union

How you can support survivors during Covid-19

When Staying Home isn’t Safe

To our Safe Passage community…

Practicing Trauma Informed Mindfulness Meditation

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