Church Victims of Sexual Abuse Celebrate its 30th Anniversary in Chicago
The oldest and largest support group for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings celebrates its 30th anniversary in Chicago
SNAP supporters come together for information, healing, empowerment, and exposing abuse
Experts, Journalists, International Figures converge for this landmark event
What:
Survivors, their supporters, and advocates will gather in Chicago this weekend to attend the 15th annual SNAP conference and to celebrate its 30th anniversary. SNAP, The Survivors Network (SNAPNetwork.org) was founded in Chicago in 1988.
Where/When:
July 6-8, 2018
The Palmer House Hilton
17 East Monroe Street, Chicago, IL 60603
**Media should inquire at SNAP CONFERENCE CHECK-IN and ask for Judy Jones, Steve Spaner, Tim Lennon or Melanie Sakoda**
INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE ON SATURDAY, JULY 7th:
(please confirm availability upon arrival, not all experts will be available at all times due to scheduling/speaking conflicts)
Mitchell Garabedian
Attorney for victims of abuse, portrayed by Stanley Tucci in Spotlight
Pam Spees
Attorney and United Nations War Crimes expert, Center for Constitutional Rights
Thomas Doyle
A Catholic priest who has worked on exposing clergy sexual abuse in the U.S., Europe and Canada since 1984, and has helped grand juries in the U.S. and investigatory commissions in Australia, Ireland and Canada
Victor Vieth
The Senior Director and Founder of the Gundersen National Child Protection Training Center and author of Unto the Third Generation, a book that outlines the necessary steps to eliminate child abuse in America in three generations
Anne Barrett Doyle and Terry McKiernan
Co-directors of the intrepid website Bishop Accountability, that documents the clergy abuse crisis in the US
Chrissie Foster
Author of Hell On The Way To Heaven, the book that led to a Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into religious organizations, which in turn led to the Australia-wide Royal Commission. Chrissie also participated in the ABC documentary , Undeniable, which will be screened on Saturday night.
Ashley Easter
Author of The Courage Coach: A Practical, Friendly Guide on How to Heal From Abuse and the founder of The Courage Conference
Gustavo Arellano Miranda
Orange County author and former publisher and editor of a nationally syndicated column in the OC Weekly who found himself, a cradle Catholic, covering the Catholic sex abuse crisis
Marek Lisinski
Co-founder of the first and only Polish organization to address clergy sexual abuse, the Be Not Afraid Foundation
Steven Spaner, PhD
Retired professor from the University of Missouri in St. Louis, who developed the website www.snapaustralia.org
Torah Bontrager
Author of An Amish Girl in Manhattan: Escaping At Age 15, Breaking All the Rules, and Feeling Safe Again
Jodi Hobbs
Survivor of a Behavioral Modification facility in California and the founder of Survivors of Institutional Abuse (SIA)
Rachel Grant
A Sexual Abuse Recovery Coach and the author of Beyond Surviving: The Final Stage in Recovery from Sexual Abuse.
Guila Benchimol
A PhD candidate in Sociological Criminology whose research and advocacy focuses on sexual violence, especially in religious communities.
Attendees
Numerous attendees—survivors and supporters; first-timers and annual attendees—will be available to interview
About the SNAP Conference:
The SNAP Conference, now in its 15th year, is an annual global gathering of sexual abuse survivors, their supporters, and advocates. Each year, the conference aims to enrich, uplift, empower, engage, and inform survivors. It does this by bringing in the best and brightest experts in the field and creating an environment of positivity and growth.
About SNAP:
SNAP, the Survivors Network, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has at network of 25,000 survivors and supporters. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org
Press Contacts at the Conference:
Judy Jones 636-433-2511, [email protected]
Steven Spaner 636-433-2511, [email protected]
Tim Lennon, 415-312-5820, [email protected]
Melanie Sakoda 925-708-6175, [email protected]
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director