Emma Burke Joins CWS Board of Directors, Participates in DVSA Day of Action

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday, May 8th, 2019
CONTACT John Aney, Phone: 503-557-5820; Email: johna@cwsor.org

Emma Burke Joins CWS Board of Directors, Participates in DVSA Day of Action

Oregon City, OR (May 7, 2019)— Emma Burke of Lake Oswego joins the Board of Directors for Clackamas Women’s Services, a nonprofit serving domestic and sexual violence survivors. She advocated alongside survivors and supporters at the Capitol yesterday for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Awareness Day. Burke was voted onto the CWS Board of Directors on April 23^rd after serving several months on the CWS Public Policy Committee. She serves on the Lake Oswego School District’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Committee on the Policy subcommittee and as Chair of the Community Outreach sub-committee.

“We are incredibly grateful to add Emma’s leadership to our Board,” said Melissa Erlbaum, Executive Director for Clackamas Women’s Services, “I am impressed with Emma’s courageous voice and her passion for creating social change. She has a strong understanding of the importance of good public policy as the foundation for supporting survivors.”

At the Capitol, Burke joined other CWS Board Members and experts in the field to advocate for essential services and protections for domestic and sexual violence survivors. The DVSA Action Day is organized by the statewide coalitions: the Oregon Sexual Assault Task Force and the Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, and the Oregon Alliance to End Violence Against Women. The group met with legislators throughout the day to share the importance of several policy measures regarding domestic and sexual violence. One measure Burke will specifically be advocating for is SB 995 which would improve the current Sexual Abuse Protective Order (SAPO) statute.

“I’m honored to join the CWS Board to further the efforts for Oregon survivors of domestic and sexual violence,” said Emma Burke, “When I sought survivor services after a 2017 sexual assault, CWS helped me obtain the SAPO that helped me feel safer from my attacker. The bill to extend the SAPO expiration is especially important because the current annual renewal process causes emotional trauma and quite often, even financial hardship for survivors whether or not the attacker can even be found to be served.”

Under current statute, SAPOs expire automatically after one year, though survivors can apply for renewal. SB 995 would provide that SAPOs are effective for five years, decreasing the burden on survivors to navigate yearly renewals.

People interested in obtaining a Sexual Abuse Protective Order, or people experiencing domestic or sexual violence can connect with a confidential advocate with Clackamas Women’s Services for help and support through their 24-hour crisis line at 1-888-654-2288.

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