Community Solutions announced this week that its 12th annual production of Historias de Mi Madre (My Mother’s Stories) will celebrate the grassroots beginnings of services for intimate partner abuse, sexual assault and human trafficking in South County.
Historias de Mi Madre XII: Inicios (Beginnings), explores the genesis of critical services for survivors of abuse in South County, including the inception of La Isla Pacifica (the Peaceful Island) in 1978, the launching of sexual assault programs in 1981 and the expansion of services to include support to human trafficking survivors in 2003, reads a press release from Community Solutions. La Isla Pacifica is a confidential shelter for survivors of intimate partner abuse and/or human trafficking and their children.
The bilingual (English/Spanish) play will be performed Friday, 6:30pm Nov. 9 at the Gavilan College Theatre, 5055 Santa Teresa Blvd. in Gilroy. There is a suggested $10.00 donation, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. Due to mature content, the play may not be appropriate for children.
As one of the founders of the Rape Crisis Center, Lisa De Silva worked to ensure these issues gained visibility, the press release adds. “When our programs began, domestic violence was kept behind closed doors, sexual assault was buried within silence and shame, and human trafficking was not even in our consciousness,” De Silva said. “Thankfully, these many years later, all three of these crimes have emerged from society’s shadows. Yet, we unfortunately are still facing some of the same myths and stereotypes today that existed years ago. In revisiting history we can ensure that it’s not repeated for our future.”
This will be the second year that Erica Leon will participate in Historias de Mi Madre. “I volunteer for many reasons,” Leon said. “I am a survivor. From childhood to womanhood, I found myself dealing with the brunt of toxic masculinity, but ultimately found the strength to break free. I participate to bring awareness so that individuals like me can see there is hope, and maybe they too can find their strength to begin again.”
Community Solutions is the largest nonprofit human services agency in southern Santa Clara County, During fiscal year 2018-19, Community Solutions provided services to 792 domestic violence victims, 231 sexual assault survivors and 78 victims of human trafficking. Services include emergency confidential shelter, legal advocacy, court accompaniment, peer counseling, case management, safety planning and resource and referral.
