Submitted by Women’s Resource Center
125 supporters of the Women’s Resource Center gathered at the Hotel Viking on Monday evening for Courtyard Cocktails, an event hosted by Co-Chairs Elizabeth Leatherman and Susan Sipprelle. This exciting evening featured the premiere of Women’s Resource Center: Tipping Point, a short documentary produced and directed by award-winning filmmaker Susan Sipprelle.
In this intimate and powerful film, survivors share their experiences of overcoming the many barriers to leaving an abusive situation, and how the Women’s Resource Center empowered them on their journey to finding peace for their families. “Eight clients of the Women’s Resource Center agreed to tell their stories, including two whose identities cannot be shown,” Sipprelle said. “The film is a very unadulterated version of their stories, which they were all bravely willing to tell.”
The film’s subtitle, “Tipping Point,” refers to both the courage and strength of purpose these survivors possess, as well as the underinvestment and ongoing funding cuts the Women’s Resource Center is facing. “Federal funding is getting less reliable and we have been navigating steep cuts from these sources in recent years,” Executive Director Jessica Walsh said. She continued, “Our community needs to know how critical our work is so that they can help us grow our impact despite any cuts we may face.”
In the 20-minute short film, Sipprelle weaves each survivor’s story into an arc that starts with their experiences of abuse, moves through their escape and path to healing, and culminates with their vision for the future. “Their hopeful outlook for the future is a testament to the powerful work the Women’s Resource Center does to help their clients rebuild their lives,” said co-chair Elizabeth Leatherman. “We are incredibly fortunate to have such an important organization in our community.”
Heather Jensen, President of Women’s Resource Center’s Board of Directors, added, “This screening is more than just a depiction of struggle; it is a call to action—for all of us to be allies, advocates, and give voice to an issue that so often hides in plain sight.”
Additional screenings of Women’s Resource Center: Tipping Point will be scheduled soon. Subscribing to the Women’s Resource Center’s newsletter at wrcnbc.org is the best way to stay up-to-date on opportunities to view the film and other ways to get involved.About the WRC: The Women’s Resource Center provides comprehensive services to survivors of domestic violence and their families in Newport and Bristol Counties. Their mission is to empower survivors by providing trauma-informed services with equity and compassion while working collaboratively with the community to eliminate the root causes of interpersonal abuse. For those experiencing abuse, the WRC provides a wide array of services including counseling, support groups, law enforcement advocacy, court advocacy, shelter, and transitional housing. Help is available 24-hours a day at 1-800-494-8100.
Website: www.wrcnbc.org
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Twitter: @wrcnbcInstagram: @wrc_nbc
