Featured Ally Paloma Kogan Womenspace

"I work at Womenspace so my work is to encounter domestic violence. I chose to work with Womenspace because I wanted to help women and children. Management is my field of study, but I really want to do social work. Before I came to do this work, I always found myself helping people any way, so I chose to stay with that in my profession. A long time ago I did an internship at LCC for a course in psychology, I have also worked at AFS, provided interpretation for the Eugene Clinic, volunteered for Centro LatinoAmericano and Amigos de los Sobrevivientes. All of those experiences pointed me to continuing to work with women and children. Now most of the people I started working with are all gone, and some of the organizations too, but I stay for the women and children.

"I help by providing information, referrals, emotional support and guidance. Especially with the Latina Support Group I facilitate, I can see women really change. For example, we have recently worked on writing. I had a client who when she started, could barely talk because her self-esteem was so low. Now she is writing a book! Because the Group meets over a long period of time, a lot happens there. One woman kept coming for months while she was still living with her abuser. At one point she announced she would stop coming. But she still came. And now she is leaving her abuser, and has better self-esteem and an entire support system of women in the group.

"The people I work with keep me going. Like Mavell and Ruth who started the Latina Group, and the people at Centro and Birth to Three who are also helping families. And the child care providers at Lane Family Connections. I see changes with the children by having a children's group that is provided with our Latina Group, and I know that I can't really help the mothers unless their children are being helped too-so thanks to Cindi for developing the program for the children to heal while their moms are also working in group."

Paloma - May 2002