We don't often think about offenders in the context of "giving back" to the communities and individuals they harm.  But a group of juvenile offenders living at Lookout Mountain Youth Services Center in Golden found a way to do that and asked WINGS to be involved. 

In 2008, WINGS Executive Director Anne Guarnera and Greg Mandel, a WINGS board member, spoke to a group of the offenders who were participating in a victim impact class.  The goal was to educate the class members on the long-term consequences of sexual abuse and discuss the various ways it impacts survivors.  The class members asked good questions and seemed to leave the two hour session with a greater understanding of how their actions had impacted others. 

In March of 2009 WINGS was once again contacted by Lookout Mountain Youth Services Center and was told that the victim impact class members wanted to "give back."  WINGS was asked if we would attend a session where the residents would talk about what they had learned.  The class members gave presentations on the far-reaching consequences of sexual assault and abuse and their understanding of how their actions had impacted their victims.  Once again, they had done a lot of work and showed a level of understanding not likely to be found among their peers on the outside.  At the end of the presentations, the class members surprised WINGS by presenting us with a check for $350, which were the proceeds from a bake sale fundraiser they put on.  The fundraiser was an idea from the residents, not their counselors, and the class members even baked the cookies that were sold!  The money raised will be used by WINGS to provide support group services and group handbooks for survivors who cannot afford the fees.  WINGS would like to thank the victim impact class for raising this money and for giving back to the survivor community.